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Chapter 29
🕑 Added 2025-07-10 16:49:59 +0000 UTC'Ask for the Angel's names.
Those who are asked and unable to answer shall, in all cases, be torn apart by Angels.
Those who can take hold of the Angels will be granted my inheritance.'
...These were the words Hishiri Adashino left to the people gathered in the lobby. To me, the words were cryptic to the point where they were nonsensical. No doubt, the original master of this castle had left behind some great troublesome puzzle that wouldn't be solved without severe harm.
In the first place, if you took the words literally, it was easy to realise that we were supposed to go on a search for the names. One couldn't interact with them in any form, so asking them directly would mean beginning the questioning part of the puzzle and end with said person torn to shreds.
...Evidently, this puzzle had not accounted for someone like myself. Specifically, the clause stipulating that the will in its entirety would go to the one who managed to take hold of the angels. Normally, as the 'game' was structured, this meant naming them.
But, if the 'control' was woven into the place itself then... There was no need for me to play the game in the first place.
I moved a hand to my face, trying to mask my excited smile.
It seemed Professor Waver instantly came to that realisation as well, no, maybe even before I did. His dark eyes shot to me, widening ever so slightly from the realisation.
Luviagelita was excited too, largely because this entire situation directly appealed to the baser ideals of her lineage's nature.
"A literal treasure hunt, is it?" She tossed her hair aside, "Very well. Is that all?"
Hishiri tilted her head in a particularly reptilian way. "I believe so, Lady Edelfelt. Additionally, one hint has been given to each of you. If you would look at your invitations, please."
Waver was the first to raise his letter, even from a distance, I could easily make out the golden letters that formed on the crisp white paper.
'Mihael'
My first thought was a misspelled Michael. My second was that I was stupid as hell because no magus could ever make that mistake. I just wasn't familiar with the name... my eyes wandered to Luviagelita. Maybe she knew?
"A room has been assigned to each of you under these Angelic names. Please confirm them yourselves through the plates fixed outside each one. And, for anything you might need, do not hesitate to ask the Ashborn family servants, they are at your beck and call."
"Alright!" Jiroubou let out a small cheer. "I wonder if they have some nice sake or something."
I turned to him. "Drink chocolate milk like a real man, you bitch."
"Can he say that to me? He can't say that to me... can he?"
When no one made a move to reprimand me, he just threw his hands up in surrender and wandered off. "Heine, how's about we have that tea left promised?"
"...I'm your fallback?" The Knight said softly, considering something before nodding his head. "Might as well. Come along now, Rosalind."
"Lord El-Melloi, let's have a drink, you and I." Orlocke spoke out after the youths left. Two old men on a bar date... I chuckled at the image. "Us old men should get along."
"I'm not that old." Waver looked to me for confirmation.
I just turned my head aside, whistling obliviously as my eyes wandered across a mural depicting the Archangel Michael casting down a serpent with the flaming sword.
"I'm really not that old! I even play video games!"
Orlocke dragged him off all the same.
"Who is that fossil anyway?" I asked Luviagelita, watching the little boy push Orlocke along as he mumbled something to Waver.
"...Orlocke Caesermund. A Brand."
Dayum.
Brand was the second highest rank amongst the Clock Tower, and coincidentally, the rank Inorai was at too. Admittedly, this didn't speak much to their combat prowess, seeing as the Clock Tower was primarily an educational institute but sure as hell, there was cause for concern when the only higher rank 'Grand' was supposed to be able to topple a fucking nation by themselves.
That old man could probably whoop my ass six ways from Sunday... probably. Antagonising him was so worth it even though I didn't have a rank where he was the second highest.
"The Caesarmund Family specialises in Papillio Magecraft."
Papilio... Butterfly?
"That old man sits around playing with butterflies?!" My shoulders drooped instantly, all my hopes dashed.
Even if strong, butterflies could never be cool dammit! The rule of cool was the most important thing when it came to magic!
"To be concise, it interferes with the process of transformation... basing it on the difference between a butterfly's different life cycles. That is all I know."
"Booooring."
"Agreed."
Startled, I jumped with a squeak... okay, no, I didn't squeak. Luviagelita would tell you otherwise but as I said before magi were all filthy liars and none of them could be trusted.
"Still, I don't think antagonising him was a good idea... even if it does look to be plenty fun!" The speaker let out a thick, booming laugh that echoed in the lobby.
...It was a muscle maniac. A man with a body you couldn't possibly achieve without tampering. He was tall as Waver, but so thick he looked like he'd eaten three or four Wavers and then gone on to become a professional bodybuilder. He wore nomadic clothes, a white turban and even a tattered cloak... even his tanned skin was so caked with dirt and ash I'd believe he'd been rolling around in the dirt for a good few hours.
He moved a thick hand to scratch the dark beard framing his chin, a toothy grin on his face.
"Mister... Where'd you come from?"
"Hmm? I've been here the whole time. You were doing something pretty interesting so I kept quiet. Hehe..." He pointed a finger at the spiralling staircase. "Back there. Not hiding. No."
"Are you a terrorist?"
"Where'd that come from?"
"Is Bin Laden one of your distant cousins?"
"I don't know a person by that name..."
"If it looks like one... talks like one... then-"
Before I could go on, Luviagelita stepped between us. She gave him a withering glare that made the man stumble a step back with his hands held up. I was certain his shirt would burst at the seams from how thick they were.
"Woah woah, I didn't mean any harm. I know better than to antagonise you, Lady Edelfelt."
I caught a brief glimpse of over half a dozen daggers hanging from the brown leather belt fastened around his waist.
"Very well then. Master Slayer Flueger. I suggest you keep your distance."
Woah, that there was a very interesting adage to the name.
"That name, huh?" He sighed, scratching the back of his head. Then, a shit-eating grin crossed his lips. "Say, would you like me to read your fortune? See if you end up with this young man-..."
Luviagelita folded immediately, flushing a deep red, "W-Where'd that come from?! I-I don't-"
"Well... I didn't even need a spell for that one... You've... been stealing... glances and... uh... looking out... for..." Gradually, his words slowed and became something I'd barely even call a whisper.
Probably because of the big fuck you beam Luviagelita started charging up the second he opened his dirty mouth. Her nerves became magic circuits. Gems floated in the air.
"I...I'm sorry? Please don't... I have children."
Honestly, it was hot that she immediately resorted to grievous bodily harm faster than Jamal pulled out the nine but it wasn't the best idea to be the first person to murder someone here... yet.
The best way to calm a woman down was to distract her, right?
So, I slapped her ass.
Yeah, I did it. I wasn't even gonna deny it.
It seemed like a good idea at the time and it worked too. The Edelfelt Princess was so shocked her concentration straight up shattered and the spell sputtered out into bits of light.
Her head whipped around to stare at me with wide eyes.
We both spoke at the same time.
"...I'm not going to apologise."
"N-Not in public... yet. Have more d-decency."
""What?""
"Thank you, young man!" Flueger shouted at me, dashing past the lobby doors faster than lightning. But, his words fell on mostly deaf ears. What in the fuck did she just say?
Flueger poked his head out of the doorway.
"I don't have children by the way!"
"Yeah, with that face, I didn't think so."
"What?! Girls think I look good!"
"Your mother doesn't count!" I shouted back.
"What about my grandmother?!" He belly-laughed.
-
"Ugh... Lord Ashborn is rather lacking in taste."
"Not lacking, I don't think he even knew the damn word." I nodded sagely in agreement, one hand stroking my imaginary beard and the other behind my back. "It's like I'm in an otaku's room... hey, do you think he jerked off in front of these?"
"...I'd call you moronic but I can not discount the possibility."
The room was easy enough to find, it was one of many all along the curving corridor right past the lobby, right before the end and was easy to find on account of the marble plate with the name held up by... an angel.
Michael. Luviagelita's given Angelic name was Michael.
'Who Is Like God?'
To absolutely no one's surprise, the room was filled to the brim with angel statues. It'd even look like a literal storeroom than an actual room if not for the lavish king-sized bed lying between two tall stained glass windows and the large fireplace burning to the side.
"See? This is why I had furniture brought here by my servants."
"Who uses a Chinook for furniture?!"
Her answer was simple accompanied by a tiny smirk.
"I do. Any issues?"
I didn't answer. Instead, I took off my aviators and pocketed them before rubbing my hand over my stomach as I looked around. There was that same observation spell I'd seen when we first arrived at the castle.
Someone was watching us.
"...Pervert."
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