A loud alarm made the people walking along the streets stop in their tracks.
Some pointed at the guidance window in the air, shouting something to those nearby.
But whether it was because of a spell that obscured their view or something else, their gazes did not reach us.
As Elias scanned the surroundings, Richthofen waved his hand dismissively.
"Don't worry. They can't see us. No need to broadcast to the world that three New Humans just beat thirty of us."
Hmm...
No matter how I looked at it, their attitude was odd.
It could just be their personality, but being this calm after being soundly defeated was unusual.
They must have something up their sleeve.
Still, even if they had a backup plan, this reaction didn't seem entirely logical.
I needed to think about what they might be hiding.
"What will you do? Warp magic won't work on the surface. Sir Nicolaus, who has frequent contact with Pleroma, surely knows that."
Richthofen glanced back and forth between me and Leo as he spoke.
He wasn't wrong.
We didn't know the coordinates of this place, so warp magic was out of the question.
If we could have used it, we would've done so the moment the vigilantes barged into the tavern.
There was no way they hadn't blocked the exits to the surface by now.
Besides, we didn't need to flee.
If we were planning to run, we'd have invited Max Richthofen to the inn for a cozy chat.
Of course, that would've limited the information we could gain, and we might not have been able to access this place at all.
Better to be stuck here than kicked out.
As long as we plan to win, that is.
Naturally, losing wasn't an option.
Elias, who had been visibly shaken earlier because of Marianne Baum, had regained his composure and spoke with a casual air.
"Let's think about this. You already sounded the alarm, so what's the point of telling us who Nicolaus is?"
"Your tone…"
Richthofen chuckled as if he found it absurd.
If it were an ordinary teenager, it wouldn't matter, but no royal would speak like that regardless of their age.
The fact that he pointed it out in this situation showed how deeply ingrained noble etiquette was in him.
"Just say it."
"When spatial magic is deactivated, you'll be arrested by the Catacomb Defense Force. If the vigilantes fail to handle you, they plan to release you outside."
"Well, fine. But do you really think we'll get caught?"
"Of course."
It wasn't just bravado.
They would use every spell in their arsenal. With the Catacomb's level of technology, they could track us down eventually.
Richthofen continued mockingly.
"That's why you should tell us before things get unnecessarily ugly. You're not exactly commoners, and I'd hate to see the Defense Force put in the awkward position of subduing you."
"Sorry, but we'd need to get subdued first before deciding to talk. Didn't you see what we went through just to get in here?"
"..."
Both Richthofen and Leo's faces reflected disbelief at my words.
So that's why we got beaten up? Their expressions seemed to say.
Richthofen quickly nodded as if he had expected this response.
"Well, fine then. Let me make a proposal."
He spoke while surveying us slowly.
"Narce Farnese and Lucas Askanian, correct?"
"..."
"And you… We played an interesting game of poker last time. Losing still stings. Care for another round?"
Now that I think about it…
He knew our names but hadn't included them in the warning message.
Why?
Hiding our identities wouldn't benefit him in any way.
I'd need to consider this, too.
Just then, Elias frowned.
"A game~? Are you kidding me?"
"None of you are in any condition for a brawl. Consider this me being generous."
"What do we gain by beating you?"
"You'll feel less guilty about revealing who Nicolaus Ernst is."
"Win or lose, we still reveal Nicolaus? Ha… And what exactly are you planning to do with him?"
"If I told you, it'd only make it harder for you to name him."
"..."
So they weren't planning to let us off easily.
I could tell exactly where this was going. They probably intended to make a public spectacle of killing Nicolaus.
Richthofen gestured toward Elias with his chin.
"Let's be clear. You'll be handed over, too."
"Impressive. That would cause quite the ripple."
"It benefits the Catacombs. Once His Majesty learns that you trespassed here, he'll likely shift his stance to support the Catacomb while condemning you, a noble, for your intrusion. The commoner mages might get a year of peace."
"..."
Elias glared at him icily.
What Elias couldn't tolerate wasn't the Emperor's attempts to suppress him but the fact that others were aware of it.
He had endured years of ostracism from noble society because of it.
I remembered Elias once bitterly comparing it to being beaten up by the school bully while everyone else stood by and watched. Leo had been appalled, and I, though surprised to hear such a comparison from someone like him, could understand the sentiment.
"You know a lot. Then hand me over to the Emperor."
"I wasn't trying to pick a fight, but that's unfortunate."
"Enough."
I quietly cut off the exchange.
This was getting us nowhere.
I now understood their goals.
I also knew someone who seemed to be Robert Müller was above us, that Richthofen wasn't a simple opponent, and that…
He was hiding something significant.
There was no reason for him to propose a game unless he hoped to gain something from it.
If we were going to be taken in anyway, we might as well play along.
And we had the upper hand.
"What kind of game? You'll have to explain it properly."
"Oh, you seem interested. Is everyone else in agreement?"
His smooth deflection didn't go unnoticed.
"Start with the explanation."
"Hmm… Something popular, I suppose. Let's begin with some drinks."
Elias glanced at me.
It wasn't the mention of alcohol that swayed him.
Leo, too, exchanged a glance with me before turning to Richthofen.
"Let's go."
"Splendid."
Richthofen responded smoothly and flicked his wand. It extended and struck the floor with a firm tap.
In an instant, the surroundings shifted to a dimly lit room. The only sources of light were the faint glow filtering through a window and the flicker of a fireplace.
As Richthofen turned and headed toward the table, Elias snapped his fingers with a small motion.
Bang—!
A surge of magical power rushed toward Richthofen, but he deflected it effortlessly, turning to Elias with a grin.
"Well, you can touch it, but of course, this isn't my real body. How could I trust New Humans, after all?"
"Oh~ What a shame," Elias replied, stepping forward and slumping into a chair.
"You keep talking about New Humans. So, what about you? Are you an Old Human adopted into Richthofen as a child?"
"..."
Richthofen remained silent, just as he had every time this question came up.
Whatever the truth was, if he had attended the Third Academy, he couldn't be an Old Human.
Unlike Old Humans, New Humans grow as they are without experiencing secondary sexual characteristics, making their growth process distinctly different.
"There's no need for you to know who I am," Richthofen said, tapping the table lightly with his wand.
Champagne glasses appeared, one for each of us.
"If you're curious, you'll just have to win the game."
"Champagne? Not my thing," Elias said bluntly.
"It's got a strong flavor," Richthofen replied cryptically, gesturing for us to drink.
Elias downed his glass in one gulp and raised an eyebrow. He didn't seem to notice anything unusual.
Of course, there's something in it.
There was no way he'd just offer drinks for no reason.
With him watching us closely, Leo and I each took a cautious sip.
"How's the taste?" Richthofen asked.
"This garbage counts as alcohol?" Elias shot back curtly.
Richthofen laughed, then smiled smoothly. "I'd have to agree. How about a game of poker? Losers drink each round."
Nobody here looked remotely interested in playing games, which made the suggestion feel absurd.
In any case, that was out of the question.
If we played, Leo would end up drinking everything by himself.
When no one responded, Richthofen spoke again.
"Four-player chess, then?"
"Too much effort," Elias replied.
"Hahaha, I thought you might say that. Then let's keep it simple—how about a game of truth?"
"..."
"Of course, questions like 'Who is Nicolaus Ernst?' are off-limits. I'll also avoid indirect questions that might hint at it."
When I stared at him, Richthofen shrugged with a smile.
"It'd be boring otherwise."
He remained as enigmatic as ever, but one thing was clear now.
He wasn't here for entertainment.
Richthofen was stalling for time.
I summoned the Probability of Change window.
Dawn 777 ― Final outcome: 'Chapter X. Death' in 654 days, 8 hours, 1 minute, 25 seconds ― Probability of Change: 25.3%
8 hours, 1 minute.
While I pondered, Elias narrowed his eyes and clicked his tongue.
"Is this your first time drinking? Haven't you ever gone on a trip with friends?"
"I don't see why that matters," Richthofen replied.
"It's just... your tricks are as stale and unoriginal as ancient relics."
"I'll give you that," Richthofen admitted, snapping his fingers lightly.
"Though, I wonder if you'll find this stale as well."
Thump—
Suddenly, the world grew blindingly bright.
"...!"
I needed a moment to process what I was seeing.
We were no longer indoors. It was no longer late December.
The sun's rays beat down harshly on my skin.
Unfamiliar foreign words with a familiar cadence drifted to my ears.
Feeling a strange sense of displacement, I slowly lifted my gaze to look past Richthofen. Behind him was a building I recognized.
It was my old school.
"..."
Not the Imperial Second Academy.
I felt the blood drain from my face.
I turned around. In the distance, rows of bus stops lined a boulevard, flanked by various arts academies and café signs.
"What the hell?!" Elias shot to his feet, shouting.
Leo, too, looked around, clearly unable to make sense of the situation.
"Hm…" Richthofen stroked his chin, amused, and turned to me.
"Mr. Askanian, you have quite the broad horizons."
"…Luca?" Elias spun to face me.
"..."
"I was curious how the famed Pleroma's magic could work, so I wanted to test it out. Lucky you're the first subject. But I didn't expect it to conjure such an unfamiliar place…" Richthofen mused.
Elias grabbed Richthofen by the collar and growled, "Explain. Now."
"Is this a bit more novel?" Richthofen asked, shaking off Elias's grip.
"Shall we begin? What kind of place is this to leave such a deep impression?"
"..."
One thing was certain: this method was highly effective for extracting information.
Now I understood why he was so confident in his proposal.
Naturally, someone here would reveal Nicolaus's memories.
The fact that we hadn't stumbled upon Nicolaus's memories yet meant this situation was outside his plan.
Not that he'll explain it to us.
In this case, we needed to gather whatever we could.
I summoned the Probability of Change window again.
Dawn 777 ― Final outcome: 'Chapter X. Death' in 654 days, 7 hours, 50 minutes, 1 second ― Probability of Change: 25.3%
It had been 8 hours and 1 minute earlier.
It felt like no more than five minutes had passed, yet ten minutes had disappeared in reality.
In the Catacombs, time flow had never differed this drastically before. This result meant…
He's deliberately slowing down time.
For what purpose?
It meant he was waiting for something.
Without taking my eyes off his face, I asked, "Are you participating, too?"
"Of course," Richthofen replied smoothly.
I emptied my glass and gestured toward him.
"Let's move on to the next."