Who would believe that this place is meant for interrogating someone? Looking at the atmosphere, it was clear that this wasn’t a location for lawmakers and bureaucrats to question an individual.
It was rather a space where vassals present petitions to the king. That was the only way to explain it.
“Ahem- I shall begin.” The lawmaker in charge cautiously looked down at the list of questions in front of him. The questions were bluntly about the current status of Evilus Corporation.
He hesitated to ask such questions to Regalia, who stood before him, but lawmakers are the kind of people who would sell the country for a measly benefit.
“There are claims that Evilus Corporation is using illegal means to… exploit unjust profits from numerous cities.”
No sooner had the lawmaker finished speaking than the nearby superhumans activated their powers. An ability that makes lying impossible. An ability that compels further questioning in response to an answer. These were superhumans that could be lethal in a hearing.
Even if an S-class hero stood in front of them, they couldn’t hide any secrets in the face of such powers, the lawmaker thought.
However─ what stood before them wasn’t an S-class hero. It was a majestic ruler. The king of a city. The king reigns above all.
“That has never happened.”
“Y- yes?”
“Rather, I am curious- who dares to accuse us of such things?”
Regalia’s eyes sparkled as she glared at the lawmaker, or rather, the two superhumans behind him. The moment their eyes met, the king’s vassals surrendered everything they had.
The king walked gracefully atop the clouds, and everything under the sky was the king’s possession and right.
Superpowers were no exception.
“Speak, from whom did you acquire this information?”
“U- uh, well…”
Regalia’s acquired superpower coiled around the lawmaker’s body, making him spill the methods by which he acquired the information against his will. The heads of other companies had nudged it in.
The moment it came out of his mouth that the true purpose of the hearing was to extract desired information from the questions, he instinctively realized that his career had ended today.
“…That’s all.”
“Oh, I see.”
It was not a question directed at Evilus and Regalia but rather Regalia interrogating the lawmakers. Yet, no one felt something was off about this. Everyone present simply wished to escape this uncomfortable situation. Like a child waiting to confess their wrongdoing and get yelled at by their parents…
“Then this time, you tell me.”
“Y- yes!?”
“What wrong have you done─ you must tell me.”
“Ah, ah…”
As the reverse hearing proceeded, Regalia scanned the lawmakers as if she intended to wipe them clean. They bowed their heads like cattle, trembling, just waiting for their turn.
That day, the hearing set a record for the longest duration ever.
* * *
[I- I was last Saturday…]
[I’ve done nothing wrong!]
The corporate chairpersons watching the hearing in City E on TV let out hollow laughs.
“Who is that?”
They all knew who the chairperson of Evilus Corporation was. Regalia. A pitiable child who lost her parents at a young age yet successfully managed the company at that young age like a philosopher.
She had recently devoured numerous cities and became a target of caution for the owners of every city.
When they heard that a hearing was being held for her, the chairpersons thought they would get to see her bottom. No matter how capable she was, her ten-year-old body would be a shackle.
However, the one who actually appeared at the hearing was a fully grown adult woman. One could say she was the kind of woman who would become just like Regalia if she grew up.
“Did she hire a stand-in?”
“But that dignity is…”
“It seems like it’s really Regalia.”
The chairpersons, each watching the footage from their offices, contemplated what the footage of Regalia signified.
The complacent ones were sure she had hired a stand-in or a superhuman who could disguise her age.
But the very cautious ones, the few among the entrepreneurs, thought…
“Well, this is nothing. Just a simple obstacle?”
“Such a small thing shouldn’t pose a challenge…”
Bring it on—
They interpreted Regalia’s actions as a demonstration, an expression of confidence.
We have the ability to push through any adversity.
If you don’t surrender, you will be enslaved.
Don’t die standing. Live lying down.
A declaration of war against the absolute authorities of each city. The entrepreneurs who accepted it began calculating the power of Evilus and their own city’s strength, trying to figure out which side to align with for more benefits…
* * *
Inside the armored limousine with all exits sealed, Regalia slumped in the back seat and exhaled heavily.
“Phew-!”
Fshh– like air escaping from a balloon, the sound echoed as the tension left Regalia’s body.
After a moment, her previously puffed chest and rear flattened like logs, and the once tight clothes began to droop down.
Holding onto the sagging clothes to avoid being left naked, Regalia, catching on to the situation, changed into the clothes provided by her escort with a sigh.
“Ugh… that dress was something I cherished.”
“…I apologize, miss. I will somehow obtain another identical item.”
“What? I won’t be able to wear it next year anyway. Haven’t you seen? How I will grow in the future.”
At those words, Kitty and Vira pressed their lips together, recalling Regalia’s appearance moments ago. A perfect figure that suited the title of the goddess of beauty. A bust without a hint of sagging and a rear plumper than ancient statues.
If that was Regalia’s future, it would mean explosive growth would start from her secondary sexual characteristics. Considering Regalia’s age, that could happen in one or two years…
It goes without saying that all the clothes she was wearing were bound to end up in the trash.
“By the way, you wrote down everything the lawmakers said, right?”
“Of course, miss. Don’t worry. The recording and documentation are all complete.”
“Hmm- good. Those are valuable materials that will help us identify which companies are attempting to attack us, so make sure not to lose them.”
“Understood. How should we handle the lawmakers?”
“Apparently, it seems they haven’t had enough of what they’ve been taking from her. It looks like the burden is too heavy for her to bear alone.”
That meant replacing all of them. Kitty nodded and promptly contacted the secretary’s office. The records in Kitty’s hands were already etched into her mind, so even if she lost them it wouldn’t matter. They wouldn’t serve as evidence anyway… because there was no need for evidence.
Just like the opposite side, Regalia was a businesswoman. Clear evidence was something police or prosecutors desired, and it was unnecessary for a businessperson.
What a businessperson needed was circumstances, and Regalia had already gathered enough circumstances at hand. Circumstances about those who opposed her.
“I need to prepare the scientist just in case.”
Regalia decided to prepare for any potential scenarios. Thus, a war against all cities. It was an event that shouldn’t happen… but one couldn’t just sit back and pray for it not to happen.
Ultimately, stopping a war depends on how strong the military is. If it shows overwhelming power, no one would dare attack Evilus.
“Let them taste how terrifying the beast you’ve kept bound truly is.”
The Boss of the Evil Organization devised a plan filled with malice.
To unravel the shackles of the Evil Scientist… a truly dreadful plan!
* * *
After the hearing concluded without incident, Evilus Corporation continued its usual routine. Meaning they carried out their activities as an evil organization, just as always.
“Hmmm… what’s with the level of heroes these days?”
Galm complained with a grumbling voice, and upon hearing those words, the hero present slumped their shoulders in embarrassment.
Unlike before, they didn’t express their anger or overt passion. They looked somewhat defeated, as if something had crushed their spirits. Seeing the faces of these hopelessly beaten heroes, Galm frowned slightly and approached them to ask.
“What’s wrong with you guys? Any concerns?”
“…No, none.”
“None? Come on, I’m here to listen. What’s bothering you?”
A hero receiving counseling from a high-ranking member of the Evil Organization. It was an absurd sight in other cities, but in City E, it was just another day.
After pondering for a moment, the hero mustered the courage to speak, thinking it was related to Galm.
“Lately, because of the things you’ve made…”
“Things? What do you mean by things?”
“Robots, androids…”
“Ah- you mean the Evilusroids? Why?”
“Because of that, heroes are losing their place…!”
Upon hearing those words, Galm finally understood why the heroes looked so defeated.
This was the feeling of humans being deprived of their jobs by machines.
It was an emotion that emerged after two hundred years since the Industrial Revolution.
