A ruler of a nation never invites someone to a meal recklessly. Even if they are family, they must always suspect everything while simultaneously embracing it. Suspecting family, suspecting subordinates, suspecting the food, smiling to not reveal it outwardly. All while gripping a sharply honed blade tightly in their heart.
However.
There are always exceptions. A favored minister, a general with unquestionable loyalty, a relative with infinite trust built up.
Or.
A weakling who can be killed at any time.
Lightly flavored soup, slightly bitter fruit salad, properly cooked steak, etc. Food not usually eaten—no, couldn't usually eat—was placed on the table. But no one was picking up their utensils. They were only gauging someone's mood.
Is this the feeling of prey placed before a predator? Saori felt cold sweat running down her spine as she looked across. A woman with blood-like red skin, as if muscles were visible instead, was elegantly tilting a glass of wine for a sip.
The Arius Student Council President. In other words, the Madam.
Beatrice.
She looked down at the five with indifferent eyes. Then suddenly opened her mouth.
"Do you have no appetite?"
The spoken words were very affectionate, but the voice was emotionless. No hostility, no fondness. Beatrice revealed no emotion whatsoever. As if she were a person whose emotions had been removed. Or perhaps, to her, the Squad including Saori were on the same level as bugs crawling on the roadside.
Whichever it was, Saori couldn't figure it out. Because one must not doubt the intentions of an adult, of the Madam. Even if her command was to jump into a pit of fire, they had to follow silently.
"……That's not it, Madam."
Saori barely squeezed out words from her parched throat. In contrast, the other four didn't open their mouths. The atmosphere was that heavy, and they were afraid of upsetting Beatrice by speaking carelessly. If Saori weren't in the position of leader, she wouldn't have taken the lead either.
But Beatrice didn't seem to care about such things. As if it didn't matter, she wiped her mouth with a napkin and looked at the five. The images of the five were reflected in her turbid blood-colored pupils.
"Then eat. We'll talk after finishing the meal."
“…….”
"Saori."
The softly uttered words. Saori flinched, then carefully began eating the soup. Then the other four also awkwardly started their meal. Beatrice stared intently at that sight, then soon resumed her own meal.
"……?"
Azusa, who had been munching on the salad served as her portion, suddenly frowned at a sense of dissonance she felt.
'What was that just now?'
She looked down at the half-torn lettuce. It was undeniably ordinary lettuce. Mixed with all sorts of sauces and slightly soggy, but no different from the salad Sensei occasionally made. But something…… there's something. No, more precisely, there was something.
The half lettuce she swallowed. She felt something hard while chewing, and even felt a small static shock when swallowing it down her esophagus. She also felt a slight foreign object sensation in the middle of her throat. Azusa frowned and groped her own snow-white neck with her hand.
Looking at her, Beatrice twisted the corner of her mouth.
—It was momentary. She immediately composed her expression and spoke to Azusa in a soft voice.
"What's wrong? Did you hear something?"
"……No. I'm fine."
Even as she said that, Azusa couldn't relax her expression. Regardless. Beatrice let out a sneering laugh as she looked at the five. The three people besides Azusa and Saori were also fiddling with their necks, as if they felt something like Azusa. Only Saori looked at the four with a bewildered expression.
Again, Beatrice held back a sneer. This time more blatant. Saori noticed this and looked at her, but Beatrice didn't compose her expression. Instead, with dozens of eyes curved into crescent moons, she faced Saori.
The brief staring contest ended with Beatrice's victory. Saori couldn't stare at her for long and lowered her head. But her hands and feet were trembling nervously. As always with the fate of the defeated, it was ridiculous and also vulgar. Beatrice thought so and covered the risen corner of her mouth with a napkin.
Time passed like that, reaching the end of the meal.
Beatrice broke the heavy silence.
"The reason I called you all here is simple."
At the beautiful voice, the gazes of the five fixed on her. Beatrice took them in one by one and continued.
"There was a joint training recently, right? I heard you all achieved the highest results there, so I invited you like this. There's no great meaning to it."
"……."
"So, were you satisfied with today's meal?"
"……Yes, Madam."
"Is that so?"
Beatrice smiled faintly. Her blood-red lips stretched into a creepy grin.
"That's a relief. I thought you might be dissatisfied with my cooking because you've grown accustomed to the food that brute makes for you."
Though the tone was affectionate, the words contained a blade. Cold sweat formed on Atsuko's forehead, and Saori clenched her fist under the table. Part of her nails dug into her palm as if about to tear it.
"……That's not true. The one we follow is always you, Madam."
"But it's true that you broke a promise without my permission."
Beatrice's pupils moved simultaneously. Only Atsuko's figure was reflected in the blood-colored pupils.
"Didn't I say. Not to show your face recklessly, not to make a sound? Why did you break it?"
"……."
"……."
A eerie gaze pressed down on Atsuko's shoulders. She bit her lower lip tightly and trembled the fist placed on her thigh. It was clearly the appearance of a frightened puppy. Beatrice felt sadism rising at the sight of Atsuko like that but didn't show it outwardly. Instead, she whispered in a soft voice.
"You don't need to be so scared. You were just fooled by that man's sweet talk, right? I have no intention of blaming you."
No answer came. Since she didn't expect one anyway, Beatrice continued speaking.
"But please be careful from now on. As you know, I have great expectations for you. Atsuko."
"……Yes. I will."
Atsuko barely squeezed out her voice. Beatrice smiled as if satisfied and nodded slowly.
"Then, shall we end today's meal here?"
At Beatrice's words, Saori's brow slightly narrowed. Because it didn't seem like the Madam called them just to talk about something like that. But Saori's thoughts couldn't proceed beyond that. The seed of brainwashing planted by Beatrice had already taken root deep within, crushing Saori's puzzlement.
"I'll go first. As for you all…… you can get up when you're ready. You can enjoy the food a bit more before leaving, or you can leave with me."
"……."
"As you please."
With those final words, Beatrice left the dining room.
But no one got up. Until the dining room door opened and closed, no sound was made except for her footsteps. Only the sticky silence followed her.
It didn't matter.
As soon as Beatrice entered her room, she connected a call to someone. After a few notification sounds, an intellectual voice like a 'gentleman' was heard.
[Madam.]
"The item is definitely the real thing, right?"
Plop*
She asked as she sat on a chair. A slight sense of embarrassment was mixed in the voice from the other side of the receiver.
[It's difficult to give a definite answer. It's still an experimental product, after all.]
"Didn't you verify its power?"
[I verified it. Personally, I was satisfied, but I'm not sure if it can cleanly destroy a halo, mystery. Though it might work if detonated inside the body.]
"What if we use the Nameless One as a test subject?"
[…….]
"……."
Silence was transmitted through the receiver. But before long, the silence was broken.
[This is just a word of caution.]
"Yes, please say it."
[Please don't even think about using the 'bomb' I made on the Nameless One.]
"Reason?"
[You'll die. You.]
A sound of leather scraping against leather was heard, as if the gentleman was twisting his body.
[I'm worried about you, who would have to bear the full brunt of his wrath.]
"……How could that trivial thing possibly—"
[Madam.]
The gentleman cut off Beatrice's words. His voice was grave and had a power that drew one's attention.
[Do you know that you are alive now thanks to his mercy?]
"……."
[If he sets his mind to it, frankly, no one in our 'Gematria' can survive. Unless killed instantly, he would reattach severed limbs and demonstrate wondrous combat prowess to pluck out our necks.]
"……You rate him quite highly, Golconda."
Golconda, the gentleman called so, let out a charming laugh and answered.
[You are the only one among us who underestimates him.]
"……."
[He is the sole one in Gematria responsible for martial force. Even the supreme weapons we've made won't work on him if used openly. Perhaps I am overestimating him, but that's better than underestimating him. So, Madam. If you hate him, it would be good to broaden your perspective. You are arrogant, but you're not stupid, are you?]
"……Don't speak to me in that manner. You damned specter."
[My, it seems I've touched a nerve. My apologies. That wasn't my intention.]
Golconda whispered so in a serious tone. Beatrice took a deep breath, then crossed her legs and spoke.
"……I have no intention of using the bomb on him directly. I thought about it at first, but after thinking it over again, it didn't seem like that man would fall for it as I imagined."
[Then?]
"We must use his surroundings."
Beatrice contorted the corner of her mouth.
"Do you happen to know the Trolley Dilemma?"
Trolley Dilemma. A kind of thought experiment deciding who to save and who to kill through a train's tracks. Beatrice tapped the desk with her finger and looked at the detonator device placed in the corner.
"Well, it won't be me placed on the tracks."
[I wish you good fortune.]
"For me? Or for him?"
Beatrice asked in a voice mixed with laughter. Golconda paused briefly, then uttered in a regretful tone.
[For the children who will be sacrificed.]
Beatrice cackled as she firmly pressed the call button.
Soon, Saori entered her room.
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