Chapter 3: The Book with a Key

At Billions Trading, in an urban area of the royal capital, Hildegard von Hessen was in a corner of the office, doing nothing at all.

“Hey, you look bored.”

“!”

Shylock, the company’s head honcho, spoke to her.

“Oh, um...”

“It might not be to your taste, but would you like some?”

He was holding a cheap coffee mug.

“Oh, uh... thank you.”

Unable to make eye contact, show appreciation, or refuse, Hilde accepted the mug.

Uh-oh... What should I do?

Hilde had kidnapped Shylock, the man in front of her, and threatened him. She had mocked and looked down on him for being from the Doga tribe, which was often the subject of discrimination in Europea. But now Hilde was under his protection. Her excuse was that she had acted on orders from a superior officer, but that didn’t dispel her acute discomfort.

“Don’t look so concerned. At this point, I have no intention of casting accusations.”

Shylock said this as he noisily sipped coffee.

“I don’t mean to boast, but I’m used to that kind of thing.”

Shylock was over 60 years old. The first time Lud met him, the baker had sensed an inexhaustible reserve in the man, as if he were a war veteran. But Shylock had no experience in the military. However, he had become one of the world’s leading multibillionaires, despite facing prejudice and discrimination. He was clearly a man with great experience.

“Also, Jacob told me about you.”

“Jacob... That boy?”

“Yes.”

Hilde was also uncomfortable talking to Jacob, because she had tried to kidnap him.

“He said you’ve been through a lot, so I shouldn’t be mean to you.”

Shylock said this with a wry smile.

“I spoil my grandson, so I can’t help but do as he asks.”

It wasn’t that he felt no antagonism toward Hilde, nor that he didn’t harbor resentment. But now wasn’t the time for recriminations. Telling someone as full of pride as Hilde that he forgave her would only offend her. So the old man purposely avoided saying that and treated her with a maturity that only the elderly possess.

“I heard all about it. It can be bewildering to lose something you rely on.”

“I...”

The Hilde who existed before would have returned to the Schutzstaffel, clung to Genitz like a dog, and begged for forgiveness so he would reinstate her under his command. However...

“I knew a man named Heidrig.”

If she hadn’t freed Heidrig—by following a plan devised by Genitz, under the disguise of the Corporal—he wouldn’t have died.

“Before he died, he said I wasn’t cut out to be a soldier.”

“Oh, I see.”

Strangely, Hilde had accepted that. She had no intention of returning to the military.

“Let me give you an old man’s advice.”

Shylock said this casually, as if he had seen inside her.

“When you don’t know what to do, move forward anyway. If you focus only on yourself and your opponent, then something you know remains in the dark. But if you move on, you gain a third point of reference and start to see things three-dimensionally.”

Some objects that looked rectangular from the side were actually cylinders. It wasn’t uncommon. Especially when one is lost and wavering, action can alter the situation, whether it opens a way forward or not.

“You’re still young. I mean, you’re around my grandson’s age, so you will still have more experiences. And they will give you more choices.”

“If I have more choices, will that make anything better?”

“I don’t know. But it’s better than sitting at a dead end, right?”

After saying this, Shylock laughed fearlessly.

His laugh was a means of survival for a man who had lived at the gambling tables where relaxing one’s guard for even a moment could mean losing everything. Instead of laughing in enjoyment, he laughed to force himself to rise above and survive danger.

“Do something? But what should I do?”

In response to Hilde’s quiet question, Shylock said, “It’s not about doing just anything. It’s about doing what you want to do.”

“What I want to do?”

When had this happened? It was Year 913 of the European Calendar... Yes... It was when I was in my early teens. I was culled as a type three soldier and started handling missions as a Werewolf.

“Hello, Langart. Thanks for your service.”

Genitz? He always welcomed me with a smile.

“Another difficult mission, huh? Sorry for giving you all these ridiculous assignments.”

Ridiculous? Now I remember... A big-shot noble was engaged in an affair with the wife of another noble, and was told to break it off or information would be sent to a newspaper publisher to create a scandal. My job was hushing up the incident.

“Is this what you wanted? It’s quite a large jewel.”

That voice... It must be mine. Let’s see... The man gave his mistress a necklace that was a family heirloom. It would have served as evidence of his affair, so I snuck into her mansion and stole it.

“Did anyone see you?”

Yes, someone had.

“Yes. A household servant.”

“That’s no good.”

“Don’t worry. I killed him.”

That’s right... A young servant had spotted me. And since he saw me, I couldn’t let him go. So I killed him. I rushed in and pushed my gun against his heart to use him as a human silencer. The body served as a cushion, so the sound wouldn’t leak. It was over in a moment.

“Oh, I see. Then no problem. It’s actually better that way.”

Genitz was smiling with satisfaction.

Yes. The noble’s mistress would soon notice the necklace was gone. Then she would realize who was behind the theft and the murder of her servant. If she feared that it would be her turn next, she’d never fool around again.

“What are you going to do with the necklace?”

“Hmm... Maybe just keep it?”

Genitz answered my question merrily.

“We can’t let it out because it’s evidence of an affair and of the murder committed to hide it. So returning it would just cause complications.”

After saying that, Genitz tossed the necklace to me.

“Consider that an interim bonus, Langart. It’s yours.”

I caught it, but I was unsure. It could only mean trouble.

“I don’t want it. I can’t eat it, and if I sell it, someone will find out.”

The jewel had once belonged to the big-shot noble as a family treasure. A commoner family of four could sell it for cheap and still live on it for a decade, but that wasn’t necessary for me.

“Isn’t there anyone you can give it to?”

“Of course not!”

I smiled wryly as I answered.

Smile... Yes, I could still smile back then. But what a hideous smile! It was rotten, as if I believed I understood everything in the world and considered it all worthless, including myself.

“Fine, then. I’ll keep it for you. I’ll even cash it if you want.”

With an exasperated look on his face, Genitz placed it in a drawer.

“If you can cash it, then give me cash right now.”

“Have you forgotten that someone in your position can’t open a bank account?”

The military provided food, clothing and shelter for the Werewolves, but it also forbade individual assets. And if the military caught a Werewolf hiding money, it would handle the offender, no matter his excuse.

Since every mission the Werewolves performed was secret, they were privy to information that was worth untold sums. Such information would cause quite a stink if discovered by the intelligence agencies of other nations, especially Apuvea. To prevent us from getting any ideas, the military strictly controlled even our pocket money.

“I’ll arrange it so you get the money. Maybe you’ll need it someday.”

“Someday? Like when?”

I found Genitz’s words absurd and laughed.

“I’m a Werewolf, so I’ll keep killing until I myself bite the bullet. Isn’t that how you made me?”

Half of the trainees died before they could become Werewolves. And those who did become Werewolves noticed that familiar faces had gone missing from time to time. Living a life like that, the word someday was unreal.

“Langart, don’t you dream of anything?”

“Huh?”

Genitz asked an even more laughable question. For someone who didn’t know where he would be tomorrow, such words were pointless.

“Enough nonsense. The best I can do is survive. I live only to eat and stay alive.”

Yes, I was still desperate to live back then. Every day was like placing bets on the lowest probability of death so I could live just a little longer.

“You’re right. Above all, humans live to keep on living. Or to be more precise, not to die. But you can’t do that forever.”

Genitz usually wore a smile, but his face was serious that day.

“Someday, you’ll want to live to accomplish something besides just drawing breath. Humans are like that.”

At the time, I hadn’t understood what Genitz was trying to tell me. But a question had arisen in my head, so I asked it.

“Do you have a dream?”

“Yes, of course. Who do you think I am?!”

His serious expression was replaced by an arrogant smirk.

“My dream is to be king.”

I was too stunned to laugh at his reply, which he offered boldly.

“Right now, I accept dirty work from nobles, but I don’t intend to keep it up forever. No, this will serve my future advancement.”

I had known that. Back then, all the jobs Genitz took were dirty work no one else wanted. Since he handled them properly, top-ranking military officers as well as politicians, nobles and wealthy merchants came to him with all manner of requests.

However, handling scandals meant knowing and holding their weaknesses. With those weaknesses as footholds, Genitz—who had been a colonel—climbed to brigadier general in just a few years.

“Oh... Well, do as you please.”

At the time, I didn’t know much about his intentions. I simply took him for a megalomaniac or a dreamer or both. Nonetheless, somewhere inside, I suspected he might very well do what he said.

“I’ll be the same when that time comes. I’ll be your tool and carry out your orders.”

That’s why I answered the way I did.

“I can only live as someone’s tool. And it wouldn’t be so bad to be a king’s tool.”

After saying that, I laughed ironically.

“I see... Well then, I’ll become someone you won’t be ashamed of.”

“Lud... Lud!”

“...............!”

When he woke up, Lud Langart was at Billions Trading.

“What am I doing here?”

“That’s what I’d like to know!”

Jacob, who had stayed at the office, spoke with a look of amazement.

“How did you get back here? When I went outside this morning, you were lying in front of the building. I brought you inside in a jiffy!”

Lud was lying on the sofa of a greeting room at Billions Trading. With his large frame, a sofa for three people wasn’t long enough.

“Oh, I see...”

It was after dawn. The sun visible through the window was already high. Holding his head and feeling like he had a nasty hangover, Lud recalled everything that had happened. Hanussen had unexpectedly appeared and cast a spell of spatial transference on him. And this was the place that had popped into his mind as a safe spot within the royal capital.

“W-What’s wrong? You look pale.”

Milly, who was also watching Lud, asked with concern.

“Oh... uh, never mind.”

Perhaps it was Hanussen’s queer spell that had caused him to remember old times.

It turns out Genitz was serious ...

Lud had taken Genitz’s claim that day as a joke or an expression of megalomania, but now it was about to come true.

“And Sven...”

Lud muttered to himself.

“Sven? Did you see her? Sven?!”

After hearing her name, Jacob asked Lud with an excited look on his face.

“Um, well...”

However, Lud didn’t know how to explain. Sven’s mind was very different because of an emergency control code. And the only thing that could free her was a reset code that would erase her memory.

“No, I didn’t see her. In the end, I barely managed to escape.”

Lud turned away as he told a fib.

“Oh...”

Lud’s odd behavior bothered Jacob, so he lowered his eyes sadly.

“But... I did obtain some information.”

Lud revealed what Hanussen had told him.

“Genitz wants the king to hand over his throne? But that’s unimaginable!”

“Yeah, it’s ridiculous!”

It was so far-fetched that it surprised both Jacob and Milly.

“Yes, but he really is going to make the attempt.”

Genitz’s plan was reckless. And that’s why there was a hole in it.

“He hasn’t captured the king yet.”

Genitz had many of the cards he needed, but the most important card was still at large. And if they could get that card, they had a chance to save the day.

“But how are we going to find him?”

“Um...”

Jacob’s question raised a good point. In Berun, also known as Million City, it was nearly impossible to find someone who was hiding.

“There must be a way. In any case, what happened to Rebecca?”

Rebecca was supposed to have escaped last night, but no one had seen her.

“She hasn’t come back. I thought she was with you.”

Hilde had been outside the room listening to their conversation and she now opened the door and spoke to Lud.

“I heard what you said. The lieutenant general wants to be a king, huh?”

“Yes. And he’s serious about it.”

It didn’t feel true until now, but remembering their past conversation had made Lud certain.

“In order to bring back Sven, we must thwart Genitz’s ambition.”

Hilde made a pained face.

Until just a few days ago, she had respected Genitz to the point of admiration. In consideration of that, Lud said, “I won’t ask you to do anything, Hilde. It’s enough that you helped me get this far.” Hilde had already been through enough hardship. Asking more would be inexcusable.

“If we find the king before the lieutenant general, we’ll have the upper hand.”

“What?”

Lud never imagined Hilde would suggest such a thing.

“Let’s ask Shylock to gather information on the king. If we don’t know what he looks like, we can’t find him.”

“Wait a second... um...”

Hilde had chosen to ally herself with Lud and oppose Genitz.

“I’m not disobeying the lieutenant general’s order. He told me to do whatever I like the last time we met.”

During the recent fracas in Organbaelz, Genitz had deceived Hilde many times and then abandoned her, saying that he didn’t need her anymore and she could do whatever she wanted.

“I’ll be honest with you, I don’t feel like killing you anymore. I, um, regret the trouble I caused.”

“Hilde?”

“But that doesn’t mean I’ve lost my dignity as a member of the Schutzstaffel!”

Much had happened to her, such as meeting Lud and Sven, watching Heidrig die, and coping with Genitz’s betrayal. But humans aren’t so resilient that they can move on immediately.

“You’re right. I understand.”

This was personal for Lud, too. He had grown up as a Werewolf and participated in the tragedy of Lapchuricka. At that time, he wasn’t immediately able to give up the life of a soldier. It was a few years until he hit upon his dream of becoming a baker.

Right now, Hilde was going through such a time.

“Anyway, I’ve decided this is the time to do what I should. Or rather, to do what I want to do.”

“And what is that?”

Hilde sniffed in desperation at Lud’s question.

“I’m going to punch the lieutenant general.”

“Huh?”

“He manipulated me! I can’t hold my peace even if he was my superior officer! Surely I’m allowed to slug him at least once!”

Hilde understood that Genitz had used her because of her immaturity and lack of skill. Nonetheless, it was understandable that she would strike back after he insulted and disgraced her by laughing at her foolishness while hiding his true self.

“I’m not strong enough to do it, so I’m going to rely on you! I’ll lend you my help! I’ll do anything! Please sock him a good one for me!”

She was shouting, her face flushed with anger and frustration and... something else. Something powerful.

“And I’d also feel badly if I didn’t pay my debt. I have a strong sense of duty, you know!”

After saying this, Hilde turned away in embarrassment.

She had another reason for taking action. It was a desire to rescue Sven. It was a strange thing for her to admit. There had been a time when she had wanted to kill Sven, and Sven wouldn’t have hesitated to kill her. During the recent incident, however, it was Sven who had saved Hilde when remnants of the Pelfe Liberation League captured her.

Those two are surprisingly similar... They’re both twisted and stubborn!

At least, that’s what Lud thought.

The command headquarters of the regular military was located in a corner of the royal palace of the Principality of Wiltia. It was the nation’s most important defense base, so usually it was bustling with activity. Today it was empty.

“Now you’ve done it!”

Elvin, the leader of the regular military, was sitting in the command post of the command section.

“Please, be patient while we clean up the rebels.”

Genitz was standing behind him.

Genitz’s rank was lieutenant general, and Elvin was a marshal. The regular military and the Schutzstaffel were distinct organizations, but Genitz behaved graciously because of the difference in their ranks.

“Rebels? Where?”

“That is a good question. We do not know where they are. Our officers are searching as best they can, but it’s a difficult task. I sorely realize my insufficiency in this matter.”

Genitz spoke with exaggerated politeness toward Elvin, who was annoyed. Perhaps... No, there was no doubt that Genitz was doing so deliberately to grate on Elvin’s nerves.

“I heard that staff members of the Weapons Development Bureau were connected to anti-government organizations.”

On the morning when the Schutzstaffel sealed the royal capital, Elvin had been informed of that fact alone. Then Genitz had frozen all functions of the command headquarters. Including all matters under Elvin’s authority. The rules of martial law for the purpose of maintaining public peace forbade contact with the outside. Furthermore, Elvin was prevented from using all means of transportation or holding any meetings. For nearly four days now, he might as well have been imprisoned in command headquarters.

“Indeed. We cannot allow this. Many of my men have fallen. It’s a sad affair.”

Genitz said this with a cool look that didn’t match his words.

“Do you have any evidence?”

“Yes, I do.”

“May I see it?”

“Due to the need for maintaining public safety, I cannot show it to you.”

Of course, there wasn’t any evidence. Elvin had known that when he asked, and Genitz was deliberately lying when he answered.

As usual, his behavior is so annoying...

Elvin silently expressed his annoyance.

Society had laws, and the nation had a constitution. And the military had regulations. Everything fell under the rule of law and nothing went awry... At least, that was the illusion to which people clung. And no doubt that applied to individuals.

But not between nations. The law functions properly when executive power is preserved. Simply put, protection of the law comes from rules established by a strong individual. Despite international law, an invasion could be rebranded as an “armed intervention for the maintenance of peace,” if an influential nation desired it.

Genitz had subdued the royal palace and the royal capital was in his hands. Thus, the law would bend to his will.

He knows all about the mechanisms of a constitutional nation. He avoids the cost of protecting laws and the risk of breaking them, but he has a knack for circumventing them.

The regular military, which included Elvin and Sophia, was full of career soldiers. However, Genitz was different. He was a political tactician wearing a soldier’s mask so he always outwitted his opponents and seized the initiative.

“Ah... I understand. Then there is nothing I need to say. You may go now and apprehend the rebels.”

Elvin replied coldly and picked up a pocket-sized book beside him.

He was the leader of the command headquarters of the Wiltian military, but he enjoyed reading.

“Where did you hide the king?”

Without a moment’s pause, Genitz broached the key issue.

“What are you talking about?”

Elvin didn’t alter his facial expression in the slightest. He carefully removed a bookmark stuck inside the paperback and smoothly opened the pages.

“I sent soldiers to protect the royal palace, but I didn’t find the king.”

Genitz had dispatched soldiers to the palace to force the king to abdicate his authority to him. There had been little resistance. Practically none because the Schutzstaffel, which was supposed to protect the royal palace, had bared its fangs. But they hadn’t found their prize, which was the monarch.

“I don’t know. What would I have done with him?”

By that time, military headquarters was under Genitz’s control, so it was hard to imagine that Elvin had done anything.

“The Wiltian royal palace has many unidentified escape routes.”

“So I’ve heard.”

“Were you aware of those routes?”

To know the unknown and to hide that you know can allow one to predict the opponents’ movements and catch them off guard.

Elvin, who was feared as the “Master Schemer,” might very well deploy such a maneuver.

“You overestimate me. The first thing you did at the royal palace was occupy headquarters... I mean, defend headquarters.”

He didn’t neglect to openly prod his opponent, but it failed to disturb the man’s pleasant expression.

“For example, you might have guessed what would happen and then told the king where to escape in case of emergency.”

“I’m neither a prophet nor a fortune-teller.”

“No. But you are a brilliant strategist. A clever person has a partial view of the future.”

“If I could see the future, don’t you think I would have done something to prevent this situation?”

“No, I don’t. I don’t mind if you operate behind the scenes, but if the military were to mobilize on a large scale, we in the Schutzstaffel would suspect you of being the ringleader of this incident for rebellious purposes.”

“In that case, you would be sure to kill me. Even if you were mistaken, you could make the excuse that you had no other choice.”

“Yes. It’s regrettable to put a resplendent national hero like you in such a situation.”

“Genitz, you are truly outstanding. You’re the wisest man in the nation... No, on the continent. There would be little I could do to outwit you.”

“I’m greatly flattered by your excessive esteem.”

They spoke calmly, as if they were colleagues who just happened to meet at a café and were now chatting. However, their eyes held a piercing, murderous glint as each probed the other’s intentions. They looked as if they were fencing at close distance.

“Will you tell me where His Majesty is?”

“I can’t tell you what I don’t know.”

“Then remember where he is.”

“You’re a handsome but stubborn man.”

“If you remember now, you won’t lose anything.”

“Ah...”

Elvin’s eyes—which were smiling... or were narrowed so they appeared to be smiling—took on a sharp look.

“Surely you’re not implying that you would make me a sycophant of the newly assigned king, are you?”

Elvin stood up from his chair and moved closer so he was able to stare directly into Genitz’s eyes. His body was slighter than most Wiltians, who were proud of their strength and toughness. However, the frightful intensity of his gaze was powerful enough to induce the surrender of a man twice his size. It was like the glare of the tigers that lived on the continent of Aesia and were feared as divine beasts.

“Understood.”

Genitz’s smile didn’t waver.

However, Elvin’s gaze let Genitz know that there would be no more negotiating, so he raised his arm as if to say, “This conversation is over,” and turned to leave.

“If you remember anything, don’t hesitate to tell one of my lackeys.”

He didn’t forget to issue a final reminder.

“I’ll have you confined if you don’t tell me the monarch’s whereabouts,” Genitz declared.

“Ha ha...”

Without responding, Elvin sat down again and started to read his book.

“Now excuse me.”

In a manner that suggested he had no expectation of receiving a reply, Genitz left the command post.

“........................”

For a few minutes, Elvin was alone with only the sound of turning pages.

“Well, what shall I do now?”

Genitz’s guesses had all been correct. Elvin had secretly informed the king, but not his servants, of an escape route, in preparation against a move by the Schutzstaffel, which was sure to someday rebel. Up to that point, everything had gone as planned. However, a problem occurred later.

He had told the king to flee to the Royal Weapons Development Bureau located northeast of the royal palace. It was one of the few bases of the regular military. Although there weren’t many soldiers there, there were guards under the command of Sophia, an officer in the regular military. Daian Fortuner, the rare genius scientist, was also at the bureau, and he was the one person their opponent would not want as an enemy. Elvin had assumed that even Genitz wouldn’t disturb the Royal Weapons Development Bureau.

“I wasn’t expecting the bureau to fall first. And what was that about treating me like the ringleader of a rebellion?”

Elvin had foreseen Genitz’s actions, but it was beyond his powers of prognostication that Genitz would take on such a formidable task.

“There’s something in there that he is desperate to secure, despite the great risk. Tch! Drat that scientist!”

Daian’s secretiveness had ruined Elvin’s plans.

“I can’t tell what I don’t know.” This was all too true.

Even now, Elvin had no idea where the king was. He had been able to survive his meeting with Genitz through ferocity of spirit and the pretense that he held an important card. When your cards are bad, get by with a bluff. That was part of his strategy.

“But I can’t continue that forever.”

He could bluff, but Genitz was a daunting and dangerous opponent.

“Argh... If only we weren’t both serving in our nation’s military! If he were in an enemy force, I wouldn’t hesitate to destroy him!”

Elvin covered his face and muttered for a moment while he considered his next move.

“I have no choice but to count on that man.”

With a reluctant expression, Elvin set his book on the table and opened a drawer. There wasn’t a weapon inside. Instead, there was a leather-bound book stashed among pens, notebooks and ink pots.

“I hope he handles this well.”

It looked like an ordinary old book. The only unusual thing about it was that it was fastened shut by a metal lock. Elvin pulled a small key from his breast pocket and inserted it into the tiny keyhole. The book opened with a slight sound: fwap!