Law Slaying (3)
Just from Habitz's reaction, it was clear the woman called Abella had told the truth.
The head maid skipped all the usual formalities and had her brought into the Grand Hall.
Since it was the flower-garden story Habitz had always gone on about, even Gustav IV watched with curious eyes.
"Uncle Habitz."
Abella smiled as she approached.
"Abella!"
As if transported back to that day fourteen years ago, Habitz seized her hands.
"You came. Do you know how worried I was? What did the garden look like? The shop—"
"I'm sorry, uncle."
When Abella cut him off, every maid in the Grand Hall flinched.
She's lost her mind. How dare she interrupt His Majesty.
Among the maids who served the emperor directly in the Grand Hall, there was a thing they called the "Habitz Manual."
We're done for.
There was no rulebook for handling chaos.
That's why the superstition that praying for rain would make it rain was only a coincidence born of probability, but—
"Rule 283: When Habitz is excited and speaks, show no reaction."
That superstition was the maids' lifeline.
"Hm? Sorry about what?"
So when Habitz asked back, they could only stare in horror.
The jinx is broken?
Abella gave a bitter smile.
"I opened a flower shop, but it didn't have the flowers you bought me. I didn't raise them right and they died."
"So that's why you couldn't come."
"No. I didn't want to meet. I was too young then. I thought maybe it was just one of those things and moved on."
"Really?"
Habitz sounded a little hurt.
"But you opened a flower shop. I can buy you as many flowers as you want, so don't be too upset."
Shock washed over the head maid's face.
His Majesty said something considerate.
Even she, who had spent her life in the palace, had never seen anything like this.
Maybe… we've been wrong about the man called Habitz.
Interrupting wasn't the point in the first place.
We killed so many maids, but perhaps the reason wasn't anything like what we expected?
The head maid was at a loss, and the other maids were in even greater confusion.
Why isn't he angry? Why doesn't he kill her?
Don't meet his eyes. Don't use negatives. So many superstitions were being shattered.
Pathetic.
Balkan, reading the maids' tension, narrowed one eye.
You do something worthy of death and then don't even know why you're dying, so you get scared. His Majesty is human. He enjoys playing with friends, and he knows what love is.
Habitz is human too.
He's just someone who wants to have fun. Granted, he only ever thinks about using people, so he shapes them to his liking.
Chaos isn't handled with reason.
It's empathy. Don't calculate—show your feelings honestly. That's how His Majesty deals with people. Adults might not manage it, but—
Abella could.
Because she'd connected with Habitz at the deepest place of his chaos and feelings.
"Anyway, you came, so that's enough. You kept your promise."
Dropping petty concerns, Habitz sat on the map and thumped the floor.
"Come here. We're going to conquer the world now, so play with us. My friends are fun."
The emperor's casual intimacy was touching, but sorrow clouded Abella's eyes.
"You really haven't changed at all."
"You've aged a bit, haven't you? You're taller and prettier. If you don't want to conquer the world, we can do something else."
Tears welled in Abella's eyes.
"You're a bad man."
Everyone's hearts dropped, and even Balkan couldn't guarantee Abella's future this time.
Empathy and enmity are different things. Will His Majesty not get angry again?
Habitz blinked.
"People call me a bad man. But honestly, I don't really know. To me—even this side of me—"
Abella choked up and said,
"You're just like the mustachioed uncle from back then, and I love that."
"Hahaha! Fine, as long as you like me."
Relief threaded through Habitz's laughter; Balkan's brows twitched.
Ho? This is—
Abella sighed.
If only I had been able to fear you, so I could hate and detest you like everyone else—
A villain who would drag the world into hell.
But to me—
You were the kindest, warmest uncle who granted any wish.
I'm not going to die, am I?
Abella could have been happy for the rest of her life in Habitz's arms, but she had to kill him for humanity's sake.
That was Alphapishi's duty.
Pulling herself together, she wiped her tears and said,
"I can't play house with you like before. I'm an adult now."
"Is that so? Then what shall we do?"
"An adult game."
Abella stepped closer to Habitz, who was sitting on the floor.
"Uncle, will you marry me?"
All eyes in the Grand Hall turned to Habitz, and the maids gasped in unison.
Are you insane? Marrying that psycho?
Habitz immediately nodded.
"All right."
Balkan had predicted the emotion that had sprouted in Habitz's chaos after fourteen years.
We met as friends, but the empathy between Abella and him was different.
The fate of a witch. Perhaps the Law itself would free her from that curse through the one she married.
One who reaches some ultimate truth of the Law must be strong—so Habitz would be strong.
That's why he must have been lonely. It would even be fair to say he was bored.
In any case, someone who could empathize with Habitz could be counted on one hand across the world.
On the other hand, it was a perfect match.
Abella puffed out her cheeks.
"What? Still—how can you agree so easily? Do you even know what marriage is?"
"Of course I know. I like you too."
Habitz rose and took Abella's shoulders, speaking seriously.
"I want to marry you."
Thus, the childhood playmates from the seaside promised to become husband and wife after fourteen years.
The summer heat that had gripped the land slowly eased and autumn with its colored leaves arrived.
The war remained fierce, but within the Gustav Empire preparations for the emperor's marriage were in full swing.
"Long live His Imperial Majesty! Long live!"
Flowerbeds Abella loved were laid out in every street and national congratulatory processions were held.
About twenty days before the wedding, as Marsac—the imperial palace—was being decked in flowers, Crouch made his move.
He drifted along the maze of rafters like it was his home, and in his hand he held 〈Lawslay〉.
Target change.
"Alphapishi is important because she's the one who can get closest to Habitz," Minerva said. "But you can't enter carrying 〈Lawslay〉."
If it were some other object, you could hide it inside the body, but you couldn't carry a blade on you for months.
"That's why you need a transport team," Crouch said.
"Before sending Alphapishi in, an expert must already be inside the palace. Then, on Habitz and Abella's wedding night, they pass over 〈Lawslay〉."
Shirone asked, "The transport team won't be able to approach Habitz. They can't rendezvous—how do they hand it over?"
"By using target change." Minerva produced 〈Lawslay〉.
"The dagger absorbs its bearer's murderous intent and twists the Law. But what happens if the target is changed in mid-process?"
Shirone was curious too.
"For example, if you activate 〈Lawslay〉 intending to kill you, Shirone, but instead stab Uorin—what then?"
"What happens?"
"The murderous intent in the dagger doesn't change. But the bearer's murderous intent is reset. That reset itself isn't very meaningful. But if you destroy the dagger, the story changes."
"You said annihilation is impossible."
"Yes. Even if you destroy it, 〈Lawslay〉 will reappear in a perfectly arbitrary place."
Iruki said, "But if you reset it, you can artificially influence where 〈Lawslay〉 will appear."
"That's it. A destroyed 〈Lawslay〉 in the reset state will appear to the person who best matches the murderous intent contained in the dagger. So you can use the Law to deliver 〈Lawslay〉 to Alphapishi."
This was the "target change."
Execution time: the wedding night in twenty days. Until then, 〈Lawslay〉 must be reset.
Right now the dagger's murderous intent is aimed at Habitz, but there's been no change to the Law.
That means the enemy is that difficult. However you look at it, it can't be killed—yet Crouch felt as if 〈Lawslay〉 was simply waiting for the right moment.
My target to kill is Katenia.
Having already killed a maid named Orphe and taken her life, Crouch planned another transformation.
Becoming Katenia would be best. That way he could get even closer to Habitz.
Since Abella got engaged to Habitz, Katenia had become her maid and was living comfortably.
Here.
Arriving at Abella's chamber, Crouch dropped into the corridor through the ceiling vent.
Only the torches on the walls provided light.
"A sneaking cat has slipped this far in?" he murmured.
Crouch had no heart, but he pretended his shoulders twitched at superhuman speed.
Damn, when did you get here.
Turning, one of Gustav IV's retinue—a combat automaton named Natasha—tilted her head.
"Oh my, Lady Natasha. Hello."
Crouch, in the guise of Orphe, bowed politely.
"You're really something."
Orphe—still inhabiting that body—asked in puzzlement.
"Huh? What do you mean—?"
"Wow, incredible! There isn't a trace of clumsy energy! It's an amazing performance."
She had no thought of the shadow of Kashan's emperor, Teraje—she couldn't even have conceived it.
"How did you know?" Crouch wondered. Natasha, as if reading his thought, said with a rueful look,
"Balkan's vigilance picked up on you. He hires an assassin once a month to try to kill His Majesty."
To compensate for the rigidity of their discipline, they risked an assassination once a month.
If an assassin was added, my life would become part of the discipline too.
Crouch had expected this, so he didn't flinch and revealed his true intent.
"So you came to kill me?"
Natasha saw the same appearance, posture, and voice, but felt like she was looking at someone entirely different.
"It's really weird. I just got goosebumps. Anyway, that's right. But I was told to find out who sent the assassin. Figure out whether the target is His Majesty or Abella."
Straightforward—refreshingly honest.
She chattered more than necessary, but Crouch felt a sting of being underestimated.
"Tell me."
Crouch drew 〈Lawslay〉 from beneath the maid's dress.
"After you cut my throat."
"Heh heh heh! I like that."
As expected, Natasha didn't get nervous. An assassin who could turn the situation to her advantage was dangerous.
Interesting. Natasha, huh—
Target change can be performed by anyone; if he could split himself into Natasha, the chance of success would skyrocket.
If that happened, losing one automaton would be a small price.
Everyone has one life, so having two meant Crouch could perfectly stab an enemy's blind spot.
"Shall we begin?"
Natasha lowered her stance, bending her knees, and slowly raised both arms to shoulder height.
"The Dance of the Reaper."