――With a roar and visual effect so intense it seemed the sky had split, a massive boulder fell.

Indeed, there is much room for doubt whether it is appropriate to simply describe it as a 'boulder.' After all, it was a rock mass easily no less than a hundred meters in size. It was more fitting to call it a floating mountain in the sky rather than just a boulder. Cracks ran through this mountain, and the hundred-meter mass shattered into pieces, raining down as numerous smaller—though still five to ten meters in size—rock bullets.

The impact site of these rock bullets was the streets of the Royal Capital, with estimated casualties ranging from a thousand to ten thousand. Such a massacre would only be comparable to the likes of 『Blue Lightning』 Cecilus Segmunt or the Archbishops of Sin of 『Greed』 and 『Sloth』 in modern kill rates. However――,

"If we don't limit it to the present era, there were quite a few in the past."

With a voice full of fatigue and a hint of exasperation, Aldebaran watched from atop the city walls. Plan B—the tactic of dropping the mountain—was a cowardly method used by Aldebaran to create an opportunity to escape when cornered. Considering the circumstances that led to relying on such a tactic, Aldebaran should not linger leisurely but should quickly turn tail and flee, ignoring the chaos and escaping from the Royal Capital. However, Aldebaran couldn't do that. ――He needed to take responsibility and see it through.

"――Impressive."

From within the helmet, Aldebaran's narrowed black eyes witnessed a scene that drew a hoarse admiration. As the mountain began its descent from the sky, the sound and spectacle were matched by the world's dramatic screams and overwriting, and a beautiful ice tower rising from the ground intercepted countless rock masses one after another. Contrary to its cold, frozen appearance, it was a saving hand filled with warm mercy and compassion. At the same time, the ice tower, shimmering pale blue in the light, seemed to express the deep sorrow of its caster.

"Isn't thinking like that a bit too poetic, old man?"

As Aldebaran watched the scene, Roy, slung over his shoulder, mocked him. Roy, with his limbs broken and rendered immobile, skillfully lifted his upper body using his back muscles, observing the cataclysm that struck the Royal Capital over Aldebaran's shoulder. Despite being unable to do anything, he had plenty to say with his sharp tongue, which was exasperating.

"You're the one getting too poetic with your depiction of my feelings. I don't know much, but that sense seems more fitting for your dead counterpart, the 『Gourmet』, than for you, 『Gluttony』."

"Haha, isn't it bad manners to attack someone over their dead family? Actually, it was Lye who liked to evaluate what he ate, not us. It's strange, isn't it? After all, whether it's us or me, everything we eat ends up in the same 『Soul's Stomach』."

"That's what they call audacious, like a thief stealing food."

"I don't like being called a thief. We just want to eat a little more than being full... just a bit of cute gourmandizing."

No matter what you say, he always has a comeback. The extensive vocabulary and strong rhetoric of 『Gluttony』 are among the best in the world, not just among the Archbishops of Sin, given the power of his authority of 『Gluttony』. Though easily deceived by his childlike appearance and rotten way of speaking, one must not forget that the being slung over his shoulder is a monster of collective knowledge, having devoured countless knowledge and experiences. That's precisely why he chose to forcibly subdue him with violence and curse marks, abandoning persuasion through words.

"......Anyway, the business is done. Let's go."

"Yeah, there's no need to throw a lifeline to the sister who missed the rock anymore. Don't people often say you're a weirdo or a freak, old man?"

"Thanks for the summary of my last few days."

Without any explanation, Roy accurately guessed why Aldebaran stayed, and added unnecessary words at the end. Aldebaran, having lost the will to engage seriously, responded in kind. Thus, Aldebaran, after confirming the noble district of the Royal Capital—flattened thanks to Emilia's efforts to contain the damage—hurried his steps once more.

△▼△▼△▼△

Through the battle with Valga Cromwell, Aldebaran revised his understanding, realizing that there are formidable foes who can challenge even his supposedly invincible authority.

Even now, his conviction that no one can defeat him remains unshaken. However, to elevate that conviction to something unassailable, he reminded himself not to rest on his laurels and stop thinking.

Therefore, during the 'Gluttony' jailbreak operation in the Royal Capital, he did not opt for an easy redo. Instead, he tackled each life of Aldebaran with thoroughness, akin to squeezing a toothpaste tube to the last drop, and concluded with a count of 6,724.

Whether one sees that as many or few is subjective, but Aldebaran generally considers any count as 'appropriate.'

Regardless of the number of attempts, each was necessary to overcome the wall. Occasionally, there were attempts made just to let his heart take a deep breath, but even those were essential. Therefore, regardless of the count, if the desired outcome was achieved, Aldebaran insists that those 6,724 attempts were the 'optimal' number.

"――Hey, you damn helmet guy."

The predetermined rendezvous point—a long-abandoned quarry some distance from the Royal Capital—was perfect for a gathering of villains who wished to avoid prying eyes. At that quarry, leaning against a crumbling stone wall, Aldebaran was greeted by Felt, whose eyes shone with anger and hostility as she issued a harsh call.

She twisted her lips to reveal her sharp canines and crossed her arms, openly displaying her disdain for Aldebaran. Her term of address had been downgraded from 'helmet guy' to 'damn helmet guy.' Felt jerked her slender chin, indicating the direction of the Royal Capital visible in the distance.

"If Emilia hadn't stopped that huge rock, how many people do you think would have died? What happened to your policy of no casualties? Are you planning to go back on your decisions every time you falter? That's just pathetic."

"......That's true. I'm also relieved that you're safe, Felt."

"Huh?"

"It's a joke. Otherwise, it's either a light-hearted comment or a joke that fell flat."

To Felt, who became more prickly at his response, Aldebaran replied weakly. Perhaps taking Aldebaran's attitude as insincere, Felt leaned forward as if to bite back. At that moment, Roy, perched on his shoulder, spoke up.

"Felt-chan, I'd like to say 'keep it up,' but if you're going to nag the old man, we've already done the prep work on our end. So, if you're going to change the flavor, why not try a different seasoning?"

"What's there to say? ......You're the 'Gluttony' that got caught. The brother? The younger brother? Either way, you've got an annoyingly similar face to your siblings."

"Oh, you know about us too? Well, I guess that's to be expected. I've heard from Louis as well, that Lye got food poisoning because of Felt-chan."

"Is that the time when you were nitpicking about my name? Serves you right."

Felt, whose sharp tongue grows even sharper, is said to have once encountered 『Gluttony』—Lye Batenkaitos in Priestella. It was a remark that mocked the dead sibling at that time, but just like with Aldebaran, Roy merely laughed cheerfully at such sarcasm with a "Haha."

"By the way, among us, we don't really know which of us was the eldest. Sometimes we feel like being the eldest, and other times we feel like being the second, so maybe that's why."

"Don't give me that nonsensical logic. The order of siblings isn't decided by feelings. You should choose whether to concede or accept before it's too late."

"Haha! You and Felt-chan think you can say anything to a hated Archbishop of Sin, don't you? It's fine, it's everyone's common understanding, right?"

"Hey, you damn helmet guy, I'm not planning to have a fun chat with this one. Shut that jagged mouth of yours and answer my questions."

"I agree that this one's noisy, but hold on with the Q&A session. Before that..."

Interrupting Felt's demand, Aldebaran turned his head around on the spot. Sensing the intention behind his gesture of looking around the quarry, Felt clicked her tongue and jerked her chin. Aldebaran's gaze was directed towards the back of the quarry, where a shabby hut barely retained its shape—

"—Al-sama."

"——"

Just then, Yae appeared from the hut, and her eyes met Aldebaran's. Yae, accompanied by a faintly warm aroma, was likely preparing a meal inside the hut. Her thoughtfulness was appreciated. Appreciated, but—

"Judging by that look, you got quite a beating, didn't you?"

At a glance, Aldebaran sensed the difference from her usual elusive demeanor. Her custom maid outfit with Waso taste was torn in places, and her red hair, which she never neglected to maintain even on the battlefield, was disheveled. Most of all, it was her expression. It was solemn, lacking the childishness that characterized her the most. As proof—

"…I'm glad."

Yae softly placed her hand on her chest and murmured upon Aldebaran's arrival. Hearing the emotion in her voice, Aldebaran felt slightly taken aback, but he never mentioned it, shrugging his shoulders with an "Oh, come on."

"That's not like the all-purpose helpful maid Yae-san. Not being able to support me, what kind of surprise guest were you flirting with?"

"—. Saying I was flirting sounds bad, Al-sama. As you know, Yae-chan's heart is firmly under Al-sama's control."

Momentarily dispelling the hesitation in her response, Yae answered in her usual manner. She gently stroked her chest with her finger and continued, "But, but, it is true that I spent a passionate time with a gentleman. The one who visited the mansion was the 『Sword Demon』 Wilhelm van Astrea… no, Wilhelm Trias-sama."

"The old 『Sword Demon』, huh. Well…"

Yae was undoubtedly taken aback by the unexpected assassin. However, it was hard to call them the worst enemy. Of course, they were undoubtedly one of the kingdom's top fighters, but as a swordsman, they were much easier for Yae to handle than a magician. Moreover, the Barielle mansion was a hunting ground meticulously set up with her traps, essentially a perfect field for 'Red Cherry Blossom.'

However, since 'Aldebaran' had rushed to the rescue, the sharpness of the 'Sword Demon' surpassed Yae. That expression, it seemed like a complete defeat, not even a narrow loss.

Perhaps the reason for that sharpness was—

"That old man sulking over there isn't unrelated, right?"

Aldebaran directed his attention to a red-haired man, Heinkel, sitting with one knee up on a discarded chopping block beside the shed. Heinkel, with his head drooping, hadn't even wiped off the red blood staining his entire body. It was unclear from here whether it was his own blood or splattered blood.

"What happened?"

"...I was in a daze, so I didn't see it properly with my own eyes."

"But?"

"I heard that Heinkel-sama defeated the 'Sword Demon.'"

"――――"

At Yae's uncertain response, Aldebaran gasped and looked at Heinkel once more. Naturally, Aldebaran was aware of the relationship between Heinkel and Wilhelm. In short, it was a parent-child confrontation, with the son defeating the father.

He also knew about Heinkel's fatal flaw as a swordsman—

"Stuck between being a son and a father, the old man is endlessly caught in the middle."

Aldebaran didn't know the core of the Astrea Family's discord. However, he understood that the existence of the 'Blessing of the Sword Saint' and the title of 'Sword Saint' had created an irreconcilable friction across three generations of parent, child, and grandchild. This incident had made that friction even more certain.

"――――"

Reinhard and Wilhelm, Heinkel had become completely opposed to both of them in the past few days. Aldebaran and the others had no right to worry about his feelings. They were the ones who involved him for their own purposes. Asking if he was okay would only sound insincere. So Aldebaran turned his gaze back to Yae and said,

"And what about the old man? If he was defeated, and that's the old man's splattered blood..."

『――I did the bare minimum treatment. Couldn't stay long, so it was really the bare minimum.』

"Whoa!?"

Startled by the unexpected voice, Aldebaran looked around. But there was no sign of 'Aldebaran,' who should have been the source of the voice. It was the dragon shell of the 'Divine Dragon.' It wasn't supposed to be a size that could be overlooked—just as he thought that.

『Sorry, sorry, I'll deactivate the optical camouflage for a moment.』

As soon as those words were spoken, the space that should have been empty—a dragon's massive body appeared, resting its chin on the stone wall Felt was leaning against. The way it appeared, as if the blurred atmosphere gradually gained color, made Aldebaran widen his eyes in amazement.

"So optical camouflage means it was made invisible by bending light. Can you really do that?"

『It's impossible to adjust in real-time while moving, you know? But if it's only when I'm staying still, it literally negates a lot of the disadvantages of this massive body, right?』

"Yeah, I think an invisible 'dragon' is pretty awesome and dangerous."

The magic that alters the refraction of light can be realized by combining sun magic and wind magic, but keeping them constantly deployed is extremely inefficient. To blend into the surrounding scenery requires a highly precise handling of magic, making it a challenging endeavor that is unlikely to meet the desired standards. In fact, even for 'Aldebaran,' it was difficult to achieve, so in the Royal Capital, they had to remain hidden in the clouds above.

"If you can do that now... it must have been quite a fierce battle."

"Not to be outdone on this side either. Honestly, if it weren't for the old man's backstab, I might have lost. That thought crossed my mind."

"A backstab, huh..."

Aldebaran slowly shook his head, processing the two surprises. One was the terror of the 'Sword Demon' that made 'Aldebaran' imagine defeat. Even though the software they had was different, the hardware specs were undoubtedly those of the 'Divine Dragon,' yet to reach that level in a series of battles with Yae, what a monster. And the other, of course, was the way Heinkel intervened in that battle—

"It's not a simple matter of solving it by winning head-on, but if it was settled with a backstab, the old man's mental state must be a mess."

"Well, I think that's definitely true. After all, since we fled from the Royal Capital until now, he hasn't spoken to us even once."

"I see..."

Receiving Yae's confirmation that Heinkel's severe condition was as expected, Aldebaran exhaled deeply and looked around at the people present. Yae, disheartened by defeat, and 'Aldebaran,' overwhelmed by the 'Sword Demon.' Heinkel, crouching in shock from stabbing his father, and Felt, not even bothering to hide her hostility towards them. Then there was Roy, cheerful on his shoulder, and Aldebaran, the villain on a path of cowardice. A group of misfits, and they were in a rather battered state.

"—Still, everyone is alive."

Relieved that everyone who faced each other at the quarry survived, Aldebaran relaxed his shoulders, quietly deactivated the 'domain,' and resumed a new matrix. The restart point was updated, and now the events in the Royal Capital were cemented in this world's history. In other words, the tears that flowed from her violet eyes were now irretrievable.

"But that's fine. Once I decided to betray everything, there was no room for a convenient exception for just one person."

There would be no compromise. No room for wavering hearts. A single mistake would ruin everything. To conclude that all the pain experienced by this body and heart had meaning, Aldebaran and the others couldn't afford to fail or stop.

"Yae, if you're preparing food, give me some. I'm hungry."

"We couldn't bring food from the mansion, so I stole from a passing shop. I noted which shop and what I took, so please pay them later."

"You're thorough... got it. And this guy."

"Tie him up and hang him, right? I've already done that."

As Yae said this and smoothly moved her raised fingers, Aldebaran's shoulder suddenly felt lighter. Roy's body, which he had been carrying, was suspended by steel threads, hanging from the quarry's stone wall.

"What's this, this treatment again? Well, it's better than being hung upside down, I guess."

"Stay like that for a while. Once we decide how to discipline you, we'll heal your limbs. However,"

"Don't forget the cursed mark, right? Isn't it fine? We won't say we're not up to something, but we'll quietly observe for a while."

"Observing, huh?"

"Is it because Lye died? I have no intention of succeeding the 'Gourmet', but I thought I might take a bit more interest in things before they end up on the plate!"

Bound hand and foot, suspended in a cramped, arching position, Roy swayed his body. Shrugging at the eeriness, Aldebaran exchanged glances with 'Aldebaran'. The same consciousness promised to keep a close watch with a nod of its large chin.

"By the way, Plan B was a lifesaver. Thanks to it, we managed to escape."

"Oh, you went with Origin for that one. I was thinking of it as the 'Second Plan'. Well, I'm glad we landed on the same idea."

"Origin?"

"Isn't it about time calling the other me got confusing? So, I thought, how about Origin, meaning the original? How about direct line for me?"

"Origin and direct line, sounds like a family ramen shop."

Aldebaran casually brushed off 'Aldebaran's' suggestion with "I'll think about it." Then, finally, he turned to the angry-faced Felt, whom he had put off.

Felt, with her arms crossed, still burned with unchanging anger in her eyes, but—

"You figured out it was Emilia who stopped that big rock, huh?"

"Huh? Are you mocking me? No one but Emilia would do something that stupid."

"The way you put it, it sounds like you're the one mocking her... But it's true. We dropped the rock counting on Emilia to catch it all."

"...You're not getting away with just a kick in the butt."

Understanding Aldebaran's underhanded escape tactic correctly, Felt twisted her lips further in threat. Her threat, steeped in the smell of the lower town, was her maximum expression of anger, yet Aldebaran felt another sentiment simultaneously.

Aldebaran's method and Emilia falling right into it. The jailbreak of 'Gluttony' itself was a lineup that naturally incited Felt's anger. However, Felt's overflowing anger seemed to have other reasons as well—

"...It's not Felt's fault about your father and the 'Sword Demon' old man."

"I don't think it's my fault. It's definitely your... your guys' fault, and Reinhard's father and grandfather's. But still, it pisses me off, and just thinking about what face that idiot will make when he finds out pisses me off even more."

"――――"

"From the moment I made him my knight, anything related to him can't be considered unrelated to me. Remember that, you helmet-wearing bastard."

"...What?"

"Even if you think what you did was your responsibility, it can't be talked about separately from that princess. What you're doing is kicking a dead body."

Felt's piercing gaze and sharp words were the most corrosive to Aldebaran amidst all the venom. The relationship between a knight and their master doesn't disappear even if one of them dies. If Aldebaran earns a bad reputation, it also tarnishes Priscilla Barielle's name. This realization was thrust upon him, bringing a fresh bitterness and pain. However—

"The princess is no longer anywhere. Not even a body remains."

"—That's not what I meant...!"

"That's exactly what I mean. To me, life is—"

Felt's anger was silenced by a dry response.
Fame or infamy after death holds no meaning for the deceased. Everything matters only while alive. Rejoicing or lamenting over the reputation of the dead is merely the sentimentality of those who survive.

"Do your best while both you and the other person are alive. That's all I can say."

"――. Damn helmet guy, what the hell are you?"

"……I'm a trailing star."

"Trailing……?"

"A failed star that shines brightest in the night sky."

With that, Aldebaran turned his back on Felt, abandoning the conversation. He then walked towards the chopping block, where Heinkel was.

"――――"

Heinkel, looking down, did not raise his face or glance at Aldebaran. However, he was likely aware. His breathing and his tense body sensed the presence nearby. Imagining his agitated state of mind was easy. While pondering what to say,

"I'll keep my promise. Once it's done, the 'Dragon's Blood' will be yours."

"――ッ"

What Heinkel needed now was neither comfort nor apology, but a guarantee of a guarantee. Hearing Aldebaran's words, Heinkel gasped, then reached out to grab the hem of Aldebaran's coat, pulling him in forcefully. Aldebaran instinctively dropped to one knee, a cold blade pressed against his neck, meeting Heinkel's eyes up close. Blood splattered on Heinkel's face, his blue eyes bloodshot,

"Absolutely……!"

"――――"

"Absolutely keep your promise. The 'Dragon's Blood', no matter what…… even the 'Witch of Envy'……!"

"I know. I have no intention of ending the world. That's what 'Gluttony' is for."

Feeling a sharp pain on his neck, Aldebaran calmly replied. Raising his hand slightly, he signaled Yae, who was about to react to Heinkel's rashness, to stand down. For a while, Aldebaran and Heinkel glared at each other at close range,

"Damn it!"

Heinkel spat out, shoving Aldebaran away. As Aldebaran managed to regain his balance from almost falling on his backside, he looked ahead to see Heinkel once again looking down, retreating into the same closed-off state as before. Seeing this, Aldebaran fiddled with the metal fittings of his helmet and let out a small sigh.

For now, he had grasped everyone's condition. It's undeniable that everyone was exhausted, for better or worse, before and after entering the Royal Capital, but he hoped to offset it by the fact that no one was lost and they managed to retrieve Roy. Honestly, he knew he wasn't suited for it, but he had to steer things properly.

"For the time being, we should be able to settle down here for a while. Let's eat Yae's food, rest a bit, and then resume our movement. The chaos in the Royal Capital is still ongoing――"

Instead of clapping, Aldebaran snapped his fingers to draw everyone's attention to himself. Yae and Heinkel, who had been with him from the start, had been marching almost non-stop for three days. He intended to take time to let them rest.

――If only a giant rock hadn't been dropped from above, interrupting Aldebaran's words.

"What"

Just as he thought a shadow was cast by thin clouds, Aldebaran was crushed by an immense weight. However, he felt like he heard the distant buzzing of insect wings.

△▼△▼△▼△

――Otto Suwen was furious. He was determined to eliminate the wicked and tyrannical king. ――So much so that the cliché phrase Subaru had once mentioned when angry flashed through his mind, Otto was furious.

The cause and target of that anger are now beyond the need for explanation. Aldebaran, who has become a great sinner, committed an unforgivable act. This act not only betrayed the hearts of those who cared for and worried about him, but also violated nearly a hundred of the kingdom's laws. However, what angered Otto the most was that Aldebaran opposed Otto's family.

Otto is aware that he is a pacifist. He generally dislikes conflicts and believes in avoiding trouble whenever possible. In fact, during his days as a traveling merchant with Furufu, he rarely involved himself in disputes or chose violent solutions unless he was unavoidably dragged into them.

However, things changed after he joined the Emilia camp and took on the role of an internal affairs officer. Although he doesn't agree with Subaru's teasing of him being a militant bureaucrat, the policy of aiming for peaceful and gentle resolutions is not prioritized in his current position. The malice directed at him now is of a different quality and sharpness compared to his days as a light-footed merchant, and passive responses won't suffice to protect what he wants to safeguard.

At the same time, Otto is aware of his importance to one of the royal election candidates and keeps this awareness as a form of self-restraint. As an internal affairs officer of the camp and someone involved in the administration of the Mezas territory, Otto holds a position and title of power unimaginable in his past. To avoid being consumed by this and misunderstanding his position, Otto constantly reminds himself of his responsibilities.

However, this self-restraint vanishes the moment his family is threatened.

"Everyone has their circumstances. But I won't show consideration for someone who doesn't intend to come to the negotiation table or prepare for it."

If they wanted pity, he pitied them. If they wanted charity, he gave it. Such compassion and kindness are present in everyone in the Emilia camp, led by Emilia herself. Therefore, Otto also respected their healthy disposition to the utmost. Even so, if the other party tramples on them or exploits them, there's no choice.

If they wanted charity, he gave it. If they wanted support, he supported them. And if they wished for hostility, then he would fully engage in hostility as well.

"Thanks to Lady Emilia, there was no damage to the city. The evacuation guidance for the noble district was completed in advance. The Royal Capital's knight order is competent."

While organizing the damage situation of the events that occurred, Otto clenched his fist. He couldn't afford to be indignant as he needed to allocate his mind to grasping the situation and confirming progress. There was only a bitter feeling deep in his chest—towards his own pathetic disgrace.

When Otto was struck by the initial weight of the unfolding situation, he disgracefully lamented his powerlessness and, unbelievably, was comforted by Emilia. It was the complete opposite of what should have happened. Such a thing should never have occurred. Otto was supposed to be the one to alleviate Emilia's anxieties. Yet, in reality, Otto was half-crying, comforted by Emilia, and even had his face lifted by the words of the person he was supposed to support, ending up being physically patted on the back.

He jokingly said to Emilia that Subaru would kill him, but in truth, Otto felt like strangling himself.

However, the dead never get a chance to make amends. So, Otto did not foolishly put his hands around his neck but instead used all his energy to think. Fortunately, thanks to being half-crying, his mind cleared a bit. Although the thunder still roared in his head, the lightning helped him focus on the depths of the darkness.

Reflecting on the past, there was a time when it was just Furufu and me, rushing through a thunderstorm, and lightning struck the cart, completely burning the cargo. In response to Otto lamenting this great misfortune, his beloved dragon said, "Let's be glad that neither of us got hurt, young master," and that opinion was correct. When traveling through a thunderstorm with continuous lightning, one must be prepared to be struck. Whether one survives the lightning unscathed is a matter of luck.

The essence of Otto Suwen's furious, no-holds-barred approach to battle is to minimize the elements that can be overturned by luck as much as possible and to proceed through the storm. For that purpose, he could unhesitatingly play cards that might earn him the label of heartless. This is reflected in—

"We can't prepare a force greater than Reinhard-san's might or Felt-sama's strength while we're staying in the Royal Capital. In the first place, by the time it's our turn, neither force nor numbers can be an absolute measure to stop them."

Somehow, Aldebaran managed to evade 'Sword Saint' Reinhard, bring along 'Divine Dragon' Volcanica, and repel Felt's forces to reach the Royal Capital. Otto and his companions, who had just returned from the Vollachia Empire and were acting separately, had no means to counter Aldebaran's inexplicable execution power.

Therefore, sending Emilia with instructions to capture him alive and reaching out to Wilhelm, who happened to be staying at the royal mansion, were not intended as decisive blows. Of course, it would be best if Emilia or Wilhelm could achieve victory, but Otto predicted that this was unlikely. Currently, Otto and his group did not possess a more aggressive means than deploying their maximum force.

—Otto Suwen does not possess the fighting style of Reinhard van Astrea or the strategic cunning of Valga Cromwell. He doesn't overestimate himself to think he has the talent to compete with them.

Otto doesn't expect himself to be someone who can do more than his abilities allow. At best, what he can do is to fully utilize his capabilities. What Otto Suwen can do with that full capacity is—

"—The abandoned quarry to the west of the Royal Capital."

Upon receiving the report delivered with the sound of wings, Otto narrowed his eyes as he marked the map. Holding a blood-stained handkerchief to his nose, he tapped his head to keep from losing consciousness. Subaru called it the blessing's overheat—when he mentioned the fatigue from overuse, Garfiel's eyes sparkled at the mysterious sound of it, and Otto's lips relaxed at the memory.

"Overheat, very well. Even if my head splits, I won't stop..."

Muttering as he bled from his nose, Otto snapped his fingers at the gathering sound of wings—the Zodda Bug—and instructed them on the next actions and to continue their surveillance. The Zodda Bug, with their easygoing nature and weak individual consciousness, shared their intentions as a swarm. Convincing one was as effective as convincing the entire swarm. The reward they sought for their requests was mostly 'sanctuary.'

Otto intended to secure that reward by leveraging his position as an internal affairs officer. In return, he would have them follow instructions that endangered their individual lives and perform tasks impossible for humans.

—Such as identifying the meeting point by sticking to the fleeing 'Divine Dragon,' using the power of a swarm of over a hundred thousand to drop a boulder on the enemy's head, or collecting every message left by the captured Felt.

"…Mogoredo Great Vent."

The message was left by Felt, who was being taken around as a hostage by Aldebaran's group, in the hope that it would reach us. It was retrieved from the destroyed Barielle villa. Felt entrusted it to a Zodda Bug, slipping past watchful eyes, showing her courage.

The message simply listed a place name in the Kararagi City-State, likely Aldebaran and his group's next target or destination. If they plan to move towards it, they are free to do so. — However, Otto will not take his eyes off them.

No matter where they go or try to hide, Otto will continue to monitor Aldebaran and his group's every move, at the cost of tinnitus and bleeding.

"Don't think you can sleep anymore. — The whole world is now your enemy."

He doesn't have the power to win. What he can do is continue to weaken the opponent's strength.

This is Otto Suwen's way of fighting, different from the 'Sword Saint' or the 'Great Strategist,' as the internal affairs officer of Emilia's camp, giving his all.