"Elias taught you bad habits, didn't he…?"
Leo muttered, exhaling sharply.
It did seem like I'd been influenced by him, even if I hadn't realized it.
But just like Elias, I didn't intend to hurt people for fun. It's just that this was the most viable option in this situation.
Thinking that, I stripped the robe off the unconscious vigilante.
Leo grabbed my shoulder with a bewildered look as if he'd just witnessed something insane.
"…What the hell are you doing? Are you seriously thinking of stealing someone's clothes right now?"
"No. Hurry up and put it on, too. We need to at least match their silhouettes."
"..."
Earlier, Lichthofen had spoken to us through spatial magic.
He must have heard the sound of his spell breaking, and since the connection was cut off afterward, he'd come here directly.
Realizing my plan, Leo clicked his tongue but put on the robe and pulled the hood over his head.
Then, without being told, he snapped off a table leg.
"Didn't even explain it, and you already got it, huh?"
"If you're telling me to disguise myself, it's not hard to guess why."
Leo moved to stand close to the wall on the other side of the table.
I focused my magic and destroyed the room's light fixtures, then aimed my wand at the hallway lights.
Shatter—! Crackle—
With even the faint light seeping in from outside gone, the room plunged into complete darkness.
Leo muttered under his breath, "If more than two people show up, we're in trouble. They'll attack us with magic."
"No, don't worry. Only one will come."
At my confident reply, Leo gave me a sidelong glance and focused on the flow of energy in the room.
We held our breath for a while, waiting. Eventually, waves of magical energy began to ripple through the air. Someone had warped into the room, scanning their surroundings in the darkness.
"…Why is it so dark…?"
As I moved my wand to restrain the figure, Leo darted behind Lichthofen.
At that moment, Lichthofen turned his head, startled, with a look of horror on his face.
But it was too late.
Smack—!
***
"Ugh…"
At the unfamiliar groan, I looked down at my feet.
Lichthofen, who had been lying limp like a corpse, twitched his fingers.
Leaning on my staff as a cane, I said, "Looks like you're awake now."
"…Hah…"
Lichthofen let out a dry laugh, but it quickly faded as he winced in pain.
'What an unusual feeling.'
Back with Strauch or Gerda, I had always been the one knocked out and left sprawled on the floor.
Now that the roles were reversed, I could confidently say… this suited me much better.
In a hoarse voice, Lichthofen muttered, "So primitive. I didn't expect you to hit me with a blunt object instead of using magic… Just to remind you, you know there's a rational option called 'conversation,' right?"
"That's rich, coming from someone who's experienced what you put us through."
I stared at his hands, bound tightly with magic from both Leo and me.
"So, how's your magic doing?"
"Quite effectively blocked. But just in case, let me ask… There's nothing wrong with my eyes, is there?"
It was a reasonable concern. After all, we'd made sure no light could reach his eyes.
"Of course not. Let's drop the act, shall we?"
"..."
"Everything's going exactly the way you wanted."
At that, Lichthofen broke into laughter.
"As expected, trusting your judgment has been my best decision this year."
For some reason, he kept laughing as if he found the situation entertaining.
"Nikolaus, a second-year student in our academy… and that Pleroma Askanian, no less. What a ridiculous story."
"Coming from someone who's known from the start, that sounds a bit hollow."
"Knowing and confirming it are two entirely different things. So, how long are you planning to keep me like this?"
"You'd know that better than me."
"..."
He didn't respond.
Up until now, Lichthofen had been sharing his senses with Robert Müller.
While the connection to his hearing was cut when we struck him, his vision remained linked.
Considering the audacity of him showing up here alone to confront us in this catacomb as a noble, it wasn't a stretch to assume someone higher up had prepared a contingency plan.
And indeed, I could feel an unusual magical energy emanating from his body. It felt like it had been there for over a decade.
"A form of curse magic, isn't it?"
"Hmm?"
"Embedding someone else's magic into your body. That technique is used in crimes nine times out of ten. After all, letting foreign magic touch your core is incredibly risky."
"You know your stuff. If mishandled, it'll kill me~ It's not just about sharing sensations."
He laughed inappropriately for the situation.
"Impressive."
"First time seeing it?"
"It's more surprising that someone with your skills hasn't removed it yet. You've been carrying that around all this time?"
"..."
"Let me guess. 'I'm only doing bad things because I'm forced to,' huh? Well, I suppose you'd need a face as thick as steel to survive in a group benefiting from Pleroma's techniques."
"…I can't exactly deny that."
He chuckled again, clearly amused.
"But even if I removed the magic now, Robert Müller would just become suspicious, wouldn't he? You know that too, right?"
As expected, Lichthofen wasn't hiding anything about Robert Müller anymore.
And why would he? After choosing to warp here alone, knowing full well he'd be captured, refusing to cooperate now would make no sense.
"True. So it's best if you just stay like this."
"Ah."
I had no reason to risk helping him.
And I certainly wasn't going to let go of the advantage I'd gained. Why give up the opportunity to extract faster and more accurate information?
At that moment, Lichthofen murmured, "Fascinating. I'm impressed you figured out the connection was still active… and that you recognized Robert Müller."
"There's no need to be so surprised. You gave us plenty of hints."
"It's nice when things go as planned. How did you sever the connection?"
I crouched to meet his gaze.
"Now's not the time for trivial questions like that."
"…Ah… Hahaha, true."
"Let's start with Robert Müller. Why are you in this situation despite being on the same side?"
"That's a long story. You probably have the gist of it already, don't you? Start talking, and I'll correct you where necessary."
What a pain…
But fine. It's not like it matters.
Before confirming whether my reasoning was correct, I laid it all out for verification.
Before coming here, I had identified two entities that would gain from my death: Pleroma and Robert Müller of the Catacomb.
At first, I thought of them as separate entities, but my perspective shifted.
'It's both of them.'
Robert Müller was someone who had joined forces with Pleroma while also working to protect and advance the interests of the Catacomb.
I opened my mouth to speak.
"The Catacomb is exceptional in the field of spatial magic, but relatively weak in other areas. Even after all this time, the suppression you face has only worsened. You must have been desperate to replenish your numbers and power. And conveniently, there was the perfect material for that."
"Ah, you must mean Vitriol," Lichthofen responded.
I continued, "Robert Müller's Catacomb vigilantes are working to obtain Vitriol from Pleroma. To put it more accurately, they're complying with Pleroma's threats."
"Hmm, accurate."
"You needed to orchestrate a situation where both Pleroma and the Catacomb would benefit. Ironically, if there were a way to hinder Pleroma at the same time, it would be ideal, wouldn't it?"
"..."
"I'm not sure where such a method exists, but the logic itself isn't bad. Killing Nikolaus would derail Pleroma's real plan to slowly undermine him. It's a meticulous plan that would be ruined by an impulsive assassination attempt. Conveniently for Pleroma, however, it wouldn't hurt them too badly if it failed."
"…Hmm."
Even Leo, who had already heard this before, was now listening to me intently.
"It would still send a clear message: that Pleroma can kill anyone their subjects trust and follow whenever they wish. Meanwhile, the Catacomb would get closer to obtaining Vitriol while simultaneously fostering resentment toward Pleroma among various groups. They'd gain their benefits while reducing Pleroma's lifespan."
"..."
"But you failed to kill Nikolaus, didn't you? Now, instead of benefiting Pleroma, all you've done is escalate suspicion and animosity toward them. To make up for this blunder, you'll need to properly capture Nikolaus and hand him over."
Lichthofen was silent for a long time before he let out a deflated laugh.
"I'm curious how you reached that conclusion. Did someone tell you?"
His words confirmed that my reasoning was correct.
I didn't bother answering and instead asked my own question.
"Judging by how you deliberately botched the orders, you're not aligned with Müller, are you?"
"Correct. Unlike him, I believe Nikolaus Ernst must survive at all costs."
He continued, "The fact that I'm from a noble family constantly puts my position at risk. If I prioritize stopping Pleroma over advancing the Catacomb, that too becomes a burden on me. No matter what decision I make, it always circles back to my noble status."
His tone grew more composed and somber as he spoke.
"However… even if it means being exiled from the Catacomb forever, some things are simply unacceptable. The Commander is preparing to share the majority of the Catacomb's spatial magic technology with Pleroma in exchange for a system where the entire Catacomb can access Vitriol."
"..."
I locked eyes with Leo.
So they were going to share that with Pleroma.
They were practically laying the groundwork for Pleroma to dominate the world.
This didn't happen in the original story. Clearly, the plot had deviated, prompting them to focus on technological advancement.
"It's short-sighted," I said. "For a brief moment, the Catacomb might seem stronger. But it won't be able to exist independently and will soon be absorbed as a mere part of Pleroma. The pride of having created a world to escape government persecution will eventually become a laughingstock."
Of course, that's how it would end.
Pleroma wouldn't stop at acquiring spatial magic; they'd covet the people of the Catacomb and its already well-structured city.
Then, Lichthofen murmured, "…Before contacting Pleroma, we constantly attacked them. You might know this already—did you notice how time flows differently in Pleroma's world?"
"I did."
When I had entered previously, time had flowed at a 1:6 ratio, with Pleroma's world moving much slower.
"It's an issue caused by applying pressure to the coordinate system. They still haven't figured out it's us."
Lichthofen chuckled briefly, then fell silent with a bitter expression.
The days of attacking Pleroma were long gone, and now they were on the brink of being absorbed. His reaction was understandable.
Still…
'…That was the precursor to the collapse.'
To think they had launched such attacks from here.
No doubt about it—the Catacomb's spatial magic was unparalleled.
At this point, the Emperor seemed downright foolish. The Catacomb wasn't an entity he could afford to overlook.
"How long has it been since you contacted Pleroma?" I asked.
"Two weeks now."
"How much technology have you handed over?"
"Nothing significant yet. Just the dual-space magic. The one I used earlier when I was with you."
Ah, that trick he used earlier, where he occupied the same space as his opponent without sustaining any damage…
That method had been passed to them.
"..."
"They're walking straight into their own grave," I muttered.
Not only were they benefiting Pleroma, but they were also doing the Emperor a favor by digging themselves into a deeper hole.
Of course, that made things easier for us.
I spoke calmly, "Alright, it's time to expand the game. What's the situation outside this building?"
***
"Hah…"
It seemed everyone in the Catacomb had gathered here.
Elias let out a sigh that was almost a laugh as he looked at the square, packed with people ready to burst with rage.
A crowd of furious onlookers pointed at Elias, veins bulging as they shouted.
"Kill him now!"
"How dare royalty step foot in here?!"
One of the vigilantes holding Elias by the collar remarked, "Quite the lively response, huh?"
"Ahh… What a mess. It's not like I came here for fun."
"The only place where commoner mages can breathe, and a noble infiltrates in disguise, even playing the beggar. If anyone's in the wrong here, it's you, isn't it?"
"I said I was sorry, didn't I?"
Elias apologized without a shred of emotion.
"Trying to smooth it over with an empty apology… It's obvious how little you think of us. I never expected blue blood to understand us, anyway."
"…Some call me 'blue blood,' others call me 'an insolent bastard.' It's honestly exhausting~"
"Still not awake yet, huh?"
The blade in the vigilante's hand pressed against Elias's neck.
Elias frowned slightly and let out a long exhale.
"Whoa, hold on now! Aren't we moving a bit too fast?"
"If you can't understand my words, then I have no choice."
"No, I get it. Why are you making assumptions and throwing a fit?"
The man stared down at Elias without a word.
"You're planning to use me as bait to lure out Nikolaus Ernst, aren't you? You think if you dangle me in plain sight, Nikolaus will show up in front of you."
Crunch—!
The magical restraints on Elias's hands shattered.
If Luca's judgment was correct, and my reasoning was sound…
This man must be Müller.
Grinning, Elias clasped the hand on his shoulder and smirked.
"Now it's obvious what Robert Müller wants."