After getting up on the stage, Qualia’s eyes met Ace’s.
“Request explanation. Are you merchandise? Is that your choice?”
“No, this is my master’s choice.”
Ace knew her fate, but her expression did not change at all. That was how a magic doll should be.
On the other hand, in the middle of all those people, Qualia’s eyes did not waver. That was his choice as a human.
“What are you babbling about magic dolls having a will… Get out of here and leave my business alone!”
Ddos sounded flustered and extended his arm, but Qualia grabbed his wrist without looking.
He grabbed it tightly, expressing his anger that way rather than through his face, and Ddos’ twisted.
“You are wrong. Magic dolls have hearts.”
“What did you say?”
“Request explanation. Do you understand the wills of magic dolls?”
“There’s no such thing!”
“You are wrong.”
Ddos’ face twitched, as Qualia’s eyes perceived a threat.
“Your behavior hinders the learning of the hearts of magic dolls.”
“Eek…?”
“Request explanation. Why did you instruct magic dolls to stop the vital activities of beast people?”
“For the guard magic dolls to reduce the number of criminals that were released on the streets. Obviously.”
“You are hiding information. It is estimated that it was by your orders that beast people were freed.”
“What proof do you… Hey, ace!”
Ddos’ angry yell reached Ace.
She moved her head as though a string was attached to it, and the moment her empty eyes caught Qualia, the magic stone in her chest began to shine with an emerald green color.
“Gaia. Reverse.”
Ace put out her right hand towards Qualia with no hesitation.
The Gaia skill reached the stage’s stone pavement, and a pillar with enough size and speed to blow someone away jumped out.
“Revising optimal solution.”
Without seeing the cross-section view, Qualia jumped back to dodge. But he had to let of Ddos.
“He dodged.”
“There was a small miscalculation in the prediction. Using as feedback for next dodge.”
Ace was unlike any opponent Qualia had faced, because there was no hostility to her.
What she was doing could not be called fighting. She simply activated a skill per her master’s command. It was like assembly-line work.
Qualia pressed towards Ddos again, but the ground changed and attacked him again.
But Qualia used what he learned through the fight with Liebe, and dodged without a scratch.
It was the optimal solution against her way of fighting, but Qualia had not yet seen Ace’s heart.
“Ace, request that you stop this hostile action.”
“I cannot do that. It goes against my master’s commands.”
“Magic dolls having hearts… Stop joking. Well everyone, this is a magic doll! The ultimate weapon, to save you from difficulty and hardship!”
Cheers roared in the crowd. Ddos spread his arms to receive the shower of ovations, and was elated.
However, there was no change in the facial expressions of either Qualia or Ace.
“…Well, we did find a witness that says you were responsible for freeing the beast people.”
But then, Kernel stepped into this space, with arms crossed and without a care.
“The knight that helped you, Mister Wild, was it? He spilled everything earlier.”
“…That can’t be.”
“Is it not common knowledge that Princess Lobelia’s connections spread far? Investigation, pinpointing, and interrogation. It all ended in thirty minutes. And she was sleep deprived, no less.”
Lobelia had been busy behind the curtain.
Qualia wished for her to recover from her exhaustion, but he felt like she was fighting alongside him.
That was a feeling that only someone aware of their heart could experience.
“Ddos. You aided the escape of prisoners for the sake of your performance, and embedded magic dolls with the instructions to kill beast people. This is no self-defense. Vigilantism towards prisoners is strictly forbidden by law. As a duke of the Kingdom of Acacia, I can’t overlook this little mischief.”
Behind Kernel, the sound of the jet black suits of armor emerged.
They were all elite fighters. Furthermore, they all chose to perform the duties of Clearance out of their own will.
They were not simple puppets controlled by Kernel’s strings, they were all top picks, and they charged towards Ddos.
“…Kukukukuku, guhihihihihi…”
But even as he was faced with Kernel, and the wave of Clearance pressed upon him, Ddos did not seem nervous. In fact, he laughed.
Kernel did not assume Ddos was going mad, and continued glaring at him deeply.
“Duke Kernel… You seem to be friendly with King Wirgin.”
“Yes, I am childhood friends with my little cousin. What of it?”
“I heard a rumor that King Wirgin was stepping down.”
“An unfounded rumor.”
“He won’t have a choice… After all, Queen Route has the Wirgin faction at a complete disadvantage.”
“…I think I understand. Your trump card.”
Kernel responded without showing any irritation, and Ddos finally took it out. He raised his right hand, holding a note patterned after the domain of god.
The knights of Clearance stopped their advance when they saw it fluttering in the wind, and looked shocked.
“A-an indulgence…”
Said a knight of Clearance, and a stir spread in the crowd.
“This indulgence was offered to me by the pope of ‘Truly wonderful fair skies church’, Queen Route! The contents are as follows. ‘In god’s behalf, give the people magic dolls, and punish the beast people who disturbed the earth and misrepresent the blue heavens’.
Even if the law doesn’t allow what I did for the sake of that, god, meaning, ‘Truly wonderful fair skies church’ all over the world, allows it!”
In front of both Kernel and Clearance, Ddos did not stop the slick tongue trained through experience in the business world.
Kernel did not panic, but he did smack his lips.
“…So that witch really is involved. That indulgence must have cost you… Now that I think about it, all these onlookers are nobles from Route’s faction. I even see leaders of ‘Truly wonderful fair skies church’ here and there. I get it. Nice choice of marketplace.”
“Basically! Since I have this indulgence, this auction cannot be stopped!! Are you going to make an enemy out of Queen Route, and all of the ‘Truly wonderful fair skies church’? Duke Kernel!? Are you going to start an all out war with Queen Route!!? Hyahahahahaha!!”
A noisy laugh echoed, as Qualia struggled to understand the situation.
“Error, several terms not registered.”
‘Truly wonderful fair skies church’
‘Indulgence’
Qualia had not yet learned these things.
“Are you going to make an enemy out of Ubiquitous, god incarnate?”
Qualia did understand one thing. It seemed this indulgence carried some sort of power.
This person called Ubiquitous consented to Ddos’ wrongdoings.
“God incarnate Ubiquitous is wrong.”
Then it was clear to Qualia what he had to do.
“Type GUN.”
He shot the indulgence with a beam.
An artificial intelligence did not care about gods.
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