Project GB is an official initiative by Re:Library.

“I haven’t been able to get in touch with Shion for three whole days!”
“…Haa, is that so.”

In front of Hiyuki, who looked as if it were the end of the world, Maroudo—a man granted the title of marquis and entrusted with the management of a vast private estate known as the “Forbidden Garden,” located in the center of the continent—offered a half-hearted response.

Incidentally, this land is referred to as the Forest of Darkness (Tenebrae Nemus) by the continent’s residents and feared as an uncharted, forbidden place. But in truth, it is a developed stretch of forest born from the aftermath of the void mists that once covered nearly half the continent, centered on the capital Faximile of the Aeon Holy Kingdom, which had been the base of the former “Azure God.”

Naturally, the area was far too vast, so two-thirds of it was burned down by the Round Table members to make it habitable. What remained was a relatively compact—though still occupying about thirty percent of the continent—great forest, which became the foundation for what is now called the “Forbidden Garden.”

In addition to the beasts and monsters that originally inhabited the land, citizens and monsters from the Imperial Crimson who wished to relocate were brought in. As a result, the area transformed into a place far too perilous for any native dweller to enter carelessly. Coupled with the imposing presence of the Lapis Palace, an annex of the Crimson Void Gem Castle that towers at the center (and which the locals apparently refer to as the “Demon Emperor’s Palace”), the area feels like a vacation spot for many residents of the Imperial Crimson, who often visit frequently.

As for Maroudo himself, he has spent more time here than in the homeland over the past fifty years. The reasons vary—because Hiyuki often drops by, because they can talk privately like today without outsiders, because the towns inhabited by people he likes are nearby, or just because he can wander off to various parts of the continent whenever the mood strikes him.

At any rate, after not showing up for some months, Hiyuki suddenly appeared, and the very first thing she said was a complaint about his greatest romantic rival. Even someone other than Maroudo would likely have responded with the same disinterested reaction.

Incidentally, possessing eternal life, monsters from the homeland tend to be quite indifferent to the passage of time measured in years. Their sensibilities are likely different from those of humans, who are driven to live in haste by their limited lifespans.

No—perhaps Maroudo himself ought to be the same. And yet, perhaps due to his still-weak sense of self as a “monster,” or perhaps because the memories of the days when he was “human” still clung to him… Maroudo found himself thinking such things, a faintly bitter smile playing on his lips.

“…What’s so funny, I wonder? Here I am with a serious problem, and you’re smiling.”

Before he knew it, Hiyuki was glaring at him with narrowed, sulking eyes.

“Ah, no. It’s not that. I was just thinking about something else, that’s all—it’s not like I was brushing off Your Highness’ concerns—”
“The moment you start spacing out, it’s already clear you were brushing me off. I bet you were thinking about some girl again. If you’re thinking of fooling around with that girl at the general store just for fun, I won’t forgive you, not even you.”
“I wouldn’t do such a thing. Besides, my one true love will always be none other than you, Princess.”
“That’s not a very convincing statement. Well, in any case, just like Shion, that girl—and the other one too—are like daughters to me. So don’t lay a finger on them. Or else I’ll make you suffer. Understood?”
“Yes, yes, I get it—though, uh, what exactly do you mean by ‘make me suffer’?”

Apparently, she hadn’t thought that far ahead.

“………”

Hiyuki fell silent, thinking deeply, groaning a little as she struggled for an answer.

“…Um, maybe I’d agree to an interview with Usui. Since she’s into derivative fiction, I’d let her write a book about you to distribute at the summer event or something.”

For reference, Usui is a banshee who serves as the public relations officer of the Imperial Crimson. She’s also feared under the nicknames “The Propagander” or “The Woman Rotten to the Core.”

The reason even her allies feared her was simple: her hobby was drawing manga, and she unabashedly declared her favorite genre to be “forbidden friendships between men.”

Maroudo, too, had a terrifying memory: one of his noble stories about friendship had once been twisted into something outrageous and was about to be published in one of her books—commonly known as a *Usui Book*¹. It had only been thanks to a single, firm word from Hiyuki, who was understandably alarmed, that the publication was halted. Just remembering it was enough to make him shudder.

And now, she was threatening to unseal it.

“W-wait! That’s not even funny! Please don’t!!!”

She must have realized how genuinely distressed he was.

“As long as you understand. That’s all that matters.”

Surprisingly, she backed down easily. Maroudo let out a deep sigh of genuine relief.

“Let’s not talk about that anymore. So, was it about the prince? I honestly don’t think there’s any need to worry just because you haven’t heard from him for three days.”

Especially considering that, in terms of raw potential, that boy far surpassed even the girl before him—who happened to be the ruler of this world. Worrying about him seemed like a waste of energy.

“…Well, I do think maybe I’m being a bit overprotective. But this time, Shion went to the ‘Uncharted Continent,’ remember? A place still full of mysteries. There’s no way to even check what might be over there.”

Seeing Hiyuki with her head down, looking a mix of sulky and anxious, was so unbearably adorable that Maroudo was overcome with the urge to protect her. He found himself unconsciously opening his arms to embrace her—

“—Ahem.”

—but was subtly stopped by Mikoto, the ever-watchful seraphim dressed in her usual maid outfit, who had accompanied her as a chaperone.

“…Y-you’re right. It really is worrying. That continent, if I recall, is surrounded by some kind of strange barrier?”
“Yeah, that’s right. You can’t see it, but there’s a dome-shaped barrier around it. The stronger your abilities, the more it affects you… To be specific, your powers get restricted and weakened, and if you try to use magic by force, there’s recoil. And the stronger you are, the harsher that backlash. High-level people could end up seriously weakened, or even self-destruct.”
“That’s a troublesome kind of barrier. Not even the Round Table members can do anything about it?”

Perhaps thinking the question was directed at her, Mikoto took a step forward.

“It’s difficult. Neutralizing the barrier from the outside or forcibly dispelling it would be impossible without being the original caster. —Well, if we were told to blow up the entire continent, that might be doable.”

Hiyuki followed up with a wry smile.

“I’d like to keep that as a last resort, though.”

Maroudo thought to himself that, even so, they would probably go through with it in the end if it really came down to it. But pointing that out would likely sour the mood of Hiyuki—who seemed to believe without a shred of doubt that she was the most sensible person here—so he decided to switch to a question that came to mind on the spot.

“The caster, huh… Could this be a leftover from the Azure God?”
“I think it’s highly possible, but I can’t say for sure. If it was, it feels just a little too small-scale for that.”

Hearing Hiyuki refer to sealing off an entire continent as “small-scale,” Maroudo found himself both impressed and exasperated, and gave a slight shrug.

“Still, why would the prince head for the ‘Uncharted Continent’ in the first place?”
“Who knows? Apparently, he met an adventurer in the imperial capital. And it turns out that adventurer seems to be a descendant of that Joey. So when the prince started asking about him and I told him what I knew, he got interested—and started following in his footsteps…”
“So that’s what led him to the Uncharted Continent. Now that you mention it, that’s exactly where Joey’s trail went cold, isn’t it?”
“It wasn’t until much later that I found out, though.”

Well, at the time, she’d been struggling with raising a child for the first time, so she hadn’t exactly had time to investigate. Any of her retainers would know that was an undisputed fact.

“Sounds like something he’d do… So then, the prince went to the Uncharted Continent alone?”
“No. Kuin thought it sounded interesting and tagged along. He had his own history with Joey, so I guess it stuck with him.”
“I see…”

That made Maroudo breathe a little easier—if Kuin was with him, then in terms of fighting power, they were in much safer hands.

“Well, I understand why you’re worried, but it’s only been three days. Those two will probably come back without a scratch, acting like nothing happened.”
“…I hope you’re right. The problem is, the last message we got from them was… strange.”
“What do you mean?”
“‘I found him! I found him!’—that was the last thing we heard, shouted in an excited voice. After that, no telepathy, no familiars, not even the Evil Eye bypass could reach them.”

Rather than showing surprise at the gravity of the situation, Maroudo’s expression changed at once.

“W-wait just a second! That ‘I found him’—surely they didn’t mean *him*, did they!?”
“I can’t say for certain, but the way he sounded… it wasn’t normal excitement.”
“No, I mean… it’s been over a hundred years! Empress Oliana may have become an immortal, but a normal human couldn’t possibly still be alive—especially not on an unexplored continent!”

Maroudo, now more confused than alarmed, spoke like he was trying to convince himself. Hiyuki tilted her head with a troubled expression.

“I know what you mean… But it’s *Joey* we’re talking about, you know? Doesn’t it kind of feel like, if it’s *him*, nothing is really impossible? Or is that just me being weird…?”

Maroudo groaned at her words.

“…You’re right. It is *Joey*, after all. I can’t say the possibility is zero.”
“Right?”
““Hrrmmm…””

The two of them folded their arms in perfect unison, brows furrowed in deep thought.

Meanwhile, in a world far removed from their shared concern, Mikoto smiled serenely.

In a way, today too, the continent remained peaceful as ever—.