Mission: 041 Beatrice

After hearing Nero's views and deductions, along with the strange premonition she had felt during their earlier contact, Ritsuka applied for outside help.

And so Da Vinci and Sherlock, far away several centuries in the future, joined the discussion as well.

"Putting together everyone's impressions of the lord, I think Miss Nero's judgment is sound," the great detective said, swinging the pipe in his hand. "In that case, making contact with his daughter is no longer the top priority.

"If the Demon Pillar wants to make use of Beatrice, it must first move against the lord. We can catch it by the tail then."

Ritsuka nodded. "So from now on, whenever we act, someone has to stay behind at the Lord's Mansion. What about that 'bad feeling'?"

Sherlock rose and moved aside from the screen, saying, "I'm not very good at such irrational deductions. Da Vinci, as a 'mage,' do you have any inspiration?"

"I'm no prophet."

Da Vinci smiled and said, "Even a genius like me can't determine the crux of the matter from one vague premonition. The only advice I can give you is to trust it first. A flash of insight while fully awake is often very much worth trusting."

"Like 'Divine Revelation'?"

The one who spoke was Giorgios, and Da Vinci gave an affirmative answer as well. "For saintly Servants like you, that kind of flash of insight is basically equivalent to Divine Revelation."

Nero cut in and took the initiative to bring up another topic. "Regarding the previous Rat Swarm, did you discover anything?"

Mash, who was responsible for analysis and integration, stepped forward to answer. "Relying only on magical energy analysis, we can't reach a conclusion on this end. I'm sorry we couldn't help."

"That doesn't matter," Ritsuka said, comforting her. "Since they carried such abnormal magical energy, it was definitely the enemy's move. As long as we resolve it, that's a good thing."

Nero agreed with that too. "When soldiers come, block them; when water comes, cover it with earth."

Their course of action was decided. Under the current circumstances, with insufficient information, everyone's main task was gathering intelligence. And Sphinx, who was known to possess the most information, became the most important target.

On the third day after arriving at the Singularity, Nero followed Ritsuka and Mephisto, the three people who had met Sphinx before, out beyond the town. Giorgios, who had enough renown in town and was respected, remained inside the Lord's Mansion.

In the resurrected wheat fields, because no one knew whether the Demonic Rats would appear again, almost all the farmers were working with their lives on the line, harvesting at the fastest possible speed. In this era, many convenient tools had yet to be invented. The people in the fields could only hold sickles, backs bent, not daring to straighten up for even a moment.

Not far from the wheat fields, Nero once again saw that girl with short rose-red hair.

It was Beatrice. Nero and Ritsuka exchanged a glance, then Nero walked over first on her own.

"Miss Beatrice, we meet again."

"...It's Miss Nero." Beatrice returned Nero's greeting, her tone melancholy, a heavy gloom shrouding her face.

Then she turned her head and looked toward the wheat fields again.

Nero walked to her side and asked softly, "You seem to be in a very bad mood?"

Knowing her expression was already written all over her face, Beatrice did not stubbornly deny it. She nodded and said, "You should have heard it earlier too, right? The farmland reform I proposed."

"I heard. Your father disagreed?"

"Yes. He even threw the diagram I drew into the fireplace."

"That really is a shame."

Beatrice looked at the busy people, her expression complicated. "It isn't a shame. I knew long ago that this would be the result. I just feel sorry..."

"Sorry about what?" Nero asked.

"Does Miss Nero know what the territory's farmland is like right now?"

Beatrice asked in return, and without waiting for Nero to answer, she continued on her own. "The territory's farmland has always been divided into three parts. One part is used to plant wheat, one part to plant beans, and one part rests. The three plots rotate back and forth. That way, the fertility of the soil won't be exhausted, and the land can be cultivated every year.

"But even so, the soil still can't fully recover after the period when wheat is planted. Ever since I can remember, the territory's grain yield has been decreasing."

"So that's why you thought of that method."

As Nero spoke, she glanced behind her. Ritsuka and Mephisto had already drawn near as well.

A bitter smile appeared on the face of Beatrice, this thirteen-year-old girl who might well be a true genius. "But it won't work. I can't change the current situation. The wheat will be harvested within a few days, and the next step is plowing the land to prepare to sow on the Winter Wheat plots. It's already too late.

"The territory's yield will definitely continue to decrease next year. I can't do anything."

"Then, wise girl, do you have a wish you want fulfilled?"

Mephisto, dressed in a Tailcoat, appeared behind Beatrice and posed the question like a devil from a story.

"Eh?!"

Seeing that Beatrice had been startled, Ritsuka grabbed Mephisto's cane and dragged her behind herself. "It's all right, Miss Beatrice. She was joking."

Beatrice blinked and tilted her head. "What strange clothes. Who are you?"

Nero walked in front of the two of them and smiled. "They're my work partners. Actually, there's a question we wanted to ask you..."

"I see!" Beatrice cried out softly, then hurriedly asked, "So you were the ones who drove off those demonic rats yesterday, right? The day before yesterday, Father refused to believe me no matter what I said. Yesterday, demons really did appear, and he still said I was a jinx..."

Nero fell silent for a moment. This lord's prejudice against his own daughter was even deeper than she had imagined. Perhaps this was why, yesterday, she had instinctively felt that mentioning Beatrice would ruin things.

"Y-Yes. That was us."

Ritsuka nodded, then continued asking, "Actually, we wanted to ask whether you've met anyone before who asked a question similar to what she just asked?"

That "she" naturally referred to Mephisto. Ritsuka held onto this demon with one hand and pointed at her with the other, looking at the somewhat bewildered Beatrice.

"N-No... I don't think so?"

"Aside from us, have you encountered any strange strangers?" Nero pressed.

"No." This time Beatrice answered much faster. She observed Nero's and Ritsuka's expressions, then asked as if seeking confirmation, "Are you... still looking for demons?"

That was indeed the case. More precisely, they were looking for the Demon Pillar. If the Demon Pillar that created this Singularity wanted to contact Beatrice, then the most likely possibility was that it would appear in this sort of stereotypical form.

And so Nero gave her a warning in advance. "Yes. Those rats were only the other side's minions. The true demon has yet to show itself. Don't think this place is already safe."