The atmosphere in the hall grew heavy.
Crusch's amber eyes locked onto the calm man in front of her, and irritation flickered in her expression.
"Are you saying this because you look down on my strength, Hayashi Maki-sama?"
"If you insist on interpreting it that way, I don't really mind," Hayashi Maki said with a shrug.
Crusch drew a deep breath and forced herself back into composure.
"Then what's your reason? Is that beast so troublesome that even you find it difficult to deal with?"
"No, no. I can absolutely subjugate that 'little fish.' And if you're properly prepared, Crusch-sama, you can hunt the White Whale too—just with catastrophic losses."
"The reason I'm saying you're walking into death is because your understanding of the White Whale is far too shallow. And have you considered the possibility that the White Whale is connected to the Witch Cult?"
"If the White Whale dies, and those screw-loose Sin Archbishops come knocking… will Crusch-sama still have the strength left to resist?"
Crusch touched her chin, thoughtful.
"That is true. Every time a Sin Archbishop appears, a region ends up in disaster. And they're… not mentally normal."
"Hayashi Maki-sama, thank you for the warning. I'll also be on guard against the Witch Cult during this campaign."
"And since you're emphasizing this so strongly, may I assume you possess important information about the White Whale and the Witch Cult? And… your Aqua Church truly has no ties to the Witch Cult?"
"Of course not," Hayashi Maki replied. "If there's any 'connection,' it's a kill-or-be-killed enemy relationship."
"I'm sure you've heard this as well—my Emilia has always had a terrible reputation among the public. Because she's a silver-haired half-elf, she's been under constant controversy."
"Even if she says she has nothing to do with the Witch of Envy, very few people truly believe her."
"And her appearance is exactly the kind of thing that draws the Witch Cult's attention, which means they'll do something insane to her sooner or later. So when I built the Aqua Church, one reason was to declare war on the Witch Cult, and another was to protect her."
"To be honest, I do know certain secrets about this world—information related to the Sin Archbishops. I can share all of it with you, Crusch-sama, as a sign of sincerity from the Aqua Church."
"As for whether you believe it—that's for you to decide."
Crusch's gaze warmed. She looked genuinely impressed.
"The wind of lies isn't blowing," she said. "You're telling the truth. I'm willing to believe you."
"'Wind of lies'?" Hayashi Maki asked, pretending not to understand.
Felix, at Crusch's side, smiled and explained, "Hehe—It's Crusch-sama's ability. She can tell when someone's lying. If you lie to her, she'll see it at a glance!"
"Oh, I see." Hayashi Maki nodded, then let his eyes sweep over Crusch's posture and presence with open appreciation. "That really is an ability fit for a ruler. Though unfortunately… I'm still backing my Emilia."
"That's a shame," Crusch said frankly. "But even if you're my opponent, I won't surrender easily."
In her view, becoming king wasn't something brute strength alone could accomplish.
Reinhard was strong enough, wasn't he? Yet he could only be a knight, a guardian of the realm—he was fundamentally unsuited to be king.
Hayashi Maki nodded with a smile.
"Alright—back to the main point. Since you've invited us to join the White Whale subjugation, and since we want everyone to return safely, I'll share what I know."
"Good," Crusch said, her expression turning solemn. "I'm listening."
Hayashi Maki steadied himself and began laying out the information he knew about the White Whale.
"The White Whale—more precisely, the White Whale of the Mist—is about fifty meters long. It's a white whale that swims through the air, with a halo-like glow above it, and its appearance is usually accompanied by heavy fog."
"It's one of the Three Great Mabeasts created centuries ago by the Witch of Gluttony. The other two are the Black Serpent and the Great Rabbit."
"And I'm sure Crusch-sama won't want to believe this, but the Witch of Gluttony created the Three Great Mabeasts for one simple reason: to eat."
"The White Whale is enormous, so it can be eaten for a long time—and it can split, which means it can be eaten for even longer."
"Of course, the Witch of Gluttony wasn't exactly sane. The beasts she created naturally eat people too. And if something exists to be eaten… it can also eat you."
Crusch's eyes widened.
"Hayashi Maki-sama… you speak as though you've met the Witch of Gluttony. And 'Witch of Gluttony'—that's not a title I've heard before."
"That's what happens after a few centuries," Hayashi Maki said with a sigh, waving it off. "All the Witches of Sin—including the Witch of Envy—are long dead in body. So people pile every crime onto the Witch of Envy…"
"As the one who swallowed half the world—and swallowed the other witches along with it—she bears that madness and power. In a way, it's 'reasonable' that she ends up bearing everyone else's sins too."
Hayashi Maki finished the aside and returned to the subject.
"Back to the White Whale. Felix, write down what I'm about to say."
"Huh? Yes—Felix will write it down!" Felix hurriedly pulled out paper and pen.
Hayashi Maki nodded in satisfaction and began listing the White Whale's abilities.
"The White Whale is massive. When attacked, it releases huge amounts of mist from countless vents along its body. That mist is the Fog of Erasure—those swallowed by it will be erased from other people's memories."
"At the same time, once the fog spreads, the White Whale will split into two bodies to drag the fight into a war of attrition."
"And here's the key: attacking the split bodies is useless. It can create new splits whenever it wants."
"You must strike the true main body to deal real damage."
Crusch was visibly shaken.
"It can split…? Hayashi Maki-sama, if your information is accurate, then you've truly helped us immensely!"
Just imagining it—killing one whale only for two more to emerge while her forces are bleeding out—was pure despair.
With this information, they could prepare in advance—and also guard against the Fog of Erasure.
"One more thing," Hayashi Maki added. "The White Whale is easily drawn to a witch's scent. When it appears, it will instinctively move toward the source of that scent. That's the best moment to strike."
Crusch's eyes sharpened. "A witch's scent…? How do we obtain that?"
"Just follow my lead when the time comes," Hayashi Maki said. "I have a way to make the White Whale believe a witch has appeared. It'll come to us on its own."
He didn't explain the method.
Better to leave Crusch something to think about.
If he did everything for her, what was she supposed to do—just show up and watch?
Besides, Hayashi Maki was also using this subjugation as bait—bait for the Sin Archbishops.
The sooner he reclaimed the Authorities in this world, the better.
Only by gathering those powers could he change the Witch of Envy's fate, seize control of this world, and bring every piece into his hands.
And when Hayashi Maki thought of Pandora's looks, a heat flickered in his chest…