The Unveiling Event

On that day, inside the most extravagant and beautiful party hall in the entire capital, the [unveiling] of the Augite to the most important people of the country began.

It was an extremely rare occasion to have the Augite go on display. Dressed in their costumes for the Matouyasai, all the guests were in high spirits to get a chance to see it firsthand.

But amongst them, one corner near the entrance of the hall was wrapped in a strange atmosphere.

“……….Francesca.”

“Leonardo!”

As Francesca happily waved her hand towards him, somewhere a small scream could be heard. Beside Francesca was Graziano, holding her bags, and staring into the distance with empty eyes.

Having already told that he’d dress as a pirate, Leonardo was adorned in a brilliantly high class navy coat and vest with a tricorne pirate hat with feathers on top. Rather than a pirate, he looked more like a noble from some faraway country but that was probably because of his natural good looks.

Beautiful as always, Leonardo looked at Francesca with a smile as he spoke.

“After so many years of being unable to attend such parties due to your [weak constitution and health problems], I quite look forward to enjoying this night together with you. Welcome to your first proper high society party, Francesca.”

“Thank you, Leonardo. I’m happy to have you as my escort.”

“No, no, the honour is all mine. By the way though…..”

Still smiling gently, Leonardo asked a question with a somewhat careful and deliberate tone.

“………well, what exactly is this unique and peculiar costume of yours?”

“Eh?”

Francesca tilted her head in confusion, making the costume’s [headpiece] to flop to the side eerily.

Another couple terrified squeals and screams echoed from nearby. Those who looked towards it also happened to notice one of the headpiece’s eyeballs pop out of its socket and roll on the ground.

Francesca quickly picked up the eyeball and handed it over to Graziano beside her. Still with his faded distant look in his eyes, Graziano took the eyeball and then attached it back into her headpiece’s socket.

Giving her thanks to Graziano, she turned back to look at Leonardo before puffing her chest.

“This is a Hell Zombie-chan’s head!”

“Hell zombie-chan eh?”

“Yep!”

The headpiece Francesca was wearing built in using [a monster that has come from hell for the matou yasai to play] as motif. A head with a truly grotesque design.

One  eye was eerily upturned while the other was dislocated and hanging out of the socket. The two ears on the head were neither like a rabbit’s or a bear’s but some sort of weird fluffy furry monster’s.

Her pinkish nose was almost cute but, the mouth was nothing but jagged fangs, and reddish blood like liquid was drooling out of it. And on top of her head was a small rat, supposedly the [monster’s friend].

Beneath the neck, was an adorable normal party dress. Well other than the embroidery of a spider’s web that sprawled across the dress, everything else was fairly normal that anyone could wear anywhere.

As an objective for today, it was vital for her to be in a getup that was easy to move around in which is why her dress ended up like this.

“You know if we go somewhere dark, this eyeball even glows thanks to the luminescent dyes extracted from a certain kind of mushroom.”

“………….”

“Every year, I wear this for our home’s matouyasai party. Amazing isn’t it!”

“Francesca.”

Seeing her look so proud telling about it, Leonardo broke into a pleasant smile and took Francesca’s hand in his own.

“———You look adorable.”

“Really!?”

Francesca’s eyes shoe with happiness, as her best friend showered her with compliments.

“My dear Francesca is truly the cutest. At all times, the absolute number one cutest.”

“As I thought, you get the appeal of this costume, don’t you Leonardo! It’s not like I don’t like normal cute costumes and all that but, I also love these kinds of grotesquely cute stuff as well! Thank god you can appreciate it as well!”

“Young miss, are you even listening. He’s calling [you] cute and nothing else. He never even mentioned that hideous headpiece of yours.”

“By the way, my adorable Francesca..”

As if trying to interrupt Graziano, Leonardo cut in and peeked in at Francesca. The pupil area of this zombie head were made out of netting and that was where Francesca was able to look out of.

“It was smart of you to go with a headpiece like that.”

With a tone low enough that noone nearby could hear it, Leonardo whispered to Francesca.

“if your head is hidden, even if you run into any acquaintance as[Calvino family’s daughter], no one here will be able to recognize you as the girl from school.”

“Although I did have to get myself properly verified in a different room during entry. Since my face being invisible could lead to troubles if any crimes occurred, when I told them I was the Calvino head’s daughter, they had no choice but to let me inside.”

“Well, they actually did turn away some people who came in too good of a disguise even if their name was on the invitee list. With the Augite of Mystreal the centre of attention, the Ranieri family’s security is not taking any risks either.”

To the ten allied nations that were once a unified country, the Augite of Mystreal was a very important jewel.

It was stone that was used in a ritual to pray for the country’s safety, and was safeguarded by each country for 5 years at a time. To keep this [symbol] of the alliance safe was as good as protecting the bonds with the other countries.

Of course, each and every country don’t actually truly believe that [as long as the rock is safe, the nations will remain at peace] or something like that either.

But it was not a problem that could be so easily ignored either.

(If perchance a country failed to keep the Augite safe, all the other allied nations will use that as an excuse to put the failed nation in a disadvantageous situation, and it could even lead to war……..or at least that’s what Papa said.)

The allied nations weren’t exactly all on good terms with each other.

Leonardo laughed, and then stared faraway at the showcase placed several levels above the ground in the middle of the hall.

“5 years from today, it’s our nation’s turn to safeguard it. For the Ranieri head, Sofia, this will likely be her last big duty.”

Beside the showcase, a blonde haired beautiful lady was standing.

“——-before she relents the position of the family head to her younger brother David, that is.”

(that’s why………..)

All for the sake of today’s objective, Francesca had resolved herself to take action today.

“Graziano thanks for all the help. I’ll be fine now so please, go ahead and accompany Papa as planned.”

“But, young miss.”

Graziano stared at Leonardo, not even bothering to hide his wariness towards the man.

“Today he also has to help introduce Ricardo to everyone so Papa will really need you by his side Graziano, no?”

“………..very well.”

With a somewhat sulky tone, he finally turned away his gaze from Leonardo. While feeling a tad pity for him for sending him away, she turned to check the situation inside the hall.

(Just like the game, David isn’t here. I took a quick peek at the guest list when I was entering the hall myself and while Sofia-san’s name was there as the person in charge of security, there was no record of David being here.)

While walking through the hall alongside Leonardo, Francesca scanned the hall to find any signs of David here. Meanwhile, Leonardo was enjoying seeing all the people around them quickly distance themselves from the two.

“Now then, how about we head to a quiet place and you can explain to me why you actually came here?”

“Before that, Leonardo, don’t you want to see the Augite yourself? Even if it was going to be in our country for the next 5 years, it’s not like it’ll be on display like this all the time.”

“Don’t the second years get to go to the art museum to see it tomorrow as well, as part of their art appreciation class? I’ll check it out then.”

“Well, how do I say this, just in case you know? Hey, Leonardo, you see…….”

In a very small voice, Francesca then spoke to Leonardo.

“I have a feeling the Augite will get stolen tonight.”

“……..will it now?”

Looking thoroughly amused, Leonardo snickered with his eyes narrowed.

Previous Chapter I ToC I Next Chapter