"Platinum, we'll have to trouble you again~"
"So let me get this straight. I'm to kidnap Maria and force Margaret to withdraw from the competition, deal with the Red Pine Knight Order so they don't cause trouble during the tournament… and also keep an eye on that god who's just wandering around? Roy, I finally understand why there are three Darksteel seats, two Lazurite seats, and only one Platinum seat."
"Hahaha…"
"If you want me dead, just say so."
"Come on now, you're a top-tier assassin who once attempted to kill a 'god' and made it out alive. These minor tasks won't trouble the great Platinum of the Armorless Union."
"…You know the truth of that incident."
"Alright, alright, don't get mad. We're not that unreasonable… among these tasks, the most important one is actually stopping Margaret from participating."
"…Why?"
"Because Margaret is a 'Nearl.' You didn't live through that era, so you can't understand what the name 'Nearl' means to those at the top."
"…"
"They're not afraid of the Nearls' strength, but of their stubborn ideals. That's what truly makes the Nearl family dangerous."
"…"
"Hasn't that 'god' done something similar before? Leaving Ursus books, language, even culture behind in Kazimierz… oh, and faith as well."
"…So I can slack off again?"
"Only when it comes to that one. Internal opinions are divided, so the Chamber of Commerce has effectively abandoned targeting Arthur. No one truly wants to provoke him. Whether it's the Adeptus, the Grand Knight, or those lofty executives, none of them want to trigger an eleventh Ursus-Kazimierz war. They can't risk any off-the-books moves that might push that god into flipping the table."
"…I still can't understand the point of that god's actions. For a warlike nation like Ursus, a pretext for war is practically optional. And if he truly wanted to establish diplomatic relations with Kazimierz, then why appear in such a 'clownish' manner, letting himself be judged on a knightly stage?"
"…Perhaps He told us His purpose from the very beginning?"
"…"
"'I'm here to experience Kazimierz's unique culture.'"
"…"
"Haha, that's just my personal guess… After all, we're just employees. How could we possibly understand the thinking of a being that has lived on this land for who knows how many years?"
___
At the same time, outside the Nearl family estate, Arthur stood smiling as he was surrounded by attendants still loyal to the Nearl household.
"…You're not welcome here."
"Oh? Is that so?"
Facing the elderly men who had encircled him, Arthur's smile did not change.
These old men were knights who had once fought alongside Kirill Nearl and Margaret's parents.
Ever since news spread that Arthur had reappeared in the Kawalerielki, these retired knights, bound to the Nearl family by deep ties, had gathered once more around the estate.
They were worried for the Nearls' safety.
The shadow beneath Arthur's feet began to spread, inch by inch.
Carefully avoiding Młynar at his side.
To some extent, the Nearl family's Arts naturally restrained Arthur's "Shadow Tide."
"…Młynar, why are you standing with him, and why are you blocking his path?"
An old man named Martin looked at Młynar with a complicated expression. Once the pride of the Nearl family, now its nominal head, he stood silently before Arthur.
As the owner of Martin's Tavern and an old friend of the Nearls, Martin could not understand how that once spirited young man had ended up like this.
"…I'm saving your lives," Młynar said in a low voice.
In the dim night, the retired knights who had once followed the Nearls into battle did not notice that the danger had already receded.
From the moment Młynar stepped in front of Arthur, the spreading shadow seemed restrained, unable to advance any further.
'…'
'Sharp eyes, kid.'
'Just like before, when you yielded to Kazimierz to protect your family… now you yield to me.'
'I know full well the ideals still lingering in your heart, the anger that has yet to be unleashed.'
But what of it?
Wear a mask long enough, and it becomes your face.
The Black Snake intended to chip away at Młynar's dignity bit by bit, using his hesitation, until he was completely subdued.
After all, Młynar was strong. A rare talent.
And the Black Snake loved gathering talent.
Even if he could not be shaped into a loyal subordinate, a compliant tool would do just fine.
A man who could abandon his dreams for the sake of his family… where, exactly, was his limit?
The Black Snake was curious.
It never tired of exploring terran nature.
Even if it never believed it could truly understand anyone other than itself.
During the time when Kirill Nearl lay gravely ill, an unexpected visitor once came.
A flickering, ever-shifting phantom sat quietly beside his bed.
The moment he noticed the figure, Kirill's frail body tensed instinctively. It lasted less than a second before he could only gasp for breath, forced to relax.
Yet the man who had been resting with half-closed eyes now stared wide, disbelief filling his gaze as he looked at the chaotic, unstable silhouette before him.
"What is it, my old friend…? Does seeing me like this surprise you?"
The figure remained seated, unmoving.
Its voice did not come from the ever-changing form before him.
Instead, it sounded directly within Kirill Nearl's mind.
Like a whisper murmured close to his ear.
'…What are you doing here?'
'Of course, I came to visit you, my old friend. To visit the hero who once drove back Ursus shieldguards, who fought against Leithanian casters, who protected Kazimierz… Kirill… Nearl!'
'…What are you doing here?'
'Hey, hey, don't be like that. You're no fun at all. We were rivals for years, after all.'
'You and I both know the truth about that war. You were never serious. You even withdrew with your Ursus army intact, while our Silverlance Pegasi suffered heavy losses. If you came here just to mock me, then go ahead.'
'You really are dull. Not a trace of humor. Some things don't need to be spelled out. Compared to saying Kazimierz was spared by an Ursus duke, it certainly sounds better to say its own war hero saved the nation.'
'…'
'Anyway, I'm getting off track. I almost forgot why I came. My old friend, I imagine Kazimierz has already gathered quite a bit of information about me.'
'…So what?'
'Haha, playing dumb doesn't suit you. Tell me… do you want to live?'
'…'
'Then let me put it in a way you might accept. Do you want to save this decaying country of yours? To restore your family, now on the verge of collapse? To take revenge on those who cast you aside once you were no longer useful?'