The Six Kings Festival—the grand celebration hosted by the Six Kings, the pinnacle of the Demon Realm—was the talk of the world. News of the event, along with the official invitations, spread like wildfire, particularly among the nobility and prominent merchant circles.
An invitation from the Six Kings was more than just a piece of paper; it was a symbol of ultimate status. Receiving a high-ranking invitation could single-handedly elevate a person’s social standing. Consequently, nobles and wealthy merchants across the lands had been whipped into a frenzy of activity.
Royalty was no exception.
In a private chamber within the royal castle of the Kingdom of Sinfonia, Ryze, the reigning king, sat with a look of intense trepidation. He held an envelope in his trembling hands, his expression like that of a man offering a desperate prayer as he broke the seal.
While Ryze had technically reconciled with Kaito, he remained in the dark regarding how the Six Kings currently viewed him. This lack of clarity had left him feeling somewhat marginalized within his own castle. For him, this invitation was either a golden opportunity to reclaim his honor or a one-way ticket to hell.
If he failed to receive invitations from at least the Underworld King and the World King, his political standing would become even more precarious. Praying for at least a Bronze Rank, Ryze pulled the card from the envelope and let out a sigh of relief so heavy it echoed through the room.
The invitation was a stunning, shimmering gold. It was a Gold Rank invitation, meaning his dignity as a monarch had been preserved. In fact, it was more than just a recovery of his reputation; the Gold Rank granted him entry to the exclusive party on the final day, an honor that exceeded his wildest hopes.
As he opened the invitation, he saw the names of four of the Six Kings listed as his hosts: the Underworld King, the Death King, the World King, and the Phantasm King. Ryze breathed a sigh of relief at the inclusion of the Underworld King, his greatest concern, but then he noticed a small message card tucked inside the envelope.
"Hm? What is this?"
The card contained a single sentence written in elegant script: "I heard you gave advice to Kaito. Thank you." It was signed at the bottom by the Death King, Isis Remnant.
Ryze was unaware of the context, but Kaito had spoken to Kuromueina and Isis about the advice Ryze had given him, expressing his sincere gratitude. To the Kings, Ryze’s intervention had been a feat worthy of a standing ovation, and their opinion of him had skyrocketed as a result. At this point, if Ryze were to invite Kuromueina to a royal banquet, she would likely actually attend.
Of course, Ryze had only given that advice because he mistakenly believed he was discussing his sister, Lilia. His success was entirely accidental—though perhaps it was the very fact that his advice had been sincere and devoid of political calculation that made it so effective. Regardless of the reason, Ryze, the King of Sinfonia, had successfully restored his standing with the Six Kings.
Meanwhile, in the royal castle of the Arclesia Empire, Emperor Chris was opening her own envelope with a focused, serious expression.
"...Oh? Gold Rank? I expected Silver."
Chris tilted her head, surprised that the rank was higher than she had anticipated. However, she wasn't about to complain about such a fortunate turn of events and proceeded to open the invitation. There, she found the names of the Kings who had invited her: the Underworld King, the Dragon King, the War King, and the Phantasm King. Again, Chris frowned in confusion.
"...The Phantasm King? That’s odd. I don’t believe I’ve ever had a real conversation with the Phantasm King-sama."
Chris could account for the others. She was one of "Kuromueina's Fledglings," her empire had long-standing ties with the Dragon King, Magnawell, and she had a decent relationship with one of Megiddo’s Five War Generals. These were the hosts she had expected.
But she couldn't understand why the Phantasm King, No Face, was on the list. She had seen the King’s figure at events like the Hero Festival, but they had never spoken directly. She had shared more words with the World King, Lilliwood, than she ever had with No Face.
"Wait... is there something else? A message card?"
She pulled a small card from the envelope. It read: "The dinner was delicious. From Kaito-san's pretty guard."
Chris’s expression froze.
"...Miyama-sama's guard? Does that mean... Alice-sama is... the Phantasm King?"
The realization hit her like a physical blow. The masked girl, Alice, who had accompanied Kaito during his visit to the castle, was the true identity of the Phantasm King, No Face.
Normally composed, Chris was visibly shaken. Cold sweat began to bead on her forehead.
"If Alice-sama is the Phantasm King... then that means the report about 'happening' to spot Miyama-sama at the monster race track was also..."
She remembered the day Kaito arrived in the empire. She had received a report that he had been spotted, which allowed her to invite him to the castle. Looking back, the timing had been far too perfect. She had received that information from a subordinate participating in the Treasure Tree Festival—a subordinate who had identified Kaito even though he was virtually unknown at the time. It was a remarkably convenient coincidence.
"If that report was a plant by the Phantasm King... then the high-ranking nobles who so vehemently opposed treating him as a state guest but did nothing afterward... and the ones who volunteered to monitor him..."
Chris felt a chill run down her spine. The terrifying possibility occurred to her that Alice had grasped everything—how Chris would react to the information, what steps she would take against the opposing nobles—and had manipulated the entire sequence of events.
"No, surely I’m overthinking it. What would the Phantasm King gain from... Wait... Was it a 'smoking out' operation? If she had completely predicted my actions and thoughts, did she intentionally have her puppets among the nobility oppose me just to see who would actually try to harm Miyama-sama?"
Chris, who wanted to welcome Kaito, and the nobles who fiercely opposed her—Alice had manufactured that conflict. She had effectively forced every noble to pick a side, allowing her to identify potential enemies and monitor their movements. If that were the case, it explained why Alice had been so provocative toward Chris during their meeting.
"In other words, I was being tested. She appeared to cooperate with my plan while constantly baiting me. She was gauging my response... If I had made the wrong call and turned against Miyama-sama, I likely would have..."
Chris didn't need to finish the thought. She knew her hypothesis was correct, and the realization left her drenched in cold sweat. She had chosen to side with Kaito, but if she had bowed to the pressure of the nobles and put him in harm's way...
"This is truly terrifying. As expected of the Phantasm King... I was dancing in the palm of her hand the entire time. I’ve always felt she was the most dangerous person in the world, and this proves it. Moreover, the people the Phantasm King influenced within my government are all essential personnel. Even knowing the truth, I can't touch them."
Chris couldn't be sure if her subordinates were true agents of the Phantasm King or simply pawns hired for a single job. Regardless, purging the high-ranking nobles would trigger a civil war, and even if she fired her immediate staff, there were undoubtedly other spies buried deep within the castle.
For Chris, pursuing the matter would mean losing her most talented officials for no gain, with the added risk of incurring the Phantasm King’s wrath.
"I suppose I should just be grateful that the Phantasm King gave me a positive evaluation... Goodness, I really am no match for Miyama-sama."
She let out a soft laugh and carefully tucked the invitation away. Her gaze fell upon the stack of letters she had received from Kaito. Despite everything, he was diligent about replying, and their correspondence had grown into a steady, long-term exchange.
"...Come to think of it, Miyama-sama will obviously be at the Six Kings Festival. Hmm. I don't usually care for them, but perhaps I’ll wear some feminine clothes for a change."