Chapter 1: Sakura Memoir and the Seven Crimson Lords

"Her Majesty must be so proud! The Crimson Lord she herself appointed has come so far. It is only a matter of time before you become the next Empress,"

Caostel asserted, puffing his chest out as he walked beside me.

It was the day after our battle against the chimpanzee. We were in the Mulnite Imperial Palace, on our way to the Audience Hall. The floors of the corridor were bright and clear, the opposite of how I was feeling. "Y-yeah," I replied.

Villhaze, walking at my other side, turned to look at me and cleared her throat.

"Is something the matter, Lady Komari? You seem a bit under the weather."

"Of course, I… No, pfft, what're you saying? I'm always overflowing with energy and ambition!"

I promptly corrected myself. Probably wasn't in my best interests to speak frankly right then and there. Who knew who could be listening in the shadows? Plus, Caostel was right there.

Why was I even in the Imperial Palace, you ask? Because I was summoned by the Empress herself.

After achieving victory against the Lapelico Kingdom, I finally attained my precious week off, so I'd cozied up in bed with the intention to stay there until night. But that was when the creepy maid creeped into my crib, as was

her wont, and told me, "Her Majesty calls for you. She said she'll come here to smooch you herself if you don't. So let's go. Hurry!"

I'd found her impatience a bit strange, but I had no choice. Hopefully you understand why I was not in a great mood that day. I'd been sleeping like a baby! Why did I have to wake up to that?! They better give me an extra day

off or I'll cry! That's a threat!

"Hmph… That darn Empress. She should show some common courtesy. Take some notes from me, an actual refined lady."

"Ohh! You refuse to hold your tongue even against the Thunderbolt Empress! That's my Commander!"

"R-right? So… Caostel, why are you here, again?"

"Oh, I just so happened to see you walking by, and I thought I should say hello."

"I see. Hello."

"Hello, Commander. I also have this for you."

Caostel stuffed his hand inside the bag he was holding. I froze up, expecting him to bring something obscene out of it, but my fears ended up being unfounded. Instead, he produced…folded clothing?

"I talked about making merchandise in your image before, and this is our first product: the Commander T-shirt. I realized I hadn't given you your complimentary sample."

"What?"

He gave me the shirt.

I unfolded it.

My (half-smiling) face was printed across its entire surface.

"…What?"

"Isn't it marvelous? It's selling like hot cakes! Right now, we're trying out alternate designs. We have flushed and pouting versions lined up already."

"WHAAAAAT?!"

The hell?! What are you thinking?! Don't make this without my permission! Much less sell it!! How am I supposed to live with the shame?!

What kind of weirdo wears this crap, even?!

"Please, try it on, Commander."

"I'm not putting it on! I don't want my own face on my chest!"

"But then you'd have double the cuteness…"

"Are you insane?! I wouldn't wear this if I fell into a river and it was the only dry piece of clothing on hand! Vill, please do something!"

"I already bought a hundred of them."

"Stop wasting your wages like that!!"

"I heard Yohann also wears one under his uniform every day."

"Has everyone lost their minds?!"

I clutched the hair at my temples. I was in utter disbelief at just how many weirdos there were in this world. What sort of enjoyment did they even get out of wearing this? Were they making fun of me? Yohann—that creep! No, I

should be reserving my ire for Caostel. He was sleazebag number one.

"No. I won't accept this."

"What…do you mean?"

"I-it's embarrassing. Recall all of them."

"What are you saying, Commander?!" Caostel screamed like a veteran con artist. "This is one order I cannot follow. Can't you see how amazing this product is? Sales are also skyrocketing, so this will only elevate name recognition for our unit. If you insist on stopping us… I will have no choice but to challenge you to a duel."

"..."

These guys had a surprisingly hard time following my command. Though I guess I should've expected that. They were a bunch of outlaws who tried to solve everything by force, after all… Damn it!

"…I see. I see, I see. It should be obvious by now that I could strangle you to death in less than a second if we were to clash, but I suppose I should honor your request."

"Thank you so much, Commander!"

"But bear in mind. Always ask me for permission first, before doing anything like this again."

"I understand. I will do my best to produce something you will be proud of selling next time."

Not happening, dude.

"Lieutenant Conto, I have just the perfect picture…"

"You shut your mouth right now!"

Insane, each and every one of them. The worst part was they all (except for Vill, maybe) actually had the strength to murder me with their pinky fingers, so I couldn't be too harsh on them. What an unjust world I lived in. Why couldn't someone be nice to me?

I threw the T-shirt at Vill and continued on my way to further vexations.

I wanna go home… And never leave again…

After a short stretch of walking with that on my mind, I saw a uniformed group heading down the hallway toward us. At the lead was a woman with an imposing aura about her. The men following her had faces that practically screamed they were about to commit murder.

I reflexively moved to the side. Even bumping shoulders with them would surely bring about a fight.

"Commander, why do you cede them the way? They should be letting you pass, not us. Show them your greatness."

Shut up. Just. Seriously. Shut the hell up. I'm not looking for trouble.

I ignored Caostel and continued on my way. Then I looked the group over, particularly their leader. Her hair was lustrous like black wood ear mushrooms, and she had a gallant look in her eyes. She seemed to be around twenty. Her way of walking felt simultaneously brave and refined—it was clear she was of noble upbringing… Wait. I think I've seen her in the papers or something.

"My, oh my! If it isn't Commander Terakomari Gandesblood! Are you here for an audience with Her Majesty, too?" she asked with a slight curtsy as we were about to pass each other.

Oh no. Why does she know my name? Have we met before?

"Y-yeah. That's it."

"Hee-hee. To report your victory against Lapelico yesterday, I suppose? I heard it's your tenth consecutive win. The Seventh Unit just won't stop racking up the achievements, huh?"

"That's right! We won't stop until the world is in our hands!"

What am I even saying? Stop your delirious blabbering, Komari… I immediately regretted my statement. The woman's reaction was to burst into peals of laughter.

"…What's so funny?"

"I'm sorry. Your jesting is simply hilarious, Ms. Gandesblood."

"What?"

"I mean, the only thing you did was defeat that chimpanzee. And your leap from that is world domination? That has to be a joke, right?"

Her men also chuckled.

It was then that I realized she was the kind of person who scorned the achievements of others. Worst of all, she was totally right about mine, what with them being a fluke and all. By the same token, however, her snider emarks didn't affect me. I agreed with her, even. But I had appearances to keep up, so my only choice was to rebuke.

"Is it so bad to talk about my own ambitions? People work the hardest when they have a big goal in mind."

"The problem in this case is your ambitions are far too unwieldy. Do you even have a chance of realizing them? I mean… You're really a weakling, aren't you?"

"Huh?"

My back turned into a cascade of cold sweat.

Hold the heck up. How much does she know…?

"You only go after small fry and spend all your time during battle safely hunkered down, giving orders. Have you ever even been in a fight yourself?"

"N-not many."

"That implies you have been in at least one before… But have you, really?"

She snickered. I felt relieved, though. She didn't seem to know about my capabilities—she was just provoking me out of rivalry… Still, I was taken aback by how insolent she could be with someone she'd just met. Pesky nobles. Not a single decent soul among them.

"Oh, right, I heard you caught a terrorist about a month ago. But I wonder if that's evidence enough. I'm guessing you're taking a subordinate's feat as your own."

I heard veins pop beside me. No, no, no, don't do it. You better not pick a fight, you hear me?!

I had to settle things peacefully. Just then, I remembered reading somewhere that praising the other party could help defuse conflicts. Perhaps she'd let us off if I said something like "Oh, I understand! My feats are nothing compared to your achievements, of course!" But before I did…

"Vill, what's her name, again? I feel like I've seen her somewhere before, but I can't remember…"

"No idea. Why don't you ask her?"

"Right. That'd be best."

I turned back to the woman and cleared my throat.

"Sorry for not asking before, but who are you, again?"

Crap. I think I should've worded that more delicately. But by the time that thought crossed my mind, it was already too late.

Everyone present reacted differently. Vill chuckled. Caostel stroked his chin triumphantly. She… The woman in front of me turned beet red, and her voice trembled as she replied.

"Who…? You dare ask me who I am…?"

"Sorry. Too rude, right? Could you please give me your name, ma'am?"

"The problem wasn't in your phrasing!" She stamped her feet hard on the floor. "How impertinent… How brazen! How dare you act cocky like that when faced with the Great Crimson Lord, the Black Flash, Flöte Mascarail!"

"I'm not being cocky, I seriously didn't know… Wait, you're a Crimson Lord?!"

"You…insolent…little…bitch!"

"That's Lady Komari for you! She fears not the most famous of all Seven Crimson Lords! Flöte Mascarail, born in the Imperial Capital on June seventh, twenty years old. Hobby: Counting wads of notes. Special skill: Dark magic. Alias: 'The Black Flash.' That is who you picked a fight with. Well done!" said Vill.

"You knew that much about her, and you didn't tell me?!"

Why did you lie to me?! This is all your fault! It's your fault that Flöte woman is red like a tomato now!

"Heh-heh… Ha-ha-ha… How low I've fallen… To have a little girl like her make a fool out of me."

"N-no, that wasn't my inten—"

"Indeed, Ms. Mascarail. My commander had no such intention. An insect like you isn't even in her sights!" shouted Vill.

Stop fanning the flaaaames!

I haven't the slightest desire to antagonize her! She's a Crimson Lord, remember? She's a super berserker leading an army of smaller berserkers! We gotta stay friends or she'll kill me!

"What do we do now, Vill?! This will ruin my relationship with her!" I whispered to my maid.

"Leave it to me."

"Okay, but let me ask first. What are you planning?"

"The only thing to do after an act of discourtesy is show her your good faith. I think the best thing would be to give her an honest gift in apology."

"R-really? Okay, do it."

"Immediately."

Vill put on a serious expression and took a step toward Flöte.

"Lady Mascarail, we are deeply sorry for our insolence. Lady Terakomari was only recently appointed to the seat of the Seven Crimson Lords. She knows little of this environment and will do her best to improve in all regards, so please, I ask you to forgive us just this once."

"Huh? Okay…"

"Please, accept this present in apology. It is a box of blood buns, an Imperial Capital delicacy. I read in a magazine interview that you enjoy them."

Vill took a box of sweets out from…somewhere?…and handed it to Flöte. I was impressed. I was thinking for sure she'd say something ridiculous that would only prolong my suffering, but it appeared the sicko maid was capable of a few non-sicko moments every once in a while.

Flöte, dumbfounded, blinked a couple times before receiving the gift.

"W-wow, at least the maid is a decent person."

"You flatter me. However… I must correct one of your misunderstandings, Lady Mascarail."

No…

"Lady Komari is the strongest and the fairest in the whole world. And seeing how you acted like a total chimpanzee trying to provoke and insult her, I surmise you were not able to comprehend this fact."

Nooo!! Shut up, shut up, shut up, shut up!

"That is alarming. We cannot let Lady Komari's charm go improperly transmitted. It would not be an exaggeration to say that it would be a great loss to the world at large if people could not comprehend it. As a first step to remedying this, I would like you to have this as well, so you, too, can understand her greatness. Please, take it."

Vill then handed the T-shirt to Flöte.

You absolute fool! What are you even hoping to accomplish?!

"What is this?" Flöte asked.

She unfolded the T-shirt.

My (half-smiling) face showed itself.

A vein bulged on her forehead.

"I understand very well now, Ms. Gandesblood… I see that we could never get along."

"Th-that's not true. We're colleagues, we just need to take it nice and slow and get to know each other. Then we'll be friends…"

"Not while you keep up that unpleasant attitude of yours. Don't go around thinking you can have everything your way just because you're Lady Karen's favorite!"

"Lady Karen…? Who?"

"Enough with your buffoonery! I read about it in this morning's paper! You are close with Her Majesty, aren't you?"

Her Majesty? The Empress? Did she really have such a cute name? I was aghast.

Flöte then used Void Magic to bring forth the newspaper, and she spread it before my eyes.

I had a really bad feeling. Strong déjà vu vibes.

COMMANDER KOMARIN IN LOVE?!

Commander Terakomari Gandesblood, Crimson Lord of the Mulnite Empire (15), sent a passionate call of love to Her Majesty the

Empress Karen Helvetius (38). She revealed her hidden yearning after a moment's hesitation: 'I think the Empress is the strongest of all!' And of course, in the Mulnite Empire, strength marks the most attractive

and sought-out trait for a partner. In response to Komari's declaration of love, Her Majesty Empress Helvetius said, 'I'm ready to go

whenever Komari gives the word.' As you can see, the two are so close they call each other 'Komari' and 'Empress.' Will romance

blossom between this couple with an age difference of twenty-three years?

…What the heck?

"How deplorable! Lady Karen has lost her mind! To love a vampire who has no merit save for lineage! She won't even look my way!"

"Do I look like I care?! And why do you trust what this tabloid says in the first place?! It's Six Nations News! They're known for being eighty-percent lies and exaggeration!" (At least to me!)

"Even if this article is fabricated, it's true that Lady Karen loves you! Ahh, Lady Karen…why must you go after the little girls?! First Sakuna

Memoir, now this! I can't handle it!"

Flöte ground her teeth in angst as she glared at me. Not my problem! Don't drag me into your weird love polygon!

"Anyway! I will not accept you. And if you don't like it… Well, let's follow the rules of meritocracy of our Mulnite Empire. Show me that you have the might worthy of a Crimson Lord!"

"I—I will… One day. Just not today."

"Ha! Keep on delaying things like that and see how life goes for you."

Ouch. That hurt. But why, I wonder.

One of Flöte's men then whispered to her, "It's time." The "Great Crimson Lord" nodded, shot me one last scowl, and left.

"Have a nice day, Ms. Gandesblood. I hope to see your true power next time we meet!"

***

As I stood watching Flöte's unit disappear down the hallway, Caostel said he had work to do and departed. A part of me wanted to stop and interrogate him about what exactly he was up to. As much as I hated it, I had to supervise anything related to the merchandise they were producing… For now, however, I would need to set that aside. My first priority was thinking of how to make peace with Flöte… No, before that, I had to go meet the sicko Empress… No, wait, I just remembered I forgot to take my manuscript to the post office! Damn it, there's too much to take care of!

We reached the Audience Hall in the time I was mulling over my huge to-do list. As soon as we entered, a pretty blond with huge boobies, reclining on the throne with a popsicle in hand, yelled out to me like a crow.

"Good to have you here, Komari! Isn't it stifling today? Looks like your least-favorite season is soon to arrive. Here, have a treat to cool off."

"Agh!"

She thrust her unfinished popsicle into my mouth. Cold! But sweet. Orange… So tasty! No, I mean, don't jam stuff into my jaws like that! What if I choked?!

I grabbed the ice pop, but glared at her with the sternest expression I could muster.

"Empress. Say your piece already."

"Ah-ha-ha! Hasty, are we? Before we get to that, how's the taste of my forced indirect kiss?"

"Don't put it so disgustingly! It tastes like orange, nothing more!"

I handed the popsicle back to her.

Honestly, the Empress must've had some type of talent to come up with these unsolicited advances on the daily. Not a talent that I'd ever want, though. Just then, I remembered I had something to tell her myself.

"All right, I'll begin! Can you explain what this stupid newspaper article is about?!"

"What article? Oh… You mean that report on our passionate love?" she replied while holding the popsicle in her mouth. "I, too, find it outrageous. Making a spectacle out of our wanton, salacious romance is in very bad

taste."

"Then why comment?"

"They asked me 'What would you do if Commander Gandesblood declared war on you?' and I responded to that. You know their MO. Six Nations News claims to be objective only for the liberty to enrage all sides. I accepted the interview, since they verrry rarely churn out some good pieces… But it was a mistake."

I hadn't been expecting that. The Empress had some common sense. Who would've thunk? I assumed she'd take the report at its word and make some more moves on me… My impression of her had improved slightly.

"We would usually send them an order to recall all papers and issue a formal apology, but I'm too busy now, so I'll let it be."

"Huh…?"

"Anyway, Komari, let's cut to the chase."

"Wait. You won't make them recall the papers? Everyone will get the wrong idea if you let it slide!"

"I'm telling you, I'm too busy right now. I mean, your father did get murdered last night."

"WHAAAT?! WHY didn't you say so sooner?!"

"Look, his corpse is right over there."

"HUH?!"

I could feel my eyes popping out of my head. Daddy's body was lying by the wall like a discarded doll, and he really didn't look like he was there for a light nap. I rushed up to him while frothing at the mouth. He didn't seem to

be of this world anymore.

"Daddy! Daddy! Wake up, please!"

"No need to worry. He'll be right as rain today, thanks to the Core."

Her words weren't enough to put me at ease. My dad was dead! I couldn't feel relieved just because he'd come back later. And why in the world was he just lying over here?!

"They pierced his midsection," Vill remarked after crouching beside me to take a closer look.

True enough, his clothes were ripped apart around his stomach, exposing his skin.

"We can't tell for sure since his injury is mostly healed, but it appears they used neither weapons nor magic. They pierced his abdomen with only their hand. The offender must be quite the powerhouse."

"That's insane…"

I got the creeps. Then, I remembered that Daddy hadn't come back home yesterday. My little sister, Lolocco, jokingly said, "Maybe he got a lover! Ah-ha-ha!" But that could never be. I'd felt like something of more concern had been going on, but the possibility of him getting murdered never crossed my mind.

"Your Majesty, could we please get an explanation?" Vill asked.

"What I know is that he got killed yesterday after our council meeting. And he's not the only one this has been happening to—over the last week, various high-ranking officials, Elders, and Crimson Lords have gotten assassinated. There are five victims so far. I'm considering this an act of terrorism. A terrorist must be behind it."

I was at a loss for words. It didn't feel real.

"Do you have any ideas as to who it could be?"

The Empress stroked her cheek in worry.

"Sadly, no. The thing is, none of the victims realized they were done in. Naturally, they don't remember the killer's face."

"So we have memory manipulation magic at work."

"It's possible. But mental interference is a type of greater magic, and there is no way I wouldn't detect such a spell being activated inside the palace. It's possible they used an advanced-level incantation such as Lacquered Wings to conceal their mana, but I don't think it was magic at all—I'm considering Core Implosion."

"Core Implosion… Now that would be terrible." Vill then blinked, as if remembering something. "Excuse me, Your Majesty. Shouldn't there be a barrier prohibiting outsiders from entering the palace? Did someone use a portal again, like Millicent did?"

"There was no portal. Nor have I received a report of the barrier being broken. That leaves us with a single explanation: The terrorist is an insider."

"I see."

"The Elders are so scared it's funny. They ordered me to catch the offender ASAP just this morning, but they won't even consider any of the solutions I've put forward. Now I get why the country has been in slight decline over the last few years."

"In any case, we must take countermeasures immediately," proposed Vill.

"Oh, we are. That's why I called Komari over… Hey, Komari, I know you're worried, but staring at the corpse won't make it heal faster."

"I—I know! But… Why is he lying over here? Take him to the infirmary, at least."

"I left him there for you, though."

"Am I supposed to be happy about that?! Don't you feel sorry for him?!"

"So it's a moral problem for you how I treat the cadaver? I'll have you know, this man had me thrown into a cesspool this one time a stray bullet killed me. I think he deserves this and more."

What the heck, Daddy?!

"Besides, you'd get a better sense of how pressing this issue is if you saw the actual body, right? Brutal insurgents are trampling down our Empire, and guess whose job it is to take care of this sort of thing? The Seven Crimson Lords'."

I had a feeling so bad it could almost kill me. So I made the first move.

"Ask Flöte. She looks strong."

"She has war plans for the next few days."

"Do it yourself, then."

"As I said, I'm very busy right now."

"Me too. Good-bye."

"Komari."

"What?"

"I order you to suppress the terrori—"

"NOOOOOOO!" I screamed at the top of my lungs. "No, no, no! I will not! I already have very strict plans to coop myself up in my room and gaze into the abyss of my deepest thoughts. You're the one who said I'd get a

week off if I won the latest battle, you liar! Fibbing is a gateway crime, you know!"

"I never said that."

"Sorry, the liar was me all along. I did that to drag you out of your room, hee-hee," Vill revealed.

"YOU CRIMINAAAAAAAAL!!"

"Hee-hee" my ass! Don't try and act all cutesy! Do you have any idea how long I've yearned for a vacation? I gave it my all at work just because I saw that light at the end of the tunnel… How dare… How dare you stomp on

my dreams…with that smug look on your face!

"Bwuuuuuuuuh…"

The shock was so strong I started to cry. My knees gave in and I crouched down on the red carpet, but I kept my emotions from exploding further. Gnashing my teeth as my whole body trembled, I shot a glare at my maid.

"…Villhaze, don't bully Komari like that."

"But she won't take even one step outside if I don't lie to her like that…Lady Komari, please, calm down."

"Shaddup! I'm not talking to you until you say sorry!"

"I am sorry."

"…"

Don't be so quick to apologize… And with such a sincere expression and deep bow… Now I really want to forgive her.

"Next time, I'll just drag you outside instead of manipulating you with words. Please, forgive me."

"That's not a better alternative!"

I couldn't even be mad anymore. I was baffled. But she did seem to seriously regret deceiving me, so there was no use in grumbling anymore.Accepting the fact that I'd never had a vacation in the first place, I wiped off my tears and held back my scream of despair at this world's cruelty.

"Okay, I'll give you time off," the Empress conceded.

"I-is this another trap?"

"I mean, I'll do it if you do as I ask. I'm actually starting to feel bad for you, so I'll grant you a week off if you manage to catch the terrorist."

So I still have to do that.

"…But I think that's beyond me. I'm not strong at all, remember?"

"Individual strength matters not. You have Villhaze and all those talented subordinates at your disposal, remember? Besides…you won't be alone in this mission."

Huh? Just as I was about to ask for an explanation, I heard steps behind me. I turned around and looked at the entrance of the Audience Hall. Behind one of the gaudy gold pillars was someone staring at us.

"Sakuna Memoir! No need to be afraid, come in!" The Empress yelled in a thunderous tone.

The girl she called out to jerked her shoulders up, then fidgeted around for a bit before finally making up her mind to fully reveal herself.

She was all white. Perhaps half-Sapphire. Her hair, silver like the snow, was trimmed at the shoulders. Her timid behavior didn't make her seem very reliable, which only made the gothic magic staff on her back stand out even

more.

The girl approached me.

She was so very pale. Her face looked almost artificial, but the light reddish blush on her soft cheeks indicated that she was indeed alive. As if there was any doubt.

Our gazes met, but she was hesitant to let her blue eyes stay fixed on mine.

She was really… How should I put it…?

"…Pretty."

That wasn't me. She'd said that. Her utterance felt as though she was speaking for me, but in fact, she'd aimed those words at me.

"Ah, I-I'm sorry… That just came out."

"No need to apologize. After all… I am a once-in-a-billion-years knockout beauty."

She flushed and cast her gaze down. Weird reaction.

The Empress cleared her throat.

"Getting back on topic, the Crimson Lords are also among the victims. I'm not so wicked as to let you go after them by yourself, Komari. Which is why you two will work together on this mission."

Work together? With her?

I looked at her with suspicion. She immediately averted her eyes again. I felt like this was the first time I'd ever encountered someone more shy than me.

"…Empress, perhaps I'm not the best person to say this but… Do you think she's fit for the job?"

"No need to worry. Not only is she powerful, but she also has burning determination. She's set on getting revenge on the terrorist."

"Revenge…?"

"Indeed. Sakuna… Introduce yourself to Komari."

My head was full of question marks, but the Empress gave no heed. The silver vampire bowed her head.

"I'm Sakuna Memoir, a Crimson Lord… Though I'm one of the highest-ranking military officials in the Empire, I got killed by the terrorist. I must defeat them to clear my name."

She's a Crimson Lord?!?!?! I felt like screaming. Nothing about her seemed to suggest she was one of the seven strongest people in the Empire. Wait… That's me, too.

I stared intently at her face, surprised that even a girl like her could become a Crimson Lord. Then she flushed. You all right there, sis?

"U-um…" she muttered.

"Hmm?"

"I'm not a very good talker, so…I wrote a letter."

She took an envelope out of her pocket. First that chimpanzee, now her…Were letters in vogue lately or something?

"P-please read it later, by yourself. I'll show myself out for now!"

"Huh? Wait… Ms. Sakuna?"

I didn't manage to stop her. She ran away like a bunny who'd just spotted a predator. Left behind, I glanced to the envelope in my hands. It was sealed with a star sticker. I was glad it wasn't a heart, but from the way she'd acted, I still couldn't help feeling like it was a love letter. Pretty sure most people who saw that would feel the same.

It really felt like trouble was coming.

***

To Lady Terakomari Gandesblood,

I hope you excuse the unsolicited letter, but I'm not confident in my oral skills, so I thought it better to write it down.

My name is Sakuna Memoir. Please, call me "Sakuna." I became a Crimson Lord about a week ago. I hope this comment won't aggravate you, but the truth is I am not very strong. I'm not worthy of the position. I just happened to kill the previous Crimson Lord in an accident, and people interpreted this as mutiny and handed me the title…

But as much as I want to, I can't resign. As you may be aware, a Crimson Lord makes a contract which states one would explode if they ever tried to quit. You may find this unbelievable for a member of the military, but I'm afraid of pain. I don't want to die. So I have no choice but to do this job. Though I don't believe I have what it takes to be a Supreme Commander…I must apply myself.

Despite that, a terrorist killed me a short while ago. I don't remember the circumstances surrounding my death, nor the killer's face. Still, I do recall how scary it was. Dying is a terrible experience. One I don't wish to go through ever again.

Yet now I'm closer than ever to my fated explosion. A Crimson Lord getting murdered by a terrorist is akin to throwing mud in the Empire's face. I must clear my name. Otherwise, I'll get dismissed and blown to smithereens. The former sounds great (apologies if you find the comment insolent) but not so much the latter. I have to catch the terrorist to avoid that horrible end.

That sums up my situation. Perhaps it's not something I should be revealing to someone as strong and prodigious as you, Ms. Terakomari, but for some reason, I felt like it was better to let you know… Additionally, I don't think hiding things from my colleagues is right. So please excuse my whining.

I may not be the most competent or experienced, but I hope we can work well together. Let's catch that terrorist (though I doubt there will be anything I can really help out with on that front). I will give it my all, regardless.

Since I still have some space, I'll tell you a bit more about myself.

My name is Sakuna Memoir, and I was born in the Imperial Capital. My maternal grandmother hails from the Haku-Goku Commonwealth. I'm not good at fighting, but I use magic when I do. I'm a mage (those people with the big staffs). I like reading; my favorite book is The Andronos Chronicles. My favorite food is omelet rice, my favorite animal is the capybara, and I like summer, along with Delphinus, the constellation. I've enjoyed stargazing with my family since I was little. I hope we can get along.

***

"I cannot believe this…!"

An hour had passed since my audience with the Empress. The sicko maid didn't give me a second to breathe and took me to the training range. My hairs were standing on end thinking she was looking for me to get into a duel to the death, but she said she wanted me to supervise my subordinates' training.

Okay, so long as I'm not doing the fighting…, I'd thought, hopeful, and sat down on a bench in the shade of a tree. I was drinking watermelon juice (and my troops were yelling like animals as they killed each other) when I

remembered Sakuna's letter.

I'd been in shock after reading it. Her situation resembled mine to a tee.

"…Vill, is Sakuna famous or something?"

"She is, very much so. She's the first vampire in a while to be appointed as Crimson Lord after mutiny. From what I've heard, she blew up her predecessor in public."

"No way. The letter says it was an accident."

"It matters not whether the mutiny was deliberate or accidental… A foot soldier defeating one of the seven most powerful officers of the Empire will always grab the eyes and hearts of the masses. It's the dream."

"Hmmm. Yeah, and with those looks… No wonder she's popular."

"…Do you like her, Lady Komari?!"

"Do I? I guess, yeah."

"?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!"

She was much more relatable than those barbarians.

…Huh? What's up with Vill? She looks like a girl who just had the strawberry on her shortcake stolen right before her eyes. Maybe she's feeling ill? Well, whatever, it's not like her making weird faces out of nowhere is anything new for her.

In any case, I needed to forge an amicable relationship with Sakuna. I'd thought I was the only one who'd been forced into the role of Crimson Lord, so finding out about someone who could understand how I felt was fantastic. We even shared the same interests, if her note was anything to go by. Hee-hee-hee… I was starting to feel hope once again. Finally, a friend!

However, the letter had said nothing about when or where we'd meet again. Guess she'd forgotten about that after spending so much effort on her introduction. This, too, felt very relatable.

"All right! Let's go meet Sakuna. I don't even care about defeating the terrorist, I just wanna talk with her."

"No. You have to supervise the training."

"Why? My meeting with Sakuna should take priority."

"Your men are practicing as hard as they are because you're here watching. Look at Captain Mellaconcey's face. He's like a pig in the mud, so happy blowing up his colleagues."

"He's always like that! I want to meet Sakuna, now. I wanna talk about The Andronos Chronicles with her!"

"You should be talking about work if you're meeting… But you are not. Something is fishy about her. I'm sure she slinks about the palace every night killing people."

"The terrorist's the one doing that! And it's our job to catch them! And for that, we need to go see her! Let me do my job!"

"I—I must be hallucinating… Lady Komari, saying she wants to work?! I'm moved to tears! As you wish. I will immediately ask Lieutenant Hades Molekikki for a rematch."

"Not that job!"

Why was Vill being so stubborn? Was she mad? Still angry about me not eating my bell peppers that morning?

"…Okay, sorry. I'll eat my peppers from now on."

"I do not know what you are talking about, but okay, I will cook you something with peppers next time."

"I didn't say that! I take it back! Forget I said anything!"

Damn it, I shouldn't have brought that up… I'll be more careful about eating them in the future.

Setting the pepper issue aside, I really, really wanted to meet Sakuna again. I needed to talk with her about our hobbies, maybe become friends and share our troubles. I also wanted to get away from my dangerous subordinates as soon as possible. I felt like a stray bullet could kill me any moment. In fact, there was already an ax sticking out of a nearby tree.

I turned to Vill with a determined look on my face, and the sicko maid finally gave in and sighed.

"Fine. I won't stop you anymore. But keep in mind, you have to talk about catching the terrorist."

"Ugh. I—I know. But really… Do you think there's anything I can do? We're talking about a brutal murderer—you do realize that?"

"You simply have to make good use of your troops. You have five hundred brutal killers at your disposal."

I glanced at the training grounds. The guys were on a rampage, bloodshot eyes dazzling. There was a sea of blood, and corpses were strewn about everywhere. A soldier was weeping tears of blood as he plucked the hairs off his head. Wonder what happened to that guy?

"So, give them the order."

"What order? They seem to have their hands full right now."

"Don't worry. Call out to them and you'll see."

I felt like they were so enthusiastic they'd trample me to death the instant I tried addressing them… But I suppose Vill will protect me. You will, right? I'm counting on you!

I stood on the bench, took a deep breath, then raised my voice.

"Listen up, soldiers!"

They all stopped. It felt like pausing a movie. It was so out of this world I felt like time had stopped for me as well.

Vill cleared her throat.

"Please, look over here. Lady Terakomari is about to give your next orders."

"Orders!" someone muttered, then it spread around. "Commander's giving orders!" "Hey, she's gonna order something!" "Everyone, clean your ears!" "Don't let a single word escape you!" "Ask us anything, Commander!"

"Who should we kill?" "Are we going against Her Majesty?!" "Is it the chimpanzee again?!"

My subordinates approached me like a school of hungry piranhas. The things they were saying were as gross and outrageous as ev— Wait, that guy's missing half his face!! No, calm down, time to give the or—

"Commander! Could it be related to the serial murders everyone is talking about?"

I jumped at Caostel's sudden question coming from right beside me. When did you get here?!

"Y-yes. This order comes straight from the Empress herself. She wants us to catch the culprit."

"OOOH!" the vampires exclaimed in joy. I could not for the life of me understand how anything I'd said merited that reaction, but in any case, I had to keep in line with their expectations.

"So, I want you to take the lead in looking for the offender. I feel sorry to give you more work when you're all so busy, but we need to catch that terrorist."

"No apologies needed, Commander!" "I would throw myself in the gutter if you ordered me, Commander!" "Don't ask like it's a favor!" "Let's get that terrorist ASAP, brothers!"

"HAAAIIILLL!!!"

Stop it. Can't you guys be quiet for one second? Look, all the maids from the Crimson Tower are staring at us through the windows… Gosh, this is so embarrassing. Unfortunately, they did not hear my silent plea.

Still, having them all in on doing the job wasn't a bad thing. Despite everything, they were strong. Sakuna and I probably would not get the chance to shine. And for the love of all that's holy, do not give us that spotlight.

"If I may, Commander, I have a suggestion."

"What is it, Caostel?"

Nothing he'd say could ever be good.

As he spoke, his expression was that of a prisoner who had just formulated a breakout plan.

"How about you give a reward to the person who captures the terrorist? I think everyone will put in a hundred times more effort if you just dangle a little carrot before them."

"Is there really any need to raise morale further at this point?"

"I believe it is indispensable for solving the case as quickly as possible."

"Hmmm…"

There was no downside to catching the culprit even faster. It was also my duty as boss to properly compensate the efforts of my subordinates. Perhaps such a carrot really was for the best.

I turned to look at Vill. She was expressionless, intent on making me decide for myself.

…A reward, huh? The word only brought bad things to mind after that awful fashion show the stripped-tree bastard had made me put on… But wait. There would be no problem if I just defined the prize outright. I just had to avoid saying "I'll do anything." Cool, cool, we've got it.

"Fine. Soldiers! Listen up!" I switched to Commander Mode. "This job will be arduous. You need to find a terrorist whose identity is unknown. Thus, I will give you a fitting prize if you manage to complete the job."

I heard someone gulp.

They were all waiting with bated breath for my next statement. Good, good. Everything's going swimmingly… Then, I gave them what they yearned for.

"Hold on to your hats, everybody! If you capture the terrorist… I will grant you three days off!"

Silence fell.

"...…"

…Huh?

I thought they'd lose their minds over this… What's up?

"Commander," Caostel whispered into my ear in a hurry. "I fear that is no reward at all."

"Wait, why?" I tilted my head in disbelief.

"They love killing. Time off won't make them happy at all—in fact, they'll only feel displeased for not getting to riot in the battlefield. Look at their faces… They're all pale with disappointment."

A-are you serious?! I'd be jumping and dancing for joy! I can't keep up with such a massive difference in values… But I had to accept it and do something right away or they'd blow their lids. Mutiny was close! I was at death's door!

"B-but it's not just any regular time off! I will… um… Yeah! I'll give you tickets for the zoo!"

My desperate measures were pathetic.

Lolo had given me two tickets not long ago. She'd been bragging about going there with her boyfriend, until he turned her down right before their date. I tried to comfort her, but she'd lashed out and shouted, "How about

you go instead! Not like you have anyone to take with you!" before throwing the tickets at me, tears in her eyes.

I didn't want them, though. Going outside was a pain as it was, and as she'd rightfully pointed out, I had no one to accompany me. That's why I was planning on giving them out to someone else anyway. I figured this was a

decent use for them.

One of my men timidly raised his hand.

"Excuse me… Do you mean we could go with you?"

"Hmm? Uh, yeah, if you want…"

Wait a second. Why did I even think a bunch of slaughterers would be interested in going to the zoo? But just as I realized my mistake…

"I-it's a date…" "She's inviting us on a date." "A rendezvous!" "We get to go out with her!"

Huh? What's going on? Vill, do you have any idea?

"…Lady Komari, don't you think that's too much?"

"What do you mean?"

As soon as I tried to ask for an explanation, everything exploded.

"UOOOOOOOOHHHH!" "AAAAAAHHH!" "HAAAIIILLL!!!" "It's a DATE! A DATE! A freaking DATE!!" "I can't believe this is really

happening." "God exists." "Beep-beep. It's a message from the universe. Fate is asking me to kill the terrorist, kill the terrorist." "You're freaking DEAD maaaan!" "That date is MIIIINE!" "Oh, you're not getting a leg up on this!" "Neither are you, man, back the hell up!" "The terrorist's going for the politicians, right? I just gotta take them out first, myself!" "Oh, I get what you say! Hiding under a leaf? Just burn the entire forest!" "LET'S GOOOOOOOOOO!!"

"...…"

"…"

"…These guys are the terrorists!" I screamed.

"It is unbelievable, but there is no going back now, Lady Komari."

"Right? Do they really enjoy looking like animals that much?"

"Truly unbelievable, Lady Komari."

"I heard you the first time! How about you help me out here, okay?!"

My subordinates kept on squealing even as they scattered away, and my mind went blank.

Oh, crap. I've let the beasts out of their cages…

"Commander, I will supervise this rowdy bunch and make sure they don't cause any trouble," said Bellius Hund Cerbero.

Only then did I realize where I had gone wrong: I'd been grumbling about my troops within their earshot. Oh well… I didn't say anything big anyway…Right? Bellius and Caostel didn't seem suspicious of me, in any case.

"Lady Komari, what will be your next course of action?"

"Meeting Sakuna."

"You'll do nothing about the men?"

"…Bellius, Caostel… Can I trust you with them?"

""Yes, Commander!""

They ran behind the rest of my unit like the wind. Finally free from their vigilant eyes and ears, I gave a sigh of relief, stretched my arms, spent a few seconds staring at the clouds, then said:

"Yeah. Everything will turn out fine."

***

I pretended not to hear the cries of terror and explosions ringing out from a distance. I could feel the consequences of my actions slowly coming down on my shoulders, but that was a problem for future me. Meanwhile, present

(Past? Aren't they both?) me focused on enjoying the fun while it lasted. What should I have for dinner? It's been a long time since I've had demi-glace steak. Maybe that.

"We've arrived, Lady Komari."

Vill's announcement brought me back to reality.

The doors to the elevator opened via enchantment. We arrived at the sixth floor of the Crimson Tower. My workplace had seven levels total: The first floor belonged to the First Unit, the second to the Second Unit, and so on.

The sixth story, as you might've deduced already, belonged to the Sixth Unit—which meant it was Sakuna's office.

We walked straight through the hallway until we reached the entrance to her room. The sign on the door indicated that she was available.

I was…pretty nervous. Come to think of it, this might've been the first time I'd ever met someone of my own accord. This was only happening thanks to how open Sakuna had been… But I was still afraid of leaving a bad

impression.

"…Hmm?"

Just then, I heard two voices from inside the room. One was Sakuna's. The other sounded like a man's? Crap, I just heard them say "Terakomari." What could they be talking about? As bad as it was to eavesdrop, my curiosity was winning out.

"Is someone visiting?" I asked Vill.

"Why don't you check?"

"How?"

"Like so."

She threw the door open with a bang.

The interior of the room was laid bare with ease. Sakuna stared at us in shock. Before her stood an old man wearing religious vestments, and he, too, was looking at me in disbelief. I mean, yeah, who comes in like that? What are we, robbers? No, don't lump me in with this weirdo! It's her fault! At least knock first, you sicko! What if Sakuna doesn't want to be friends with me anymore?!

"…Ms. Terakomari?"

Sakuna sounded confused. Obviously. I forced a smile before answering.

"H-hey, Sakuna. Sorry for the intrusion. I'm here to talk about our mission against the terrorist… Were you busy?"

I glanced at the religious man. It felt like they had been talking about serious matters, so maybe this wasn't the best moment to come here. But to my surprise, the guy shook his head with exaggeration.

"No, not at all! There is no problem, not at all, Lady Gandesblood! We were not talking about anything important! I shall leave now! See you later, Lady Memoir!"

"…Good-bye."

The man started walking toward me…or the door, rather. His every step and motion were full of vigor, like a well-trained soldier. I got out of the way in a panic, and he stopped beside me and smiled. His expression was eerie, like a bird grinning.

"It is an honor to meet you, Lady Gandesblood! I've heard the rumors. That you're a jack-of-all-trades making a big name for herself in all respects! I am sure your power will be more than enough to conquer all six nations!"

"Y-yeah. World domination will be walk in the park."

"Ha-ha-ha! And so sure of yourself, too! Speaking of which, are you a believer?"

"…Huh?"

What's he talking about?

"Do you believe in God?"

"I guess? As much as anyone else…"

"Oh! Ohhh! I can see the fervor in your faith! You are a devout, God-fearing vampire! I see, it all makes sense now. It's thanks to the divine

protection of the Lord that you've succeeded so. As you might know, God sees it all and makes sure to reward the good and punish the bad. You can witness the consequences of this throughout all of creation, and how swift and precise His judgment is…"

The old guy kept on babbling, beaming with delight. I was shaking in my boots.

I promptly came to a conclusion. He, too, was an oddball, a weirdo—perhaps even a sicko—like many people I'd been encountering lately.

I glanced over at Sakuna and she blushed, trembling anxiously. What sort of business did she have with this sicko priest?

"Oh, excuse me. I have a hard time stopping once I get going. Oh, how terrible! In any case, I am delighted to know you're a fellow believer, Lady Gandesblood. I hope we get the chance to debate about the Creation and God's miracles soon!"

"Y-yeah. Creation's pretty crazy."

"Indeed. It is amazing!"

He grabbed my hand and shook it intensely. Then he smiled, shouted, "I'm really leaving now! Amen!" And walked away.

Yeah… I don't wanna see that guy ever again.

Why was that weirdo here, anyway?

"…Sakuna, do you know him?"

Her small shoulders jerked up. Why so shocked? I should let her know I'm a lonely, peace-loving, and completely safe vampire, and not some loony murderer like the rest of the Crimson Lords. But maybe it was too soon still to tell her the truth.

Sakuna responded with great hesitation.

"…He's…Helldeus Heaven. The Crimson Lord who recommended me for my position."

"That guy is a Crimson Lord?"

Are all of them such weirdos?

"Yes… However, his true vocation is as priest. He manages the church and orphanage on the outskirts of the capital. Actually, I came from that orphanage."

"I—I see."

I could tell the whole situation was more complex than I'd expected. Prying more deeply into it would feel rude, so I figured it would be better to talk about work. Not that I wanted to do any.

At that moment, however, the heavy, enchanted toll of the Imperial Capital's Clock Tower echoed throughout the area. It was noon. And I was hungry.

"Lady Komari, what will we be doing for lunch?"

"Um…"

Oh, this was the perfect chance! Telling her I'd be off to have lunch just as I arrived would be weird, too, so it was the most natural and obvious thing to do.

"Sakuna, if you'd like, h-how about we…eat together?"

I said it. There was no taking it back now. And I did it so well, too. As someone who didn't have experience with this sort of thing, it was no exaggeration to say this invitation was my life's greatest achievement… But then it hit me. Should I be asking on such short notice? Wasn't arranging lunch meetings in advance the normal thing to do?

I started sweating in anxiety when Sakuna answered in the faintest of voices.

"…Yes, I would be pleased to join you, if I may."

***

We went to the restaurant inside the Imperial Palace: Fruits of the Land. It was a luxury place, full of nobles visiting the premises—the sort of venue I'd never go to by myself. This, however, was a special occasion.

…But maybe it was a mistake, nonetheless.

As soon as I entered the place, I heard a barrage of awful praise: "It's Commander Gandesblood!" "It's her!" "You can just feel the sharp wit oozing from her!" "That pure slaughterer aura!"

Sakuna winced and squirmed behind me.

"Should we go somewhere else?" I suggested, but she shook her head. Apparently, she didn't want to trouble me like that. It was no trouble at all, though; I was troubled myself being there, actually… But I decided to respect her decision.

We sat down, Sakuna in front of me, and Vill hovering behind me… What are you doing there, you creep?

"Just take a seat, please," I told Vill.

"I am unfit for eating at such a luxurious establishment. Plus, no maid would ever dare share a table with her mistress."

"Oh, but you have no qualms sharing a bed with me without my permission, do you?"

Then I heard an abrupt intake of breath. I turned to the source and found Sakuna beet red, her lips flapping like a fish. …What's up with her?

"I see, you're right. You and I have already overcome the perils of death together. Our relationship goes beyond just that: We are life partners."

"Like, eighty percent of the perils I get myself into are your fault, though."

"You must be imagining things. Regardless, I see we've reached a mutual agreement. We're close enough to share a table, even a bed, and perhaps more. Thank you for reminding me of the fact."

Vill sat down beside me, then flashed a dirty smile at Sakuna, as if she'd just successfully completed a nasty, meticulous scheme. I did not understand why. And I gave it no further thought.

After we put in our orders, I made up my mind and cleared my throat.

"Let me properly introduce myself. I am Terakomari Gandesblood, fifteen years old. Seeing as we'll be on the same mission for a while, I…um…hope we work well together."

"Y-yes, it's my pleasure. I'm Sakuna Memoir… By the way, did you read my letter?"

"Yes, I did. I also love reading, by the way. I think we could get along."

"Yeaaah…," she said as she cast her gaze down, her face red to the ears. She then continued talking, her voice as faint as a mosquito buzzing. "Thank you very much. I am…delighted. But…um, setting that… Setting my hobbies aside…how do you feel about the way I became a Crimson Lord? Do you think I'm pathetic?"

That thing about how she'd gotten her title by accident? No way I'd think that. The same had happened for me.

"If you don't mind me asking, how did you mutiny?"

"Explosion."

That was actually true?!

"…I'm really weak, so I wanted to change that… I was practicing magic when the Crimson Lord suddenly passed by, and my spell hit him. And he died…"

"O-oh. That's, uh…pretty bad luck, huh?"

"It is… I didn't think this would count for making me a Crimson Lord, but then Mr. Helldeus, the man from earlier, got all excited about it. He directly petitioned Her Majesty to make me one, and for whatever reason, she

conceded."

"Yeah, that sicko Empress will welcome any girl, so long as she's cute."

"I-I'm… Cute?"

Sakuna blinked in surprise. Vill stared at me with dead-fish eyes for some reason. Everything okay, ladies?

"Anyway! I understand your situation. Surely the hardest part must be having to hide your weakness from your subordinates, right? They might mutiny if you show the slightest sign of not being strong enough, right?"

"Hmm? No, I don't think so."

"Huh?"

"All my troops know I'm not that powerful, and they all support me so I can fulfill my duties despite my weakness. They're always comforting me, telling me not to worry, and insisting that everything will be all right. They're all such good people… Despite wanting to quit, I get the energy to keep on trying from them."

"…"

What the frick? I was turning green with envy.

Hmmm, should I tell my subordinates the truth, too?

No. No way. I'll die. They'd gut me, for sure.

"O-oh. I'm glad you're blessed with supportive people. But yeah, it's still unfair. I think everyone should be free to choose their line of work."

"On the other hand, you're so amazing compared to me. No, it would be rude to compare you to myself… You're so strong, such an accomplished Crimson Lord… It's like the job was made just for you."

I had to hold myself back from telling her that wasn't quite true. All the nobles around us were listening closely. I'd really messed up by choosing this restaurant.

Vill shot me an urgent stare as I continued to consider my answer.

"Lady Komari, I think we should be done with the small talk already and cut to the chase."

Why is she so grumpy?

"I-I'm sorry. Yes, we should be talking about the terrorist." Sakuna straightened up.

Oh, you don't need to be that polite before this degenerate.

That aside, I decided to follow Vill's lead and talk about work; maybe that would put her in a better mood. I didn't feel like we really needed to, though. My men had already been unleashed. It was only a matter of time before they found their prey.

"Okay, let's talk shop. So the terrorist killed you, right? You really don't remember their face?"

"I'm afraid not. I remember I left the Crimson Tower and was on my way back home… But my next memory is of me outside, dead."

"I see." Vill nodded. "According to Her Majesty, their Core Implosion allows them to manipulate memories. Are you aware of this ability, Lady Memoir?"

Sakuna's gaze wavered for a short moment; and I do mean a moment.

"…Yes, but I've only heard rumors."

"Core Implosion is a power distinct from magic. If the terrorist truly is capable of using it, we must be on high alert at all times."

"Um, as I've said, I'm very weak, though. Will we be fine?"

"No need to fret. Lady Komari will take care of everything."

Vill winked.

Sakuna looked at me with eyes full of admiration.

I reflexively cleared my throat.

"Yeah, don't worry! I'll protect you!"

"I'm really sorry. I only have enough strength to crush an apple with my hand…"

"…"

Hold up.

She's not just like me?

"…I—I feel awful just admitting to that. I should be able to crush a watermelon at the very least, right?"

"Bwa-ha-ha-ha! Don't beat yourself over it. I can so easily crush pineapples now, but back when I was little, even apples gave me trouble. A watermelon will be no big deal if you keep it up."

"Thank you, I will."

"Oh, but don't go wasting food for no reason, okay?"

"Of course. I will eat it all."

"Good."

Weird conversation, but okay.

"Lady Komari, we're getting off track," Vill rebuked. "As I was saying, we must be fully prepared to confront this mysterious terrorist."

"Indeed… Come think of it, what's their objective? It can't be just killing everyone, can it? I doubt they're as insane as my men."

"We know too little to draw any conclusions."

Vill said no more, reasonably. There was no use hypothesizing about it. And it didn't matter anyway, since my subordinates would surely catch them very soon. I just had to sit back with Sakuna and talk about books and the stars and… I guess that's a scumbag move as a boss, huh? I should show support to my troops. Give them some candy or something.

As my mind wandered, Vill spoke up again.

"There is but one thing we must do. Consider that the terrorist has only been appearing at night on Imperial Palace grounds. What do we do, then? Patrol the palace at night."

"…Hah?"

My expression turned serious.

Patrol? At night? …Hah?

"You mean we can just take the day off? Go take a nap until night?"

"Lady Komari, please. You have duties during the day, so your nighttime obligations will have to be in addition to those. You should keep working from nine in the morning to…let's see…about eight in the evening, at the

very least."

"HAAAAHHHH?!"

I was almost breathing fire out my mouth. Slave away from nine to eight?! My head would explode from all that work!

"You've gotta be kidding me! I am NOT working that much!"

"Lady Komari."

"What?!"

"Everyone's staring at you."

"…"

Sakuna's jaw was on the floor. The nobles were whispering among one another with their eyes trained on me. "You hear that commander?" "Does she actually hate her job?" "I cannot believe a Crimson Lord would ever say that." "Wait, maybe she didn't mean it." "Who says that sort of thing and not mean it?" "True…"

Well, shoot.

I tried calming down before looking at Vill again.

"You've gotta be kidding me! I am not ONLY working that much!"

The nobles did a double take. I cried internally while I kept on talking.

"That much is mere child's play! We are staying up even later looking for that sneaky scoundrel! The murders are happening outside our sights, you understand? Which means we must set eyes on the tiniest crannies of the entire palace! That's my job as a Crimson Lord!"

I pointed at Vill with sharp motion and grandiose pose. I nailed it.

Someone started clapping, and it spread until the entire restaurant was cheering.

Meanwhile, I was deep in the trenches of despair. And the sicko maid unleashed a follow-up blow to sink me further.

"I'm moved to tears! To think Lady Komari was so passionate about protecting the Mulnite Empire! I understand. We will be patrolling until at least 10 PM every night. Lady Memoir, is that fine with you?"

"Yes. I must follow Ms. Terakomari's example and work hard."

Stop it. Don't look at me like that. I'm no figure to look up to. I'm just a shut-in vampire… Sadly, I couldn't bring myself to speak the truth.

I heaved a sigh as I sat back down.

Working until ten? That's gotta be illegal. Sakuna, you don't want this either, do you? Please just say you don't… She didn't seem to mind it in the slightest. Why?! Didn't you say you wanted to quit this gig?

"…I guess that concludes our meeting."

"Got it. We'll talk about it again after our patrol."

I already felt like crap, and things would only get harder later… Or maybe my men would catch the culprit within the day. Then I wouldn't have to patrol. It didn't feel like a reach, either. I felt I could actually pin my hopes on them this one time. Just don't kill anyone.

"Now that that's settled… Where's my omelet rice?"

"I suppose it's taking longer since the restaurant is full."

"Hmmm."

My stomach was already destroying itself. I'd been working since morning, meeting the Empress, then supervising the guys… I was desperate, spoon and fork in hand, when suddenly, I heard an explosion outside. And it was a big one—powerful enough to shake the entire establishment.

The nobles all screamed. I almost did myself.

"Wh-what is going on?! Is that the terrorist?!"

"It's quite possible. Let's go, Lady Komari!"

"W-wait, I don't wanna go, I'm gonna diiiie! And I still haven't had my fooooood!"

Vill grabbed me by the arm and yanked me out.

Oh, how I yearned for power. For strength enough to resist hers, at least.

***

And I recognized all of them. My subordinates, my Seventh Unit men, had been massacred. Why? Had they killed each other in a brawl over who got the prey? I would've accepted that, but it didn't seem like it was the case.

"Bellius! Caostel! Even you?! What happened?!"

Both leaders of the Seventh Unit were lying facedown on the grass. There was no way this was just the result of infighting.

"I'm sorry… Commander…," Bellius spoke in between gasps. At least he wasn't dead yet.

"What's going on?"

"She… The Black Flash…"

Bellius threw up blood, then stopped moving. I felt my blood pressure drop. It didn't matter that he'd revive later—seeing someone expire before my eyes messed me up inside.

"D-don't worry. He's not dead yet. Leave it to me."

Sakuna took a step forward. I turned to her and found her holding that huge staff she'd had before. She pointed it at Bellius and chanted a spell.

"Core, Dark Core… Move all that is quiet. Mid-level healing spell: Supply Stimulation."

A faint light emanated from the end of the staff, and it enveloped the dog-man's body. I simply stared in hope until Bellius finally started coughing. He came back to life… Or rather, he was simply healed.

"I can accelerate recovery this way, so long as it's before they die."

"You're amazing, Sakuna!"

"N-not at all… The Sapphires can do even more impressive healing magic."

"I don't care, you're still amazing. I can't do this, that's for sure."

"I see… Hee-hee…"

I had never heard of this awesome spell.

Thinking back to the apple thing again… This girl sure had way more talent than me. Obviously, I guess. But I put off thinking about that for later.

"Bellius, are you okay?" I asked.

"Yes, I am…" Then he looked up at the sky, as if he had just remembered something. "I apologize, Commander! We were defeated by Flöte Mascarail."

"Flöte…?"

Then I heard a second eardrum-piercing explosion. I looked up in fright and saw a battle playing out on the rooftop.

On one side stood a woman armed with a rapier. Her glossy black hair danced in the wind as she gracefully stepped forward to thrust. She was the Great Crimson Lord, the Black Flash—Flöte Mascarail.

On the other side stood a garishly dressed man. He dodged Flöte's sword as he countered with his specialty—explosion magic. This was Mellaconcey, one of the leaders of the Seventh Unit. The building's ornamentation blew off with every one of his attacks. I wondered who would be held responsible for the damage.

"Tch, crafty bastard… How about this!"

Flöte drew mana into her blade, and with her next swing, a black torrent of magical power shot out of it. That looked like advanced-level dark magic. Mellaconcey reacted with an impressive jump, and the dark spell shot under his feet and destroyed a spire before dissipating. Now that one's gotta be Flöte's responsibility.

Next thing I knew, Mellaconcey had landed right beside me with a thud. His utter jumping power put my jaw on the floor, but I immediately pulled it back up.

"M-Mellaconcey! What in the world are you doing?!"

"Check it! Flöte's lost her mind, she's all prickly. Keep that expression, she's gonna end up wrinkly. The Black Flash is crazy. I'll drag her to hell if she slays me."

"Just speak like a normal person!"

"She attacked us, so we fought back."

"You actually can speak normally?!"

"Oh no, that's slander. I am merely doing my job," Flöte interjected as she descended to the ground.

She looked just as haughty as she did when I'd first met her that morning. Her glare made me take half a step back, but I couldn't run away after having so many of my men killed. I mustered all the courage I could to take a step

forward.

"F-Flöte! What is the meaning of this? Answer carefully, or I might get seriously pissed! I may even stop talking to you for a whole wee—"

Then…she disappeared.

"Bwuh?"

The next instant, black lightning fell before me. I stood there, mouth agape, as a shrill thunder pierced my ears, followed by a powerful gust of wind. I took in what had happened with eyes opened wide.

Sakuna's back was in front of me. She had stopped Flöte's attack and was holding her staff horizontally. I had no idea what was going on.

"Oh my… It was Ms. Memoir who acted."

"U-um… I don't think attacking out of the blue like that is a nice thing to do."

"Heh, my hand just slipped."

Flöte snorted, then sheathed her blade. My brain finally started processing what had just transpired. The lunatic had launched a surprise attack on me. I obviously hadn't even realized that, and was fated to die there and then, but Sakuna saved me by intercepting her technique.

"Are you okay, Ms. Terakomari?"

"Uh, um, y-yeah…"

"I-I'm so sorry! I know you could've defended yourself against such a weak blow. I apologize if you found my action condescending."

"N-no, no, no! I mean, sure, I could have broken her blade with my pinky finger as naturally as I breathe, but I'm grateful you saved me! Thanks!"

"Hee-hee-hee… I'm glad to hear that."

I'm sorry, but?? She's so cute?? And capable?? Huh?? Is she an angel??

Meanwhile, Vill was holding a kunai, oozing hostility out of every pore. What's up with her?

"It should've been me who saved Komari… Not her…"

Vill's expression was scary, but, well… There was someone much scarier right in front of me. I turned my attention back to the latter and set a serious look on my face.

The murderous Crimson Lord, Flöte Mascarail, clicked her tongue in utter disgust.

"You're good at handling your underlings while hanging back and doing nothing."

"I don't do nothing! I'm just having one of those days! Anyway, why did you do this to my unit? Murder is a crime, you know!"

"The reason is quite simple. Your men were committing public indecency in the palace, so I took care of the issue."

"Public morals? Were they smoking inside or something?"

"Nothing of the sort!" She scowled at me with demonic eyes. "Do you even educate them properly? They were laying waste to everything and attempting murder! Acting like actual terrorists!"

"Wait a second, what do you mean?"

"All the men you see dead right here! They were all rampaging throughout the Imperial Palace without a care in the world! And I stopped them!!"

"…"

I looked at Bellius. His ears were drooping.

"I'm sorry. We couldn't contain them."

…What? So we're the bad guys here? You all deserved to get killed?

"Ms. Gandesblood, are you listening? Your lack of proper supervision has brought great losses to the palace! How exactly will you take responsibility for this?"

"I-I'll pay for the losses…"

"This can't be resolved with money!"

"I'll do anything you say…"

"You shouldn't promise that sort of thing without consideration!"

Then what do you want me to do? Have us all do community service? House arrest? Oh, I would love that one! Though I doubt Flöte would be happy with that.

I was completely lost. The Black Flash grinned.

"I've confirmed here and now that you, Ms. Gandesblood, are unfit for the title of Crimson Lord. Not only does your true strength remain unknown, but you also can't even seem to be able to keep your troops in line. Such a thing

is unheard of among Crimson Lords."

I had no words.

She's completely right, Bellius, please don't look at her like that. Mellaconcey, stop chanting an incantation. And Vill, put away that damn kunai.

"Do you have anything to say for yourself?"

"Not really."

"Very well!" Flöte replied with an ecstatic expression. "Then I hereby propose a motion of no confidence against Terakomari Gandesblood. We will discuss this at the following Crimson Council. Wait, do you even know about that? As the name suggests, it is a special meeting all Seven Crimson Lords are obligated to attend. That includes you, of course. Heh-heh… I cannot wait to see what everyone thinks about this."

***

"Hey, Vill, what happens if I get discharged at this Crimson Council?"

"The magic contract itself wouldn't be erased beforehand, so you would explode to death."

"There's no escape!!"

I screamed my soul out into the darkness.

It was night at the Imperial Palace, and we were patrolling the area, per our agreement during lunch. The workday had ended at six in the evening, and we met up with Sakuna after dinner. We'd already been walking around for an hour or so, and we had yet to see any sign of the terrorist.

That's when it hit me. We knew the culprit was attacking politicians, so was there any point in wandering about aimlessly? The question wasn't taking up much of my mindspace, though. What was eating me up inside was something else. It wasn't my annoyance at having to work overtime, either. It was something much simpler—my fear of death. Even though I knew I'd revive, just thinking of the pain made me squeamish.

"Ugh, I already have my hands full with this terrorist crap… Why me…?!"

"What are we to do? We knew sooner or later this would happen."

"You knew?!"

"Anyone would realize. You are but a doll in a throne when it comes to war, Lady Komari. It should've been easy to imagine someone else would eventually get suspicious and come looking for a fight."

She was right. I mean, Yohann had already done just that before.

"So… What's the Crimson Council going to be like?"

"I couldn't tell you. But considering what Flöte Mascarail said, they will probably just talk about whether you should be left alive or die. Perhaps they'll hold a vote."

"I'm not leaving this up to democracy! I have no hope! No one's gonna side with—"

"D-don't worry!" Sakuna interjected, gripping her staff tightly as she walked beside me. "I will vote in your favor, Ms. Terakomari. There is no one more deserving of the title of Crimson Lord…"

"S-Sakuna!!"

I was tearing up. Though I conveniently ignored the part about being deserving of the title, I was just so pleased to have a vampire on my side. NO ONE else would EVER do that. I was so happy that I ended up patting her white head unconsciously. (Sidenote: She was much taller than me)

"You're such a good girl, Sakuna. Let's go stargazing sometime, okay?"

"Y-yesh, thank you very mush…," Sakuna mumbled. "Uh, um, your hand…"

"Oops. Sorry, I didn't mean to… Are you mad?"

"Not at all. I'm glad, actually… It feels like I got an older sister."

"A sister?"

"Ah! I-I'm sorry! I didn't mean to…"

Sakuna's face tensed up in regret. But why?

"I'm really sorry. You don't like me getting all chummy, do you…?"

"I don't mind it. I would very much like to have a younger sister like you."

"R-really…? Hee-hee… Sister."

"Oh… I like how that sounds. Say it again."

"Big Sis Komari!"

"…"

I gave her another gentle head pat, and she smiled with her whole face. She'd be shaking her tail like crazy right now if she had one.

How is she so cute?? My real, good-for-nothing sister could learn a thing or two from her!

…Wait. Isn't she sixteen? She's older than me! How can I have an older baby sister? Oh well, who cares, it's just for fun.

"Lady Komari, this is not the time for flirting."

I turned to the source of that chilling voice. Vill was staring at me, her face devoid of emotion.

"Even with Lady Memoir's help, the chances of your survival are minimal. Might I remind you there are five other Crimson Lords? I'm willing

to bet most of them oppose you."

"Y-you're right! What do I do now? Bribe them?"

"That's a crime."

"Who cares! My life depends on it!"

"It's unnecessary, too. Just leave it all to me, and everything will be all right… Lady Komari, look at my eyes."

"What…? Wh-what's going on? They're eerily bloodshot…"

Vill's eyes shone red in the darkness. These were no regular tired eyes…And I'd soon learn I was right. She grinned.

"This is Core Implosion: Pandora's Poison. They finally drank it."

"What are you talking about?"

"Right, I never gave you a proper explanation… My Core Implosion allows me to glimpse into the future. I can perceive someone's near future if they consume my blood. The timespan I saw just now was shorter than usual, though, since my fluids weren't fresh."

Sakuna took a step back from Vill.

That superpower didn't feel real to me yet… But it sounded awesome.

Vill stared into space and started mumbling.

"Crimson Council… Flöte Mascarail… Helldeus Heaven… Odilon Metal… I see." Then she looked at me. "I got it. Everything."

"What did you see?"

"That 'council' will just be an interrogation. I glimpsed what will happen there, three days from now. Flöte Mascarail will drive you into a corner with her oppressive and rational line of questioning, and then they will hold a vote to decide if you are fit to continue being a Crimson Lord."

"…So what happens in the end?"

"You explode."

"No way."

"It's true."

"No way."

"It's true."

"SAY IT'S NOT TRUE!"

"It's not true."

"It isn't?!"

"We will make it not true. The future can be changed. Leave it all to me, and you will not blow up. I'm certain of it."

Vill spoke with complete confidence.

That's when I realized. It was the same as always. I just had to leave it in her hands, and she'd take care of it. I couldn't exactly feel safe doing that, but I had no choice but to believe in her… I felt a faint hope bud within me. Then, Vill tipped the top of her head toward me… Why?

"I will give my all for you, Lady Komari."

"C-cool. Thanks."

"I'm a good girl, too."

"…"

She was serious. I relented and gave her head a slight pat. She smelled like lavender.

I then noticed that Sakuna was staring at us.

"Um… Ms. Terakomari, you don't like fighting?"

"Huh? Wh-wh-wh-wh-why do you ask?"

"I mean… Any other Crimson Lord would think of solving the matter using more violent means. They'd shut up their opponents with their own hands, literally."

Oh, crap. She's sharp.

"O-of course that would be most effective! But I don't like fighting useless fights! I always favor talking things out to find a solution."

"Wow…"

Sakuna smiled in relief.

I didn't get why, but I guessed it was nothing to worry about.

The hellish Crimson Council was near.

We didn't find the terrorist that day.