"Grandmaster… I do not understand why you would tacitly allow that duke from Ursus to roam freely across Kazimierz."
"…"
"Even if the Chamber of Commerce has gradually seized control of Kazimierz's economic lifeline, we should never bring in foreign assistance, let alone Ursus, a nation with whom we share a blood feud."
"…"
"Grandmaster, why don't we seize and publicly execute Arthur Pendragon, who is currently active in Kawalerielki, that incarnation of the Ursus duke? Kazimierz cannot allow itself to be humiliated by Ursus. His visit cannot possibly be well intentioned!"
"…As a Silverlance Pegasus, are you questioning whether I, as the head of the Adeptus Sprawiedliwi, the highest administrative body of Kazimierz, still care for this nation? Do you believe I have sold out Kazimierz, stained the honor of knighthood, or even forgotten the sacrifices of my fallen comrades, choosing instead to pledge myself to that Black Snake?"
"…I would never dare."
"It seems there are matters that must be spoken plainly. Rest assured, these secrets are things you will learn sooner or later."
"…My apologies, Grandmaster."
"Your aggressive tone just now did not convey much remorse. If I do not give you a clear explanation, you will not let this go. I can only tell you this: the Immortal Black Snake and the Ursus Empire have never been of one mind."
"…"
"In your view, what exactly is a nation to an existence like the Black Snake?"
___
Inside an apartment.
"I'm terribly sorry. Please, you're magnanimous… I beg you, spare me."
The reporter lay prostrate on the floor, his forehead pressed tightly against the ground.
Arthur, meanwhile, sat on the sofa, smiling as he flipped through the reporter's expense ledger.
"With this little money, what are you risking your life for? If you hadn't recognized me at all, I could've understood. But after realizing who I was, you still planned to pile on even more pointless gossip and fantasies. Are bonuses and promotions really that important to you?"
Arthur picked up the reporter's can.
His shadow peeled itself off the floor like a thin sheet. With a snap like a whip, the very top of the can was cleanly sliced open.
Reaching into the suspended patch of shadow, he produced a spoon and took a tentative bite.
"…Disgusting."
The smile on Arthur's face stiffened.
There was no doubt this was the cheapest kind of canned food.
What, a product from the Cape Group's "Fill Your Belly" subsidiary?
Then that explained everything.
Arthur forced himself to eat the can one spoonful at a time, the curve of his lips noticeably diminished.
At least it wouldn't upset his stomach.
'Excellent. This canned food is very well made. Perfectly aligned with its market positioning.'
Arthur wiped his mouth and looked at the reporter, who was still kneeling on the floor, not daring to rise.
'The Cape Group's power can't be touched. In that case, I'll make temporary use of this Red Wine Daily reporter to expand my influence over public opinion.'
'Kazimierz, your knight has returned.'
___
In Kawalerielki, deep within a shadow untouched by neon lights, an argument was unfolding inside one of the Armorless Union's secret bases.
The Armorless Union was an organization composed of knight assassins.
At its highest level were three enigmatic figures known only by the title "Darksteel."
At least, almost no one within the Union knew their true identities.
Below them were two "Lazurite," one "Platinum," and then the ordinary members.
Historically, the very first Armorless Union was born to resist the brutal rule of Kazimierz's knights.
But what of it?
Time washes everything away, and it changes everything as well.
At the very least, the Armorless Union of today was nothing more than a blade held in the hand of the Chamber of Commerce.
"Roy, have those big shots had their brains eaten by clamp beasts?! They want us to assassinate Arthur, assassinate that Ursus duke. And when Ursus flies into a rage, who's going to take responsibility? Ursus has already reinforced its troops along the Kazimierz border. I seriously doubt the Chamber of Commerce would be generous enough to shelter the Armorless Union."
A Feline woman with teal hair, a bow in hand, questioned a blue-haired Kuranta man who wore a strained, bitter smile.
"Hahaha… Monique, those big bosses haven't even reached a consensus yet. Besides, there's no need to be so pessimistic. For example, what if we can't even beat one of that duke's incarnations?"
Roy hurried to placate his short-tempered colleague.
"…So why did that duke suddenly go mad and come to Kazimierz in the first place? Why participate in that so-called knight Major, and then, after leaving, release that ridiculous line of dolls?"
Monique rubbed her temples as she looked over the patchwork intelligence compiled by the big bosses.
To be fair, the information they gathered was quite comprehensive. Especially the materials contributed by the Cape Group, which had joined the Chamber of Commerce in recent years. Those documents alone accounted for a significant portion.
"Relax a bit. Worst case, we can just hand the job over to that diligent junior of ours."
"Isn't that a bit unfair to Platinum? Last time, you already dumped part of your work on her."
"Then what, you've figured out how to assassinate the Eternal Duke of Ursus, the Immortal Black Snake, the long-lived being who once led armies and nearly swallowed Kazimierz whole, even if it's just one fragment of him?"
"…"
"Oh, so you've already thought through the consequences, right? I really don't think he's the forgiving type who'd let assassins live after killing one of his incarnations."
"…Then let Platinum handle it. No, wait, we don't even need to act right now. Darksteel hasn't given the order yet."
"Sure, but I still need to think about an escape route for the two of us."
"Who's 'the two of us'? Get lost."
Monique flipped through the materials provided by the Chamber of Commerce.
Especially those submitted by the Cape Group.
A transnational conglomerate of that scale would naturally provide intelligence far more reliable than most of the smaller companies within the Union.
And there were unexpected bonuses as well.
The Chamber of Commerce had even supplied military analysis documents from the period when Kazimierz and Ursus were at war, focused specifically on that duke.
There were even post-war reviews.
Once again, this demonstrated just how tightly the Chamber of Commerce now controlled Kazimierz, and further hardened certain "resolutions" within the Armorless Union.
___
[As long as the Duke of Kashchey's domain continues to function, what walks this land is ultimately only a manifestation of the Black Snake. It may be cleared.]
[The Duke's scepter poses an extreme threat. It is recommended to dispatch highly mobile assault teams to destroy it. Mission failed 12 times.]
[The strength of the Black Snake's incarnations varies. After sufficient intelligence preparation, assassination may be attempted.]
[Any contact with the Black Snake or its incarnations must be accompanied by mind casters. Those with strong innate willpower may be exempt, but for safety reasons, it is still recommended that each expeditionary knight order be equipped accordingly.]
[…]
[The Black Snake is not Ursus itself.]