Chapter 19: I didn’t pick up anything from the start, okay?

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Translator: Soafp

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After the White Church retreated.

I reunited with Nee-san, who had somehow escaped the royal castle, and told her what happened at the magic academy.

“I see. So the terrorists who occupied the academy and suddenly vanished were the same ones who kidnapped Princess Victoria, calling themselves the White Church.”

“Well, I don't think you should take what a bunch of chuunibyou say too seriously.”

“Chuunibyou?”

“It's that age where people tend to indulge in that kind of delusion.”

“…Well, I've never heard of any ‘White God,' and even if the White Church exists, it's probably just a cult.”

A cult… right.

When she put it like that, it really was possible they were just a bunch of dangerous people who seriously believed in all that.

Now that I thought about it, their lore did seem oddly elaborate.

Well, either way, cults are basically brain sickness.

If there were some forgotten book somewhere describing memory magic and mental magic, I might actually be able to treat them.

“By the way, Ask, what happened to that thing?”

“That thing?”

“That thing, the golden ball.”

I instinctively covered my crotch with both hands.

“Nee-san, a girl shouldn't say something that vulgar.”

“Not that! The golden ball you picked up — it's a royal treasure stolen from the castle's treasury! With everything that happened, you never got the chance to return it, right?”

“Oh, I forgot. But it's fine, it's right here in this pocket… in this pocket…”

“…Ask?”

I reached into my pocket — and froze.

I stopped rummaging, then tried again, and froze again.

“Hey, Ask?”

“I think I lost it.”

“You're joking, right!? You lost it!?”

“Yep.”

“Don’t ‘yep' me!!”

Nee-san's iron claw struck my head.

“What are we supposed to do!? It's a national treasure!! Losing it isn't something you can laugh off even as a joke!!”

“Nee-san, calm down. Let's think rationally.”

“About what!?”

“First of all, I wasn't the one who stole it. So we'll just pretend I never picked it up, that it was never lying on the ground to begin with.”

Honestly, the ones at fault were the people who stole it from the treasury.

I just happened to find it and kept it in my pocket for a while.

So it's not my fault.

If anything, the problem is the poor security that let thieves into the treasury.

Which means that no matter how you look at it, I bear no responsibility. Not even a little. …Probably.

Let me make this clear: I am not at fault.

“…You're right, that's true. Let's do that. You never picked up anything. Got it?”

“Yep, I picked up nothing.”

“Good!! Then it's settled!!”

“Solved, solved.”

Now I can sleep peacefully.

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[Belchika view]

Inside the royal castle of the Kingdom of Kishirika.

Despite it normally being off-limits, Belchika — Cardinal of Wrath of the White Church — was there.

She passed knights patrolling the halls, but not a single one called out to her, as if they didn't even perceive her presence.

Eventually, she stopped in front of the room of Tiraiza Le Kishirika, one of the king's concubines.

“Tiraiza-san, excuse me, I—”

“Gaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!!”

“W-wah!? What's going on!?”

The moment she entered, a shrill scream pierced her ears, startling her.

The source of the scream was Tiraiza.

“Maidoll!! You must be cheating!!”

“Ara, I'm just lucky.”

“Impossible!! Twelve royal straight flushes in a row is absolutely impossible!!”

“Well then, I'll take the 100,000 Mani you bet. A lovely bonus income for me.”

Tiraiza was playing poker with Maidol, the maid who served Christina and Victoria — a girl in a maid uniform with a black cloth covering her eyes.

“…What are you two doing?”

“Hm? Oh, Belchika. As you can see, we're playing poker.”

“For the record, I've won twelve times in a row. A flawless victory, bui bui.”

Tiraiza banged her head against the table while wailing, and Maidol looked quite pleased.

Seeing them, Belchika sighed.

“Honestly… while I'm sitting here heartbroken from failing to recruit a new friend, you two as Cardinals of the White Church should show a little more dignity — especially you, Cardinal of Greed, Tiraiza-san.”

“Muu. You're still as noisy and nagging as ever.”

“Oh please don't say that, Belchika-sama. Tiraiza-sama works hard in her own way, you know.”

“I'm talking about you too, Cardinal of Envy, Maidol-san.”

“Ara, how harsh.”

Maidol simply smiled and brushed off Belchika's complaint.

“Good grief… well, whatever, it's too late to expect anything. More importantly, here — I brought this.”

“Ohh, you retrieved the golden ball!! Where was it?”

“No-Face-san had it, so I quietly swiped it back. Also, stop calling it a golden ball. It's the Barrier Stone.”

“You still have such sticky fingers, I see. That filthy thief… letting dozens of sacrifices escape that were meant for the White God… ruining my plan, that detestable lunatic!!”

“Please don't insult him too much.”

Belchika puffed her cheeks at Tiraiza's words.

Tiraiza grinned and teased her.

“Oh? What's this, did you fall for No-Face or something?”

“Well, yes. He was the most charming person I've ever met. If possible, I would've liked to get closer to him.”

“…Seriously?”

Tiraiza was at a loss for words, while Maidol beside her nodded repeatedly.

“It's only natural Belchika-sama would fall for him. No-Face-sama won the hearts of Princess Christina and Princess Victoria. He must be a wonderful gentleman. Truly… truly enviable.”

“Uh… okay?”

“The more I think about it, the more jealous I get. After becoming hideous and hated by all, Christina-sama and Victoria-sama were supposed to break mentally — and I would be the one to support them. No-Face ruined that plan. I hate him!! I want to kill him!! I want to rip out his organs and make him suffer as long as possible before he dies!! But I can't!! No-Face-sama is their savior!! Even harming him is out of the question, let alone killing him!! Ahh, but if I could mutilate him in front of the princesses, cutting off his limbs and slaughtering him, what expressions would they make!! I want to see it!! I want that precious sight all to myself!! I want to lick them!!”

“A-ah… your switch really flips out of nowhere, Maidol-san.”

“You already knew Maidol's head was messed up, right? She's the one who told the princesses' attendant maids to secretly put sacrificial drugs in their meals, despite loving the twin princesses more than anyone else.”

“And I hate Tiraiza-sama too!! I hate that she gets to call herself the princesses' mother figure over me!! I want to kill you!!”

“See? She suddenly turns on me too. She's scary, this girl.”

The three of them continued chatting, mixing in reports as well.

Late into the night, Belchika suddenly stood up.

“It's getting late, so I'll leave now. I still have homework to finish.”

“Playing student must be tough. Oh great top student of the Hero Academy of the Belhart Empire — descendant of heroes, Belchika von Rudelhart.”

“…I'm not pretending. I'm actually enrolled.”

Belchika puffed her cheeks, then suddenly clapped her hands as if remembering something.

“Oh, right. Starting next month, I'll be coming to the Kishirika Royal Magic Academy as an exchange student, so take care of me.”

“Ugh. Isn't your jurisdiction the Belhart Empire?”

“Not my choice. Top students get forced into foreign exchange to show off the Empire's strength. If I refuse, they cut my scholarship.”

“I see. That means Belchika-sama may end up interacting with Princess Christina and Princess Victoria. If you do anything strange to them, I'll kill you.”

“I-I won't! I'm not interested in those princesses anyway.”

And with that, Belchika vanished as if she had never been there.

Thus ended the meeting of the White Church's Cardinals.