The Asterisk War, Vol. 6: The Triumphal Homecoming Battle Read online

  Julis and the others were each wearing different but individually dazzling dresses.

  The gowns were floor-length and hid their feet but left their arms and backs largely exposed—especially Claudia’s and Kirin’s, whose modest necklines served to emphasize their ample cleavage. Ayato didn’t know where to cast his gaze.

  Julis was wearing a crimson one-shouldered dress, and Saya had donned one that looked like a long white camisole. Claudia’s was an elegant purple, while Kirin’s, by contrast, was a chic black.

  “…Ah, er, sorry… They look wonderful on you all.” Ayato snapped back to his senses, embarrassed.

  He couldn’t really say whose was the best—the dresses suited each one.

  “Thank you very much, Ayato,” Claudia laughed. “Your outfit sits very well on you, too.”

  He was wearing a dress suit—a three-piece tuxedo—and had his hair combed back.

  He didn’t really like formal outfits, but there was no getting around it this time.

  “Well, I wanted to escort Ayato myself, but since you and he are the stars of the show, I’ll bite my tongue. But in exchange, I want you to think about us all later,” Claudia said to Julis, giving her a light push.

  “I-it’s not like I have a choice or anything… H-here,” Julis stammered, holding out her hand.

  Ayato stood for a moment in confusion, until Julis, with a strained smile, put her arm through his.

  “S-sorry!”

  “Don’t worry about it. I know you’re not used to this kind of thing. I’ll lead you,” Julis said softly, chuckling.

  He couldn’t help but feel a little embarrassed—that was supposed to be the man’s role, after all—but he trusted her.

  “Everyone, it’s time to go! Are you all ready?”

  Flora had burst into the room. Her voice made her sound a little uncertain, but she’d mustered some courage to call out to the group grandly.

  “Phew…” Ayato began to let out a deep sigh but held it down.

  “Ha-ha. You look tired.” Julis, standing beside him, offered him another drink with a slight laugh.

  “Of course. I didn’t think there would be this many people…”

  Even though Flora had said it wouldn’t be a big event, a bewildering number of guests were milling about the villa’s spacious hall. The invitees, it seemed, were all either related in some capacity or another to the integrated enterprise foundations, or else members of Lieseltania’s political elite.

  Julis and Ayato, being the guests of honor, were halfway through greeting each guest individually, but Ayato was already exhausted.

  “This might not be the best time to ask,” he began, “…but I thought you said your family had no money?”

  The hall was illuminated by a set of brilliant chandeliers, and the invitees were being catered to by a small army of waiters and attendants; plus, there were mountains of food and drinks on the tables along the walls. Ayato couldn’t even begin to imagine just how much this ball must have cost.

  “I told you, didn’t I? That even though there’s a lot of money used on us, there’s nothing for me to use myself. And besides…my brother is different.”

  “What do you mean?” he asked when her eyes turned to Jolbert.

  Despite the ball’s ostensible purpose, the young king was the center of attention, standing across the hall chatting with several guests. He was in formal dress—quite unlike his daytime attire—looking for all the world like a completely different person.

  “My brother gives the IEFs what they want, after all. He doesn’t assert himself politically, and he isn’t particularly passionate about his work. It’s probably fair to say that there could be no better puppet. The foundations are very happy with him, and so are willing to overlook his selfishness. In return, he takes full advantage.”

  It was a blistering assessment of her own brother, but despite her words, there was something sad lurking behind Julis’s eyes.

  “Even so, I don’t think that inviting us all here like this was entirely his idea. There’s no doubt he wanted us to come, but the IEFs must have supported him, or maybe even suggested it from the beginning.”

  “It sounds more complicated than I thought… Huh, wh-what?”

  Like Julis, he had been watching Jolbert when he suddenly noticed something strange. The king was surrounded by several women, each of whom followed him everywhere he went throughout the hall. Queen Maria was among them, but the others too were being surprisingly intimate.

  “…Oh, them. They’re my brother’s mistresses.”

  “What?!” At this casual explanation, Ayato almost dropped his glass. “Mistresses? Out in the open, like that?”

  Society’s sense of ethics and morals might have become somewhat looser than in the past, but most countries in Europe still followed strict religious monogamy. It was true that social disparity was widening, and there was no denying that there was a tendency for people to turn a blind eye to the immorality of those above them—but they weren’t living in a polygamous society, so it was common sense that the man ought to at least feel some guilt about it.

  But what was strangest of all was that Maria, his lawful wife, was laughing along joyfully with those mistresses.

  “The IEFs are behind them, so no one will complain. And to be honest, my sister-in-law is the same. I won’t call them spies, but more than half of those women must have their own agendas. The foundations will take any opportunity to place their pieces near him.” Julis gulped down her drink distastefully.

  “Even Maria…?”

  “Well, I suppose it’s a good thing my sister-in-law is such an airhead. She, at least, doesn’t seem to have any ulterior motives. And my brother investigated her thoroughly before they got married. I don’t dislike her or anything… I mean, everyone knows about the mistresses. The people think of him as their promiscuous and mediocre, yet lovable and charming king.” Julis’s expression suggested she was trying to keep her emotions in check.

  “I-is that Claudia?!” Ayato blurted out, watching as she approached Jolbert.

  He had no idea what they were talking about, but the fact that she could speak to the king so comfortably in the middle of such an extravagant event suggested she was used to this kind of situation.

  “Did you know that her mother is an executive at an IEF?”

  “Ah, I heard a little bit about that…”

  “She was formerly in charge of this area. She was the one who introduced my brother to Maria in the first place. Afterward, she was promoted to an executive position, and Claudia’s father took over her responsibilities. It was with her father that Claudia started coming to Lieseltania. We didn’t have much to do with each other back then, though. I’ve probably told you before, we were just acquaintances, maybe seeing each other during the Opera Ball. It was only after going to Asterisk that she started to meddle in my affairs.”

  “Wow…” He hadn’t known that. “So is her father an executive, too?”

  “No. He might be her mother’s secretary, or maybe her subordinate, but I doubt he’s an executive.”

  “…What makes you think that?”

  “I’ve seen him a few times. He was too human,” Julis said flatly. “Executives at the IEFs lose that.”

  Ayato remembered the conversation he’d had with Helga about Danilo.

  “He seems like a much better person than her mother. At the very least, you can see that he loves his daughter.”

  “Huh…” In that case, he had to be a good father.

  “Um, Your Highness?” Flora appeared in front of them, flustered. “His Majesty asked me to get him a certain bottle of wine, but I don’t know where to find it…”

  “Oh. I see. You’re still an apprentice, so they won’t let you into the wine cellar… How could he have forgotten that…? Sorry, Ayato. I’ll be back in a minute.”

  “Sure. I think I’ll go get some fresh air.”

  After watching Julis lead Flora away, he headed for the terrace,
but stopped when he noticed Kirin.

  “…Um, y-yes… No, I…” She was surrounded by a number of guests and seemed to be drowning in conversation, her eyes darting this way and that as if she was about to burst into tears.

  No matter how you looked at her, she was particularly attractive that day, and the men invited to the ball were quite assertive, so it wasn’t altogether surprising that they were trying to speak to her.

  “Kirin! Do you have a moment?”

  “Ah! Y-yes! Sorry, please excuse me.” No sooner had Ayato called out to her than her expression brightened. She hastily made an exit, rushing over to him.

  “Thank you, Ayato.”

  “You’re welcome.”

  The young man smiled, while Kirin, relieved, lowered her eyes. “I… I’m not very good at dealing with people, especially talking to strangers…”

  She was very talkative when it came to swordsmanship, but surprisingly reserved about almost everything else, so it was evidently difficult for her to wade high society all by herself. “Besides…,” she added, “I’m not as pretty as the others…”

  “Huh? That’s not true.”

  “B-but, this kind of outfit… It doesn’t suit a kid like me.” She hung her head pitifully.

  That’s Kirin for you—no self-confidence.

  Ayato stopped, heaving a big sigh, and turned toward his friend. “I told you before. That dress looks really good. You look incredibly grown-up, and…beautiful.”

  “Wha—?!” Kirin’s face turned scarlet.

  It might not have been the most eloquent way of saying it, but a fact was a fact. That chic dress turned her still innocent features into those of a mature young lady. It was a different kind of beauty from Julis’s and Claudia’s, who always had an air of elegance—more vivid.

  “Th-thank you… Ayato…” She whispered in a voice so faint he almost didn’t catch it.

  “S-sure. Um, should we go out to the terrace?” he replied, somewhat embarrassed. Before he could keep walking, however, Kirin grabbed his sleeve.

  “U-um… Can I ask you something?”

  “Huh?”

  “W-won’t you link arms with me…? Like you did with Julis, a little while ago? It looked so wonderful…”

  “Sure, I don’t mind… But I don’t know if I’ll be able to be a proper escort.” After all, he had been relying on Julis to guide him.

  “Th-that’s okay! I just want to know what it’s like…”

  “…Okay.” He offered his left arm.

  Kirin approached nervously, wrapping her right arm around his.

  But maybe because she wasn’t used to it, it was more like she was holding on to him with all her strength. They weren’t linking arms so much as she was embracing him. When Julis had accompanied him, she had simply rested her hand on his arm, so he hadn’t been particularly aware of it, but now Kirin’s soft breasts were pushing against him.

  Moreover, the dress she was wearing revealed much more than her usual uniform.

  “Um, Kirin? Maybe you could hold on a little less tightly…”

  “Huh? Oh, I-I’m sorry…!” she blurted out, when—

  “…Not fair, Kirin.”

  “Wha—?!”

  All of a sudden, Saya appeared on his right, grabbing his other arm.

  Taken by surprise, he ended up pushing his arm farther into Kirin’s bosom.

  “S-Saya! What are you doing?!”

  “…I want to hold your arm, too. It’s a fair demand.”

  “But you don’t need to jump out of nowhere like that!”

  On his left, it felt like Kirin was embracing him, and on his right, as if Saya was clinging to him…or rather, pulling him.

  It was hard to say that he was merely linking arms with either of them.

  And everyone around was staring at the scene they were making. This can’t look good, he thought. He would have to take refuge on the private terrace as quickly as possible.

  “Ha-ha-ha,” came a deep, rumbling laugh from behind. “Now that’s what I call having a flower in either hand! I’m jealous.”

  They turned around to see a gentlemanly, middle-aged figure with a neatly trimmed mustache smiling at them.

  “Ah, forgive me. I overheard, you see…”

  The man wasn’t among those whom Ayato had greeted earlier.

  “But that’s the privilege of youth. Yes, most splendid. I should have expected no less from someone who did so well in the Phoenix.”

  “Ah… Thank you.”

  “By the way, do you intend to participate in the next Gryps? They say that you’ll be joining Miss Enfield’s team.”

  “No, that’s still…,” he trailed off. He couldn’t afford to give a careless answer here.

  “Hmm, I see. You would be best not to, for your own good.”

  “—!”

  No sooner had he spoken than his smiling visage fell away. His eyes gleamed threateningly as a dangerous aura consumed him.

  Saya and Kirin let go of Ayato at once, preparing themselves for an attack.

  “…What do you mean?” Ayato asked guardedly as he began to slowly edge away.

  The man in front of them was a Genestella, and a powerful one at that.

  “Just what I said. There’s someone who would be quite upset if you decided to join Miss Enfield’s team. My job is to prevent that from happening… So I came here to ask you in person,” the man said courteously, albeit with a too-broad grin.

  The others in the hall had all noticed the situation. Murmurs spread like ripples throughout the space, and those standing around them began to distance themselves from the building confrontation.

  “And if we refuse?”

  “That would be most unfortunate. It pains me to have to deal with my juniors this way.” At that moment, a violent burst of mana engulfed the man. “I leave you in this one’s hands.”

  All at once, a complex magic square floated into the air, from which a gigantic creature began to emerge.

  At first glance, it looked like a lion, but there was no comparison as far as size was concerned—it must have been at least five meters long. Moreover, it had bat-like wings, and a tail that resembled the head of a snake. It was like a chimera emerging out of the realm of mythology, unlike a real, living creature.

  If anything, it resembled the not-dragons that had attacked Ayato and Kirin several months prior. But those creatures had still exuded some kind of life force—the chimera in front of them felt like no more than a lump of pure mana.

  “Ayato…” Kirin had undoubtedly realized the same thing. She glanced at him as if about to say something more, only to hurriedly turn back to the problem at hand.

  Screams erupted throughout the hall, with the guests running blindly this way and that. Amid the sound of tableware and glasses being thrown aside, the man, standing behind the creature, bowed courteously.

  “Well then, I bid you farewell.”

  “Wait!” Ayato leaped after him, but the chimera flung down a gigantic arm to block his path.

  “Argh…!”

  Despite its huge size, the creature was surprisingly quick. In that moment, the man disappeared toward the terrace.

  “What’s going on?!”

  Julis and Claudia approached at a run, but there was no time to explain.

  “Julis, where’s Jolbert?” Ayato demanded.

  “His bodyguards have already taken him away. Don’t worry about that!”

  Fortunately, it looked like the chimera was only interested in the five students, and it was leaving the fleeing guests alone.

  Behind them, a squad of what looked like Royal Guard, armed with gun-shaped Luxes, stood in formation ready to fire, but perhaps because there were still guests trying to escape the hall, they had yet to do so.

  “Grrrrrr…!” The chimera let out a low, deep roar, its bright-red eyes fixed menacingly upon Ayato.

  “…Let’s try to lure it outside. The others could get hurt if we fight it here.”

  �
��That’s all well and good, but do you even have a weapon on you?” Claudia pointed out.

  “Ah…” He only then realized he wasn’t carrying even a simple Lux, let alone the Ser Veresta. Kirin and Claudia were evidently in the same situation.

  “Then I guess I’ll have to deal with it,” Julis said as she stepped forward, but Saya held out a hand to stop her.

  “It’s okay. I always carry a Lux on me.” She raised the hem of her dress, pulling out a hidden Lux activator.

  “I should have expected as much. But, Saya, you can’t use that here. It would be a disaster!”

  Saya’s Luxes were, after all, far too powerful. It was one thing to use them in Asterisk, but in an enclosed space like this, they would only make the situation worse.

  “That goes for you too, Julis,” Claudia pointed out.

  “I can adjust the firepower of my techniques, and I’m much more accurate. Don’t lump me together with her,” Julis pouted.

  “Anyway, I’ll drive it outside. Once it’s out in the open, you can both deal with it.”

  “B-but you’re unarmed…”

  “Don’t worry. I’ve got an idea,” Ayato said, stepping forward and slowly releasing his power.

  Watching Ayato’s movements, the chimera took a defensive stance, but as soon as Ayato came within its reach, it began to swing its arm sideways at him.

  “Grrraaaaaaaaar!”

  It let out a deafening roar that vibrated through the air, but Ayato jumped aside just in time to dodge the blow.

  I hope this keeps the guests from getting caught up in it.

  His senses broadening as he entered the state of shiki, he could detect the positions of everyone who remained in the hall, and closed the distance between himself and the creature while taking care so as not to cause any damage.

  Once more, the chimera let out a terrible roar, again attacking Ayato with its gleaming, clawed arm. He leaped aside to dodge it, when—

  “Ayato, watch out!”

  As if having predicted his movements, the chimera’s tail swung toward him.

  The snake’s head at the end of the tail was large enough to swallow a person whole, but Ayato swiveled through the air, using his momentum to deliver an almighty kick that slammed it into the ground.