＜Infinite Dendrogram＞

□Armored Pilot: Hugo Receps

"I wonder how this happened..."

I was captured by the Winter Orb guards and put in a cage, and the [White Rose] item box was also removed.

The handcuffs are also firmly attached.

Now I can't log out without using a self-harming system.... now it's 30 times faster than during the war, so it's fine, but as usual it was a toilet and a crisis of being late...

Cueco... is asleep in his coat of arms.

Maybe we can get her out of the cage when she wakes up.

... considering the status, it's hopeless to do an escape play alive.

"... I wonder if you'll understand if I talk to you..."

There is no doubt that yesterday's investigation was suspiciously arrested.

However, I didn't expect to be forcibly arrested after hearing about the situation, even though it wasn't a mafia casino in another country like Hermione.

I told you I was investigating in a quest in the Caldina Council, but it didn't work.

"The meeting time with Zachariah has passed..."

I tried to get in touch with them, but the radio was taken away.

"I wonder if I've made you worry..."

"... what should I do?"

What if I'm caught in the middle of the morning in real life?

Logging out is ultimately self-harm.

But what will happen to the [White Rose] that was taken away...? "

... I guess I'll just have to get out on one or eight.

"Hah..."

Exhale and hold your knee.

Anyway, I waited for the situation to change in the cage. Either Cueco wakes up, Zachariah helps, or the spy charges are cleared and released... I can't help myself.

"Stay in.... with your people."

When I thought about it, I heard the voice of a guard-like person and the opening of the door leading to this prison.

I wonder if someone got caught again.

But I'm the only one in the cage right now.

That companion... did Zachariah get caught?

Thinking so, when I saw the person in the face-to-face cage... "

"... who?"

It wasn't Zachariah who was caged, it was an unknown man.

There was no sigil on his left hand, so he looked like Tian.

…………

Silently staring at each other... somehow awkward time.

He looks like a good merchant, but how did he get caught?

"... why is Hugo Receps here?"

All of a sudden, they're talking to me from over there.

"What? You know me?"

"... I have checked the materials. I've never spoken face-to-face like this. Yeah. Don't ask me my name. I'm not in a position to break my mouth."

"Huh...?"

“I was caught trying to get into the regular pass of the Caldina Council, but who are you?”

"Um, um..."

I get quickly explained and get confused about the response.

"But is it a regular pass..." Have you seen me on the dossier, Tian, the congressional official?

Can't you tell me your name... or someone who's a spy?

Speaking of which, the guards also said that I was "detained for espionage"...

Maybe it was his fault I got caught?

"To be honest, I think your actions have raised the level of vigilance in the city and captured us."

I was thinking the same thing...!

Well, I came looking for the beads in this Winter Orb.

"Are you alone?"

“I'm a help. The person in charge is Zachariah... do you know?"

"... if that's Zachariah."

When I said that, the spy (tentative) replied with a disgusting face, tonguing with a "sting".

But what about the "doomsday dealer"?

”No, it's Zachariah from 'World', but...”

"Then it's a good fit."

Having said that, the spy exhaled in an uninteresting way.

Did something happen with Mr. Zachariah?

"Cardina's chairman has been calculating things like that from the start... it's disgusting to be here." to all of you..... "

I was murmuring something with a difficult face, but I couldn't hear it very well.

"... but that Zachariah is here by himself." Why are you here? "

"That's..."

Thinking for a moment, I decided to tell the story.

He told me he already knew about me in the materials from the congress, and above all, that he might get his spies involved in more than just being in this city.

That's why I explained exactly why I was called to this quest to deal with Cueco's skills and the pearls I've been involved in.

"... I see. It's a probe for the number of homicides. It wasn't in our files."

Is that so?

"Ah... by the way, is your [Embrio] acting differently?"

“I'm asleep now. I feel like I've been feeling a little sick lately..."

I see.

That's all the spies said, looking at my sigil.

Are you worried about Cueco?

Or maybe you're wondering if it could be used for an escape.

"You seem like a good pawn to the chairman." Emily... [Murder Princess] 's [natural enemy]. "It's impossible..." It looks like you were sent here this time to defeat [Homicide Princess]. "

For some reason, the words seemed a little thorny.

It's Tian from Cardina, and Emily may have killed her family and friends.

"But..."

…………

You seem to be complaining about something.

I don't know if I can say this... in front of the Cardina people who have been threatened by Emily's serial killings.

But if you're going to tell a bad lie, I think you should be honest.

"That girl... I want to stop Emily's murder." But right now... I don't think we should just fight as [enemies]. "

"... is that...?"

The spy looks at us like he's measuring us.

"What stupid things are you doing to criminals?"

“When I first met her, she looked a little young. Tell me about my friends with pleasure, be happy with the ice cream, really... like a child everywhere."

…………

"But when I saw her again, her face was clear of childhood and joy, and she was killing people with a machine-like expression."

Even now, I sometimes dream.

The market of Cortana. She waved an axe in both hands, bathed in unvanished (Tian's) return blood.

She froze, stopped, killed herself, rose, tried to kill someone else.

She continued to kill herself and others without a trace of expression.

"I fought her... and eventually contained her." However, I didn't know why she was like that... and without understanding, she was my [enemy]. "

…………

Or maybe you didn't see me as an "enemy" at first.

She started targeting me as an [enemy]... after I froze her once.

"Then... she and I were the [enemy]." Even in the case of the [Ertraum]..... "

When she was reunited, she was moving to kill again.

I had more gear embedded in my body to kill myself as a countermeasure.

I couldn't do anything to her then... I turned my back on Eldridge.

"I kill people even if I kill myself.... the more you kill, the more lives you gain. The opposite was true of me.”

If the Embrio is not unrelated to the spirit of the Master.

I can even say the opposite of freezing a murderer and her life for murder.

"She really... I don't understand (...), and she wanted to refuse to understand (...) [the enemy]"

"... I guess."

But the other day... someone said it.

That is the words of LS Ergo Sum, whom we met in Dragnomad.

At first, I only saw Loricon's Hentai...... opponent I didn't want to understand.

But with his philosophy and goodwill, he protected his children.

The words released by such a person... "

"It's sad not to be understood."

The words were very real.

I didn't know what he was saying... I knew what he was saying.

- Is there anything you want me to understand?

And there's something in Cueco that I don't understand, he said.

Then I began to think about it.

Understand who you didn't think you could understand.

It's not just about Cueco. About Emily, too.

That horrible killing machine... not only Emily as [enemy], but I can't forget the look of an ordinary girl.

"With that person's words, I just... changed my mind a little bit."

If you think about it, so was your sister.

Sister from me is different from sister from others.

That's what Luke Holmes said.

Just as I understood your kindness and warmth.

Even if you can't understand it from my point of view, there will be somebody who can understand it.

“Why did Emily meet? I was giving up understanding. She was trying to kill someone... and I was her [natural enemy]."

Is it different now?

"... if she tries to kill someone, I will still stop. But I stopped just giving up on understanding her reasons.”

Just 'enemies', just 'bad people'. You can truncate it with judgment.

Rather, it would exist even if it were recommended.

She is so frightened that the sins she has committed are too heavy.

Even so... I know.

“If I see her again in this city, I'll ask her why. Even if the words don't come back, even if it's something she doesn't understand..." I don't think I should give up my understanding of her as my natural enemy and as the one who saw her (...) who wasn't a [Homicide Princess (...)]. "

Don't let [enemy] be seen as [enemy] and just fight like a human.

Even if I step into battle, I don't just want to be flushed... I want to have my core inside.

I still can't do it, and I'm not in the last battle between my sister and Ray.

…………

The spy kept quiet for a while and stared at me.

I don't know what you're thinking.

My words may have been an indescribable slip of the world for him.

Still... I didn't want to bend my words.

"Too sweet. Deadly."

The words that were exhaled with a sigh for about a minute sounded somewhat dazzling.

"That's right..."

"... but it's not a bad thing, is it?"

However, from the words that were muttered bitterly, there was nothing more like thorns.

... after all, what kind of relationship does this person have with Emily?

"Still, remember one thing." The world is not just about people who sacrifice others like Emily and try to get back from misfortune (negative) to happiness (positive). "

The spy narrowed his expression and spoke to warn him.

Those two eyes look straight into my eyes.

"I can make others unhappy to build up my own happiness.... there are some of them."

Then he pulls his gaze away from me and turns to the ceiling.

Or maybe you're looking at the City of Winter Orbs, not the ceiling, but the ground ahead.

…………

Who in the world did he think of that advice?

The Mayor of Rogue who ruled this city of Winter Orbs and imprisoned us?

Or... "

◇◆◇

North □■End City Winter Orb

Around noon, there was a man on the park bench in Winter Orb.

Zachariah was the one who had the beauty of confusing women.

He waited at the rendezvous point, as he had promised Hugo.

The park used to be crowded with Berdorbell and Jiminy's concerts until a short while ago, but now the crowds are scattered.

I think there are only a few stalls left here now and those who are trying to make it lunch.

Of course, Zachariah's beauty seems remarkable... but strangely enough, no one noticed him.

It's time.

It's time for the appointment, but of course there's no Hugo.

"Hugo, you're caught. You're cute."

As for Hugo, Zachariah said so with a smile on his face.

Is that because Hugo didn't show up at the time of the meeting and there was no communication?

Or maybe because I already knew (...).

"......"

Zachariah's ears are equipped with devices like wireless earbuds...

"Ahh. I'll send you guys to Laputa and then I'll go get it." If you look at me, you won't be wrong, will you? "

I understand. I'll let you know that you're going to receive it.

From the equipment, a conversation took place in a room in the mayor's residence.

"Hmm. This (...) is as I read." I knew Hugo wasn't just listening to you. Although the results are not very different. "

Zachariah keeps talking to himself while listening to the audio from the device.

But Zachariah still didn't notice his surroundings.

Of course, that's fine with him.

It's a solitary conversation to make sure his job skills are working properly and no one is aware of it (...).

"I was told you were honest and easy to flush." I wonder if it was because of a change of heart...... the war started in the old nest empire? "

Yesterday's offer from Hugo was unexpected to Zachariah.

That said, it does not deviate from the scope that the chairman had instructed.

If Hugo hadn't spoken, Zachariah would have made a similar proposal.

The difference is whether the Hugo moves spontaneously or is flushed.

From the beginning, I have only heard what the chairman should do this time, and I haven't heard what will happen in the middle of the process (...).

I should have told you I couldn't hear you.

"It's for a different reason than the fact that the chairman's prediction is difficult to work around this city..." Fufufu, because Winter Orb is a city with many uncertainties, I have to be careful. "

If the accuracy of the prediction falls, we must make up for it as long as we can think so that we can reach the result we are looking for.

He and his people (...) are moving for that.

◇◆

Zachariah sat on the bench for a while, checking the sounds from the device and wasting time... and the radio in his pocket shook.

You're here.

I grabbed the incoming radio and stood up - I jumped to a nearby building.

It is a church facing the park, behind its bell tower. Unlike the bench that was nearby, it was in a position that could not be seen from the surroundings. In this city where the priestly line is absent, the humans inside are unnoticed.

"[Five senses camouflage (full stealth)?, cut... hai♪"

This is Farrer (driver). Is Zachariah the right person to communicate with?

When Zachariah responded to the communication, he heard an unknown male voice.

But the chairman told me who would be calling at this hour. It's within our schedule.

“Yes, I've heard a lot of stories. This will be your first job, but are you ready for it?"

"The" star "," suspended man "and" lover "of your clan (...) are on board." Personnel outside the clan and the two predecessors of this clan (...) are already here. "

Yeah, we're ready for each other.

Yes, I won't delay in my preparations.

Even if Hugo is arrested, that doesn't matter.

The progress of this quest... If the chairman's plan is to defeat Domino, Domino hasn't stopped yet.

Rather, it was time for the fallen dominos to show off their pictures.

"It's, it's, it's"

As Zachariah turned his gaze from the shadows to the overhead laputa, the tractor beam was pulling up the three children and escort-like silver armor.

Tsang Rong, Elizabeth, Eileen, and Carbine, the escort.

There was no Xuanyu there.

As I just overheard (...), you're going to pick up the pearls.

"...... nh. It's about time."

In other words, the timing Zachariah was waiting for.

"I'll finish the setup to move." I'll leave you to it. --- [Railroad King (Railways)] "

I knew it

Along with the response voice, you can hear a sound from the communication destination that is not a human voice.

"... Super Embrio..."

That's the sound of the air echoing high.

The vibration of something huge and the sound of a burning engine spewing out.

From the station, via Winter Orb, to Laputa (………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..

The wheels spin, the whistles roar, the conspiracy runs.

To be continued