Chapter 79 - It Seems Like Something That Happens Due to Lack of Power

"How far has the evacuation of the spectator seats progressed?"

Max, the person in charge of the Craft Trading Company's private soldiers and delegated on-site command authority by Marquis Your Excellency, asked a guard.

"The evacuation is complete. Though some students are showing symptoms of poisoning, the Alchemy Department is immediately treating them as prepared in advance."

"Your Excellency's foresight has shone."

Though we didn't know it would be such a radical and reckless method, it was worth preparing for the cult's gas terrorism.

Max grabbed the airship railing and looked down at the ground.

The tournament building shaped like a circular arena was completely filled with purple hazy gas.

The gas covered the arena and filled the spectator seats, rippling like boiling poison in a pot.

The circular building was acting like a sealed room trapping the gas. The purple gas, which had the characteristic of sinking heavier than air, filled the interior without easily escaping.

In fact, it would be a problem even if it was immediately discharged outside. Since event booths were lined up around the building, additional damage could only be prevented by completing external evacuation and then resolving it.

So ironically, wind magic was being used at every building entrance to prevent gas discharge.

"According to the Alchemy Department professors' opinion, the gas vapor pressure is low, so it will take about 20 minutes to discharge even after completing peripheral evacuation. Only after that can proper suppression be possible."

"Those foolish radicals. Are they planning to do a suicide bombing?"

Bringing an airship is common. Even dropping gas bombs with an airship in the air above the arena is within expectations.

But it wasn't like that. They accelerated the airship recklessly while taking anti-aircraft fire, then crashed into the middle of the arena while colliding with protective barriers in the air.

Of course the crashed airship was destroyed, but the poison gas explosively released along with the collision, as if it wasn't an impulsive crash, spread in an instant.

"Still, it was one of the terrorism scenarios Your Excellency prepared for, so major damage was prevented."

Though the crude airship crash was unexpected, invasion of the arena was prepared for by Your Excellency. Duchess Elsior is an assassination target right away. There's no easier assassination than intruding during a tournament duel.

So when the airship crashed, the magic circles on the temporary walls activated to separate the arena and spectator seats, temporarily blocking the gas trying to spread to the spectator seats. Thanks to evacuating the spectators in that time, there was little damage.

"However..."

It was still difficult to rescue students Melissa and Elsior trapped in the gas in the arena.

"Is it correct that it takes 20 minutes to discharge the gas? Find a way to shorten the time further considering magical personnel too!"

"Yes!"

Max tightly gripped the airship railing. The arena was covered in gas and no situation could be seen.

Whatever they did, demon race terrorists who survived the airship crash were creating gunshots in the gas. They must be trying to kill Elsior as requested by the cult.

Since the Knight Order isn't coming, they should be able to accomplish it as they please.

One private soldier pointed to the side.

"Your Excellency has returned!"

When he turned his head, a pink-haired girl riding a white broom flew over.

The girl flew to the airship railing and stopped in front of Max. She looked down at the tournament arena while brushing her hair.

"What's the situation?"

It was a cold voice different from her usual lively tone.

Though Your Excellency the Marquis could immediately guess that the friends who were in the match were in danger just from the visible scene, she maintained her composure. It was a rational attitude completely different from her soft appearance of living and dying for friends.

Max was once again convinced that Marquis Craft's innocent appearance was an act.

Even though Marquis Craft ordered the newspaper club to post a strange explanation that she was only swept up in the coup and Max was the leader, it must have all been interviews for manipulating public opinion.

Max conveyed the situation.

"Separate from the professors' judgment that it will take about 20 minutes to process the gas, we plan to try shortening the time by bombing the building's outer walls with airships."

"Anyway, the spectator evacuation is finished, right?"

"Yes."

The girl's expression relaxed considerably upon hearing the answer. As if she heard that she herself didn't need to be tied down as a control tower.

"Then Mr. Max, please focus on peripheral evacuation and prevent casualties."

The girl glared at the arena.

"I'll go rescue them."

"What?"

The white broom rapidly accelerated. Wind blew and pink hair fluttered like a tail.

"Your Excellency?!"

Max looked down as if about to fall off the railing.

"It's dangerous! The rescue operation should be after the gas clears..."

Then he paused.

Seeing the Marquis flying without hesitation into the purple gas piled up like cumulus clouds, he had a strange thought.

That action looks like rushing in unable to control her blood when her friend's life is in critical danger.

But Max knew. Marquis Craft is not that kind of person.

A rumor from the Knight Order flashed through his mind.

Didn't they say Your Excellency caught the terrorist demon race mercenary captain then said tools that have served their purpose are discarded?

Then the remaining reason is...

She's fearless because she already knows the poison gas or has an antidote for poison gas she was involved with.

No way.

Was it really terrorism instigation for strengthening power, and now she's personally going to betray the terrorists?

Or is she trying to show an image of sacrificing for friends since the innocent appearance image management hasn't been working well lately?

If she just rescues the two students isolated in the arena, the radical terrorism like the airship crash can be competently resolved without damage. As if it was already planned.

Before he knew it, Marquis Your Excellency had disappeared into the purple gas.

Max cut off his expanding thoughts.

There was no meaning in pondering whether it was true or not.

Because the Crafts have been like that for generations anyway.

#

Melissa sat leaning against the arena's outer wall. The magic wand in her hand created wind and pushed away gas from the surrounding space.

Intermittent coughs came out.

She covered her mouth with a handkerchief at the undignified cough. Red marks stained the white handkerchief.

Mother, I'm sorry.

I couldn't follow your teaching to never forget to be wary of assassination.

There's no room for excuses, to not react quickly because I was too focused on the match with Bellamont.

I'm sorry.

The teachings I don't follow keep increasing.

Can someone like me lead Camelot well?

I've been having such thoughts lately.

Good Pastel, um...

Though she's quite suspicious lately, Pastel who is still good is getting her hands dirty with unsavory things to save her family. Things like smuggling or seizing Sky Island's administrative power.

Though those are actions without dignity or refinement and greedy, weren't they duties she had to do as the only surviving Craft family head?

Terrible things like willingly dirtying her hands, enduring criticism, and taking on infamy for dead family members.

A journey of tying her life to the past and throwing it to the future, whether she wants to or not.

If it were me.

If it were me...

Even if I had to, I couldn't do it.

Well of course.

Because that's too undignified.

To decide my own future of not being understood and only being insulted. I can't endure such humiliation.

That's right.

I've been having such thoughts often lately.

Maybe mother's teachings are wrong. Maybe not all of them, but some of them.

Thinking of what I've done during the second semester, Pastel is clearly a friend I should stay away from according to mother's teachings.

But I don't want to.

As Camelot's dignified successor, I can't betray Craft's responsible family head.

Because that's not noble-like.

I'm sorry.

From the start of the second semester, I ignored the teachings to check and followed Pastel to Bellamont's dormitory. I enjoyed a tea party, though at a somewhat distant table.

Although the vulgar Bellamont picked a fight and voices were raised, I don't regret it.

Because the cookies we ate together were delicious.

Well.

Is this the wickedness Pastel talked about?

I've become a rebel.

Melissa wiped her mouth with the reddened handkerchief.

But mother was right after all, it seems.

If I had ignored Bellamont from the start as mother said, I wouldn't have neglected assassination wariness from focusing on the match.

That's right.

If I had ignored Pastel from the start, if I hadn't been bound by that groundless close friend declaration, if I hadn't made friends...

Wouldn't this not have happened?

Mother.

Respected mother.

But still.

I don't regret it.

Because the cookies were delicious, and the girl before my eyes is beautiful.

"Melissa!"

Pastel who screamed softly stopped her broom. She warily looked around the surroundings invisible due to gas then got off the broom.

"Are you coughing up blood?!"

"It's just a simple cough."

Melissa who answered gently wiped her blood-stained mouth and folded the handkerchief.

"What happened to the spectators? The gas spread to the spectator seats. Did you evacuate them before coming?"

"Is now the time for you to worry about that?!"

Uwaa.

Pastel fidgeted while screaming silently. Yet her hands rationally taking out emergency antidote was quite amazing.

"That's right."

Melissa smiled.

"You resolved it, right?"

Pastel got slightly angry.

"Don't just smile and drink this quickly!"

"I will."

The antidote tasted like sugar water.