「You call yourselves the Founding Six Clans, such an ostentatious title for a lineage that’s barely lasted two thousand years. Frankly, I don’t see any value in preserving such a paltry bloodline. What’s far more important is Karen’s happiness and her ability to live her life freely.」
「What did you just say, you bastard…?!」
My deliberately provocative words hit their mark perfectly, and the one who took the bait was Moata Purei—a gruff-faced middle-aged man.
「You dare mock the proud history of the Elven Nation of Alfheim?! A whelp spitting on us won’t go unpunished!!」
He roared, his tone rough and intimidating.
But I didn’t look at Moata. Instead, I observed the other four.
Meishal Fazuajik—silent, with a stony expression. His emotions were unreadable. Whatever he was thinking remained a mystery, but if he were an enemy, he’d likely be as formidable as Emishi-san.
Miyako Veda—maintained a poker face while watching me, though the faint rigidity in her magic power betrayed her. It was likely unease or perhaps exasperation. Disappointment in Moata’s recklessness, maybe?
Kunizae Onagia—his brows furrowed slightly, his expression sour. His magical energy was taut, radiating anger. My inflammatory remark had clearly struck a nerve, and he was desperately suppressing his fury.
Yuzuriha Silkiya—her reaction exceeded my expectations. She widened her eyes ever so slightly and glanced at me before giving a small smile. Almost as if to say, “Not bad.”
Having finished my observations, I turned back to Moata.
He was halfway out of his chair, ready to storm over to me at any moment.
If this had happened back when I was in Japan, I probably would’ve frozen in fear, my legs shaking.
But now? Not at all.
If it’s about intimidation, Cliche-san looks like he’s a yakuza boss.
And if we’re talking sheer presence, Berde-san has far more overwhelming pressure.
However, one thing stood out—his magic power.
It was quite strong. He must be a warrior type. In fact, he might even surpass the Ejetia twins in that regard.
「I see. As expected from such a secretive nation, you keep your capable individuals hidden within. If you applied, you’d probably earn the title of ‘Witch.’」
「…W-What are you implying, you brat?」
I allowed myself a calm smile.
「But you’re no match for my family.」
I shifted my gaze to the side.
There, mother and Chocola were:
「Bark!」
「Chocola, stop that! Sui-kun is trying to have a serious conversation.」
「Kuuun…」
「Oh, fine. Come here. Good boy.」
Completely ignoring the tense atmosphere, they had started playing around.
「Kyuuu…」
「Bored, are you? Just hang in there, okay?」
Mother scratched under Chocola’s chin, and he panted happily with his tongue out.
Moata stared at them, utterly dumbfounded.
「Even if someone like you tries to stir up your magic power, it won’t do much. Do you even know where we live? In the depths of the Void Forest—the innermost part, where mutants roam freely. That’s where we peacefully make our home.」
I refrained from exuding any magical pressure. I chose not to.
Instead, I let it flow past me, as if embodying the composure of a lion who wouldn’t bother taking an ant seriously.
Moata Purei faltered, taking a step back from my calm smile.
Though his glare remained sharp, he eventually bit his lip and cast his gaze downward.
Right on cue, it seemed.
The elderly man, Kunizae Onagia, let out an exaggerated chuckle, filled with thinly veiled mockery.
「Heh heh. My, what bravado you’ve got there. For an old, withered man like myself, it’s so terrifying I can barely stop trembling.」
Kunizae’s mouth, partially hidden behind his beard, twisted into a crooked grin. His heavily wrinkled eyes gleamed with a sharp light.
The bloodline supremacists had decided to play their next card—a veiled insult.
Kunizae spoke, his tone laced with implications, his words deliberately provocative.
「It’s unwise to be so bold in your threats, young man. Your magical prowess may be formidable, but… not everyone around you shares that strength, do they?」
「What do you mean by that?」
—I wanted to commend myself for keeping my magical power restrained.
「Ho ho. What do I mean, indeed? Let’s take, for example, that lovely girl from Sidera Village… What was her name? Lila, I think. Without much magic of her own, wouldn’t it be difficult to protect her when it really matters?」
Kunizae pressed on, likely sensing an opportunity in my silence.
「We old folks may dwell up here in the heavens, but that doesn’t mean we disregard the affairs of the land below. Even from this lofty perch, we keep a close watch on the ground.」
「So, what you’re saying is… there are spies from Alfheim in Sidera, keeping tabs on everything, including those around us. And if you wanted, you could act on that information at any time. Is that correct?」
「Kukuku! That’s quite the leap, young one. Don’t be so hasty to jump to conclusions. I merely suggest we engage in discussion. For example…if that young Quioy were to marry Izuk-dono, our regard for Sidera Village would rise considerably. Even without delving deeper, it’d be self-evident what a fine village it is.」
「Ah, I see… Quite the proposition.」
I exhaled a faint sigh.
Karen, still clinging to my arm, tightened her grip. It was a subtle yet clear sign of the anger she was holding back.
Yet she said nothing. She didn’t unleash her magic either. She entrusted everything to me.
As did my mother. And Chocola.
Which is why I kept my voice as composed as ever when I asked:
「By the way, if anyone here happens to be well-versed in international law, I’d like to ask a question.」
Everyone’s attention shifted to me.
「Harming a foreign dignitary is a violation of international law, isn’t it? At what point does an action cross the line into a breach of that law?」
In that instant, the atmosphere became taut, like a tightly drawn bowstring.
Kunizae let out a dry chuckle.
「Young man, as this old body sees it, your threats are rather… too straightforward.」
Kunizae narrowed his eyes.
「Emishi-san, what do you think? I’ll take your interpretation.」
「…Anything that compromises physical or mental health, honor, or property qualifies as an act of harm.」
Ignoring Kunizae, I directed the question to Emishi-san behind me. He answered without hesitation.
「What defines physical or mental health? For instance, a small cut on a finger doesn’t endanger one’s life, does it?」
「Regardless of the severity, any injury necessitating treatment falls under that category. …What are you getting at?」
「Every situation has a line that mustn’t be crossed.」
I surveyed the room.
Finally, I fixed my gaze on Kunizae Onagia.
「For example, just as international law precisely defines acts of harm against foreign dignitaries, and just as a beast exposed to a magic power crucible has a threshold for mutating into a mutant—there are lines that, once crossed, cannot be undone. You understand, don’t you, old man?」
「…Oh? Are you implying I’ve crossed such a line?」
「Yes, you have. Perhaps you only intended to step over it, but in reality, you’ve overstepped. Everyone in Sidera is my family. Any act that uses them as a shield is utterly intolerable.」
It happened in an instant—so fast it was shorter than a blink.
「…『Shinkou Teitai』.」
Dark chains forged from refined magical power, imbued with an intricate spell, stretched from the floor beneath me and wrapped around Kunizae Onagia’s body in the blink of an eye.
「Wha—!?」
「I’m not angry. I simply can’t overlook a potential threat—it’s just a reasonable precaution.」
It was causality suspension magic, a form of spatial-temporal sorcery with a dark attribute.
Halfway through the transformation of his expression—caught between shock and fear—time stopped for the old man.
「He probably can’t hear me anymore, but… since spies in Sidera would need your directives to act, I’ve made sure you can’t give them any. As long as your time remains stopped, Sidera is safe.」
Everyone was stunned into silence.
I took another deep breath before continuing.
「This doesn’t violate the definition of harm, does it? After all, I haven’t damaged his physical or mental health, property, or honor. Nor have I inflicted any injuries requiring treatment. …If you still want to claim it constitutes harm, feel free to file a judicial complaint. Let’s bring the full details of this incident to light and present it to all the nations of the continent for judgment.」
I scanned the room.
Hmm—there were still hostile glares.
Moata Purei… I should address him directly.
「Also, I’d advise against deploying any hidden forces.」
「Wha—!?」
「The ones hiding behind the side doors and in the ceiling. You have them stationed, don’t you? Of course, it’s only natural for dignitaries to have security… but I can tell. They’re set to unleash magic at someone’s signal. Still, you of all people should know. I can use the same magic as my father.」
It was no surprise that soldiers were hidden in the room. I’d noticed the moment I entered. I could sense their magic, and Chocola had been sniffing the air, his gaze fixed on the ceiling.
「You should assume your attacks won’t reach us. Want to try? We won’t get a scratch, so it won’t count as a harmful act. I’ll even let it slide… what do you say?」
With a soft thud, Moata slumped powerlessly into his chair.
Meanwhile, Kunizae Onagia remained frozen, his expression suspended somewhere in indecision.
For a while, no one spoke, the tension in the room unbroken.
The silence was finally shattered by a low, contained laugh.
「Heh, hehe… Ahahaha! Well, we’ve been bested, haven’t we? Grandma Miyako, the opening round is a loss for your side.」
It was a woman, around her thirties, who had stayed silent until now.
She introduced herself as Yuzuriha Silkiya, a member of one of the founding six clans.
「Moata’s threats have been brushed aside, and Kunizae over there—well, he’s as good as a hostage now. Sure, Grandma still has some cards left to play, but in this situation, no move she makes would matter. …Hey, kid, how long does that magic of yours last?」
Her casual tone caught me off guard, but I answered nonetheless.
「Hmm? I’ve never tested it, but I don’t feel any magical depletion. Unless I consciously dispel it, I imagine it’ll last at least as long as I’m alive.」
「Yeah, doesn’t seem like you’re bluffing or lying.」
Shrugging, Yuzuriha glanced around the room.
「We could file a complaint for harm against a state official, but once the circumstances are revealed, we’d only disgrace ourselves. It’d just serve to announce to the world, ‘The son of All Night is here.’」
While Yuzuriha grew increasingly talkative, Miyako Veda remained silent, her eyes closed.
Her great-nephew—I think his name was Izuk?—stood by her side like a dutiful butler, mirroring her stillness.
Yuzuriha seemed to take their silence as agreement.
Clapping her hands, she stood from her chair and approached me.
With a faint smile, she said,
「Though I hadn’t expected you to reveal your abilities so quickly, it saves us some trouble. Maybe that’s thanks to the old man.」
「What do you mean?」
「Boy—no, Sui Hatano-dono.」
Straightening her back, she placed a hand on her chest and bowed to me.
「Thank you for answering our call and coming here. The dark attribute magic—the power to stop time—is precisely what we’ve been waiting for. Please, lend us your strength… to break through our stagnation.」
My eyes widened.
Raising her head, she pointed to the far end of the room—toward the door.
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