Chapter 8: Makoto Takatsuki Realizes His Own Power
After the battle with the ancient monsters, I collapsed on my bed at the inn and slept like the dead. When I came to, I was with my goddess.
“Noah?”
Her usual smile and wily looks were gone, replaced by an odd expression of quiet contemplation. Noah’s head was propped in one hand as she gazed at me. Was she in a bad mood?
“Say...Makoto.”
“Y-Yes?” Had I done something to annoy her?
“My disciples in the past were known as strong swordsmen, genius mages, and many other things.”
“Oh, so you’re talking about your other men?” I was curious, but I also kinda didn’t want to hear it.
“Don’t put it like that,” she scoffed. “My disciples weren’t necessarily men—there were girls too. There were a lot of them. All sorts of people. But, Makoto...”
“What?”
“Using Synchro with elementals should be impossible. Particularly for humans.”
“But...I managed it?” I half asked. Undyne’s sudden appearance had been a shock, but it had been a lot of help as well. “Actually, Undyne kinda looked like you. Are you two related?”
“Oh, that? Elementals don’t have set forms, but they revere the Titanea. That’s probably why she imitated me.”
“Oh...” That explained their similar looks—it was because Noah’s cute. Made sense to me.
“You’ve gotten us off topic.”
“Right, what is it?” I asked, smoothing out my expression and looking her way.
“In order for someone to synchronize with elementals, there is a steep condition: you need to be over level 1000 in magic mastery.”
“Eh? A-A thousand?”
Mine was...something like 200 right now. Lately, all my practicing hadn’t raised it at all. Although, I suppose it had gone up when I’d fought Gerald.
Was such a high number even realistically possible?
“It is not...not at all,” replied Noah, answering my thoughts. “It is impossible for a human to reach that level in their lifespan of around a hundred years.”
“But...I synchronized with her?” I pointed out.
She snorted at my confused expression before waving some paper my way.
“You just took my Soul Book aga—” I started to protest. But when I saw the writing upon it, my words cut off.
Priestess of the Moon’s Guardian Knight: Charm.
I didn’t remember seeing that skill before.
“What’s this?” I asked.
“The skill you were given for becoming bound to the moon priestess.”
“A charm skill...” So this was my reward for becoming Furiae’s guardian knight? Aww, I missed my chance for Curse Magic...that’s a shame.
“None of that,” Noah chastised. “This skill is probably why Undyne helped you.”
I looked at her questioningly. Did charming elementals let you synchronize with them?
“Even so...200 mastery should not be high enough...”
“Shouldn’t it?”
Noah pondered for a moment. “I don’t know why, but Undyne of Symphonia seems awfully taken with you.”
“Is it because I built up my relationship with the elementals in the capital?” I had been training every day.
“Elementals are whimsical by nature... Just think of this as a lucky break...” She trailed off before speaking again. “I was so worried watching you.”
Noah sighed as she twirled her beautiful silver hair. The gesture...was kinda hot.
“Though,” she continued, “I’m also happy you’ve gotten stronger.” She turned a molten gaze on me and chuckled. “Just so you know—when you were synchronized with her, and only then, you were god rank.”
I expelled a flabbergasted noise.
What did she just say?
“What else would you call a mage that controls the infinite mana of an elemental?”
“Uh...” I droned. “But, uh...”
Really? Noah wasn’t just fudging things?
“Are you doubting your goddess?” she asked, slapping me on the forehead. “I’m warning you. You couldn’t control that elemental magic at all, could you? You know that now, right?”
“Yeah. I think I really was out of control. I don’t really remember it well...”
“You were dangerous. The slightest slip would have seen the whole capital underwater.”
“Come on, that’s exaggerating.”
“It is not,” she countered. “It would’ve been all too easy to fail. That’s how elemental magic is.”
Seriously?
“Delicate control isn’t the strong suit of elemental magic—it’s made to work incredibly well on a large scale. It isn’t magic meant for defeating a single person, but for killing thousands. It isn’t for battle; it’s for war. That’s why the Sacred Deities put restrictions on it.”
“For war...”
O-Oh, was it?
“It’s great for me, though, since I only have one disciple.” Noah snickered.
“So...all’s well that ends well, right?”
“You’re stronger now, but be careful,” she warned. “If you go too far like before, you’ll have the Sacred Deities looking your way. Plus, losing control of elemental magic could easily wipe a town off the map.”
“I’ll be careful,” I promised. After all, I still remembered getting scolded by Eir at the Habhain Islands.
“One more thing,” she said, placing her hand on my cheek. “This is important.”
“We’re not done...?”
“No, this is very, very important. Why do you think the priestess’s charm skill didn’t work on you?” Noah asked. “Ordinarily, no living thing can refuse her.”
“Uh? Well, because...” Right, even Sakurai had been charmed. “Calm Mind means that charm and fear skills don’t affect me...right?”
Noah shook her head. “Skills like Calm Mind and Serenity only give resistance—they don’t render the skills ineffective. Her Charm skill is god rank, after all. No human can resist it.”
“But I was fine.”
Noah suddenly drew closer.
“My version of Charm, by the way, is god rank. In fact, my skill level is the highest out of any of the gods! I’m said to be able to charm anything! A single glance from me can drive a person crazy!”
I sighed. She might say that, but her excitement had her waving her hands around. She was definitely cute, but being the best out of all the goddesses was perhaps a bit of an exaggeration.
“And yet, my one and only disciple thinks I’m exaggerating!”
Ack, she read my mind.
“Whatever,” she sighed. “I’ll just tell you: there is a reason that charm skills and the fear skills of the blight monsters don’t affect you.” Her eyes sharpened as she paused. “It’s because of your RPG Player skill.”
“What? But my Soul Book doesn’t say anything about immunity to debuffs.”
“It doesn’t, but RPG Player has a perspective change component, doesn’t it?”
“That’s right.”
Using my skill, I could see from a point behind myself. In other words, I could view the world using a third-person perspective; it was basically like how a gamer observed the map and characters in an RPG. The skill offered just a little bit of convenience—I never needed to look behind myself. Honestly, it didn’t add to my combat potential at all. RPG Player had nothing to do with debuffs...or so I’d thought.
Noah let that revelation sink in, then continued. “By viewing the environment through the lens of RPG Player, your actual perspective shifts to one outside of the world.”
Outside of the world? “What does that mean?”
“Hmm, how to explain...” she mused as she twirled her hair. “When you played RPGs, if your character became confused, you as the player didn’t also get confused. Right?”
“Well yeah, of course not... Oh. That’s how it works?”
“It is. RPG Player’s perspective peers into this world from the outside.”
That was incredible...
“It’s rare,” she stated. “After all, it stops even god rank Charm in its tracks.”
“But in combat...”
“Yeah, it’s no help.”
I already knew that. As far as non-combat skills went, Fujiyan’s Mind Reading was more convenient. Sasa even had extra lives. When would I get my powerful skill?
Well, my elemental magic was getting stronger, so I’d just turn my focus in that direction.
“Makoto, this is the important part. Do you know RPG Player’s weakness?”
“Weakness?” I asked. My skill just made it harder to affect me with mind-altering magic. Why would it have a weakness?
“It does. Looking in from beyond our world...lessens your sense of fear. You can deal with more or less any danger in a fairly calm manner. That would be fine, except you throw yourself into that danger and purposefully pick risky options, don’t you?”
I fell silent, remembering the giant, remembering the dragon. Maybe I did lack a sense of danger.
“That’s a bad weakness, huh?”
“Maybe. But it also means that you’ve continued being my disciple even though I’m a wicked deity, so I’m thankful for it.” She suddenly grinned and started mussing my hair. “I just wanted to warn you about that. Keep your promise—grow stronger. Your skill enables you to do outrageous things while keeping a cool head, but if you keep pushing too hard, then one day, you’ll lose.”
“I understand.”
“Off you go then!” Noah said suddenly, shooing me away. “You’ve got visitors.”
“Visitors?” I repeated.
She grinned at me. “Aren’t you popular?”
Uh, what?
“Good luuuck!”
She waved her hand, and I was engulfed in light.
◇
“Makoto, you sleepyhead.”
“Wake up, Takatsuki!”
I opened my eyes and saw two girls—one whose long scarlet hair was tickling my face, and another with chestnut brown hair who was crawling up the bed like a cat.
“Morning, Lucy, Sasa,” I answered with a stretch.
“More like night,” Lucy teased.
“You’ve been called to the castle. Let’s go!”
“Buuut...” My body felt like lead. It was probably an aftereffect of synchronizing with Undyne, but I certainly didn’t want to get out of bed.
“I’m just gonna sleep,” I decided, curling up farther into the covers.
Ah, so nice. I worked hard today... A little rest won’t hurt anyone.
“What do we do, Princess Sophia?” I heard Lucy ask.
“Takatsuki won’t wake up,” Sasa added.
“My, what will we do with our hero?”
Hmm? Was that Princess Sophia? Nah, there’s no way she would—
My thoughts were cut off by the yelp that forced its way out of my throat. Freezing! Someone had just stuck a cold hand down the back of my neck!
“You can call this payback for always using Synchro out of nowhere,” said a cool voice. Well, Princess Sophia was indeed here, and she had a mischievous look on her face.
G-Guys...you do know this is my room, right? Why had they all barged in here?
“Lady Noelle said that the Hero of Roses absolutely had to be there,” Princess Sophia explained, smoothing my bedhead with a soft smile. “Will you come along, Hero Makoto?”
I paused for a moment before the concession slipped out of my mouth. “I will...” How was I supposed to say no to that face?
Lucy and Sasa exchanged looks.
“Why does he listen when it’s the princess?”
“It’s not faiiir.”
What do you mean, fair? Considering that I’m a State-Authorized Hero, she’s essentially my boss, right?
They quickly moved on from their complaints though.
“I’ll get his top off!” Lucy cheered.
“I’ll get his pants then,” said Sasa.
“I can dress myself!” I didn’t want to get stripped in front of the princess, so I quickly ushered them all outside.
Huh. So Lucy, Sasa, and Princess Sophia had all been together? I wonder what they talked about... It weighed on me, but I was scared to ask.
I changed my clothes and then heaved myself toward Highland Castle. Once we arrived, I saw that there was a party in the banquet hall, and the festivities were in full swing. It was the second celebration I’d been to in Highland Castle, but this one seemed pretty different from last time.
“Hero Makoto! You were magnificent!” someone called.
“Would you be interested in a joint exercise with the Soleil Knights?”
“Please, spend some time with the North Cardinal Knights as well! Sir Gerald will be overjoyed.”
Unlike last time, I was surrounded by a whole bunch of knights. The two commanders of the Soleil Knights—Ortho and Stora—were there, along with their subordinates. Some of the North Cardinal Knights joined the conversation as well, and their demeanors were surprisingly friendly.
“Your spell... It caught the whole group of monsters in one sweep! What was it?”
“I’ve never seen a water giant so large that it touches the clouds!”
“Uhh...” I murmured. I might’ve cast it, but I could barely remember how I’d done so.
“Still,” a knight interjected, “where did five thousand ancient monsters come from...?”
Another knight replied, wearing a grim expression. “It’s obvious—the only place that contains so many survivors from a thousand years ago.”
“The northern continent...”
If my memory served, the northern continent was also called the demon continent, and it was indeed ruled by demons.
“Most likely. And the monsters on that continent obey Zagan, the King of Beasts.”
“Demon Lord Zagan...” a knight mused. “One of the three demon lords of the northern continent.”
“The monsters on that continent have never left its shores without an order from the King of Beasts...”
“Does that mean he is allied with the Snake Sect?”
“It seems likely that there is at least some form of agreement in place.”
“A bother indeed...”
“Their alliance could even interfere with the Northern Front Plan.”
The military men all wore hard looks as they spoke. During a lull in the conversation, I stepped away from all the knights and went to the banquet table, hoping to snag something to eat. Highland’s cuisine was superb.
As I walked to the table, a blonde knight called out to me. “A-A-Ah! Thank you so much for earlier!”
This is Gerald’s little sister, right? Janet Ballantine...
What did she mean by “earlier”? Was she talking about when the red dragon attacked her? Before I could ask for clarification, she’d run off somewhere, but she was instantly replaced by several other people I didn’t know.
“Good day, Hero of Roses. I am Sandra of house Roland.”
“I am glad to meet you, Hero. Could we talk over there?” asked another noblewoman.
“Hero? Could I hear of your exploits? We can spend some time in my room after the party...”
These noblewomen all really wanted to talk to me... But I’m shy! I just can’t handle speaking with so many unfamiliar people...
Suddenly, my Listen skill picked up a distant conversation.
“What’s happening?”
“Takatsuki’s all over them.”
“This is infuriating.”
Those voices definitely belonged to Lucy, Sasa, and Princess Sophia. Furiae was absent, but I’d expected that—I’d actually asked if she wanted to attend the party, but she’d flat-out refused. “Never,” she’d spat. “But...give my regards to Ryousuke.”
I turned my attention back to the elegant noblewomen and found myself floundering in the face of their advances. But then, someone broke through the wall of people.
“Hero Makoto, I wish to thank you for your contribution to our victory.” Princess Noelle stepped toward me wearing a lavish dress.
Sakurai was at her side. “I heard you defeated five thousand ancient monsters all at once,” he said.
“And you took out over a hundred blight monsters, didn’t you?” I replied. “That must’ve been way harder.” I hadn’t heard about it until the end of the battle, but a huge number of blight monsters had attacked from the ocean. The Snake Sect had really pulled out all the stops...for nothing. The Hero of Light Sakurai had shoved them all right back into the sea.
“By the way, where’s Furiae?” Sakurai asked.
“Not here. She did tell me to give you her regards.”
“I see... Where is she now?”
“I think she’s staying with Fujiyan.”
“Right...” he murmured. “I’ll go see her later.”
“Sir Ryousuke?” Princess Noelle interrupted. “You cannot do that. Have you forgotten your plans for later?”
“N-Noelle? But—”
“You cannot.” She wore a gentle smile, but...there was something about her voice that brooked no disagreement. It was a bit scary. The Hero of Light was gonna end up whipped.
As I was pondering Sakurai’s predicament, someone else butted into our conversation. “Hero of Roses, are you enjoying yourself?” The booming voice came from a burly guy, and he grinned broadly, clapping a hand on my shoulder. I was pretty sure this was Gaius Highland, the first prince. “What do you say? I can give you anything you want, so why not move to Highland and work for me?”
“Uh...”
What was this geezer, I mean prince on about?
“P-Please wait, Sir Gaius!” Princess Sophia interjected frantically. “He is the Hero of Roses!”
“Princess Sophia, his talents would best be served and showcased in a grand country like ours,” countered Gaius. “So, Hero Makoto? I can give you status, riches, women, and whatever else your heart desires. Roses cannot compete. It is not a bad deal, no?”
Princess Sophia peered at me with teary, puppy dog eyes. “Hero Makoto...what...will you do?”
“Ah...well, about that...”
Honestly, this was annoying. I wanted to decline, but I’d already turned down Highland once after Labyrinthos... How can I say no without causing offense?
Fortunately, Princess Noelle solved that conundrum for me. “You cannot, Gaius. Sir Makoto may well become Princess Sophia’s fiancé.”
“What?” Princess Sophia and I simultaneously uttered in shock.
“And yet, both of them seem to have only heard about this tonight...” Gaius looked distinctly unimpressed.
“Do you know of the goddess’s revelation?” asked Princess Noelle with a smooth smile. “It is said that if priestesses marry heroes from another world, it will save this world.”
Where had that come from? I’d never heard it.
“Hmph, that would be you and the Hero of Light,” grumbled Gaius. “No matter. Hero of Roses—in due course, I shall invite you officially.”
He didn’t seem pleased about the outcome, but he walked off and let us be.
Just as I was hoping to return to more comfortable conversation, we were interrupted yet again. “Princess Noelle, Princess Sophia. Hero Makoto seems to have become the moon priestess’s guardian knight. If she rebels, then I worry for Roses’s strength.” This time, it was Highland’s prime minister. Apparently, it was his turn to gripe. “Perhaps lodgings could be arranged for the hero in Highland Castle?”
“I-I...” Princess Sophia stammered, attempting to argue against him. It seemed that Highland officials were turning up one after another, and I could more or less see where it was all going—essentially, they wanted some kind of reason to keep me here. I’d heard that Highland made a habit of collecting people that seemed capable, but this was the first time I’d experienced it for myself.
Though I wanted to support Princess Sophia, I had no idea how international relations worked... So, I just half-listened to the conversation.
Then, I felt a hand on my shoulder. Without giving me any time to react, someone barked a yell into my ear. “Elementalist! You came to the castle, and yet not to me?”
“Grandsage?” I asked.
As she smacked me on the shoulder, everyone nearby backed away. I used Listen to hear their muttered conversations.
“The Grandsage is here among so many people?”
“Considering how much she hates crowds, this is a rarity.”
“I have never seen her up close.”
“She is incredible...”
Oh, I guess she didn’t often come to places like this.
“Hmph, so they are celebrating the battle,” scoffed the Grandsage. “Rather excessive, considering its scope.”
“Grandsage...thank you for your assistance today,” Princess Noelle said nervously.
“I sensed the elementalist,” she answered.
“Well, I was going to come see you later,” I explained.
She folded her arms and sullenly surveyed the people around us. Unnervingly, she was floating in the air as she did so. “I knew it was possible that people would swarm you after your battlefield contributions...” mused the Grandsage. “Make sure that you do not get carried away. Many nobles will make their offers, but if you throw your precious virg—”
“Hey!” I protested, immediately slapping a hand over her mouth. Was she really going to bring that up in front of everyone?!
“Don’t cover my mouth,” she protested, her voice muffled from behind my palm. “I can’t speak.”
“Then don’t talk about that kind of stuff!” I whisper-yelled.
“What? You should be proud of your virginity.”
“How?! I won’t give you blood anymore!”
“Hmm... That would be a problem.”
Did I get through to her? That was close. Maybe since she doesn’t spend a lot of time around crowds, she lost her common sense for a minute... I guess she was just that kind of person...er, vampire.
“I will be waiting for you,” said the Grandsage.
“Right, right, I’ll be over later.”
“You had better!” With those parting words, she vanished with a teleport.
Man, what a drag. You couldn’t take your eyes off her...
When I turned back to the group, I saw that everyone was staring at me. Princess Noelle, the prime minister, various nobles, the clergy, the knights, and everyone else at the party. Even the king himself, who sat at the highest position in the banquet hall, had his mouth agape.
Uh...why?
“Takatsuki...” Sakurai began carefully. “You’re pretty close with the Grandsage, aren’t you?”
“I wouldn’t go that far,” I answered. All I did was give her blood every so often.
There were a lot fewer people that came to talk to me after that. I wonder why...
“Hellooo? Grandsage! Are you there?”
Since people had stopped speaking to me after my encounter with the Grandsage, I’d decided to leave the banquet and head over to her mansion. Lucy and Sasa had been talking with the knights they’d fought with—the third and fourth divisions of the Soleil Knights, along with the Southern Cardinal Knights. This had left me by myself at the party, so leaving had seemed preferable to milling about alone.
When I arrived at the Grandsage’s estate, I found her lolling on a huge sofa and looking pretty unhappy.
“You’re late! Sit here,” she commanded.
I sighed, sinking down next to her.
“Hup!” she called out as she straddled my lap, facing me.
“Wha! Uh...Grandsage?”
We were now so close, and her red eyes, pale skin, and young face moved toward me. Her cold breath wafted against my cheek.
“Come on, support my back. Don’t you have any consideration?”
“Sure, sure.”
Selfish little Grandsage... I grumbled mentally, putting my hands behind her back. Her body felt light.
She chuckled. “Then let us begin.”
I felt her teeth latch onto my neck, and I’d honestly gotten used to the pain of it. Faintly, I could hear her soft breath. There wasn’t anything else I could do while she was drinking, so I rubbed my hand up and down her back.
She’s tiny...
But the mana contained in her small frame was incredible. She might look about ten, but she was a legendary mage that had been alive for over a millennium.
It’s hard to imagine... I thought, patting her on the head without really thinking about it.
She instantly shot up to gawk at me with an expression of shock. Her red eyes were wide open and staring.
Crap, did I do something rude? She was pretty high-ranking in Highland’s class system, right? Did I annoy her? Well...her expression didn’t look angry at least.
“Continue...” she murmured eventually. Her voice was almost too quiet to hear, so I didn’t catch the tail end of her sentence.
“Continue what?” I asked.
“Continue...patting my head.”
“R-Right...” Apparently, she’d liked it.
A length of time passed. She remained in my lap, I patted her head, and the whole time, she was draining my blood. Do I charge more for this? I thought in amusement.
She’d taken a little more than usual, and I was now feeling kinda light-headed. It was fine though—there was almost no chance that any enemies would show up here, so I could let my guard down.
That must’ve been why I didn’t notice the others entering until they were up close.
“Excuse— What?! You’re with the Grandsage?! What are you doing?!” Sakurai yelled in shock.
“Whaaat?! No, Sophia, you mustn’t look!” Princess Noelle cried, covering the other princess’s eyes.
“Wh-What?” Princess Sophia stammered. “What’s going on, Lady Noelle?”
Uh? I felt like everyone was making wild misassumptions...
“You’ve all got some nerve,” the Grandsage scoffed, “interrupting an enjoyable meal like this.”
“A-A meal? Oh...I see,” Sakurai said.
“P-Please...don’t shock me like that,” Princess Noelle added. “I thought my heart was about to stop.”
At least those two had realized their mistake.
“Um...? What in the world happened?” asked Princess Sophia. She, on the other hand, hadn’t assumed that anything weird was going on. The princess is so pure!
“Hero Makoto,” she continued, not waiting for my answer. “Are you thinking something rude?”
Oops, my thoughts must have shown on my face. “Just your imagination,” I replied.
“So, why are you all here?” asked the Grandsage, still annoyed at having her meal interrupted.
“We were hoping to get your thoughts on the Northern Front Plan,” Princess Noelle stated seriously. “The Snake Sect had control of many ancient monsters today—this strongly implies that they have a link to the King of Beasts, Zagan. Much of Highland’s military thinks we should execute our plan sooner than we had originally proposed.”
In contrast to the princess’s earnest expression, the Grandsage looked almost bored. “The alliance had planned to recruit more troops for the invasion,” she remarked, “so how many do we have under our command?”
“I would say that we are up to about eighty percent of our target,” answered Princess Noelle.
The Grandsage scoffed. “Then your proposed strategy of attacking early doesn’t bear mentioning. What good will it do to rush in unprepared?”
“But the demons might make the first move!”
“I would like to say ‘that’s just the way things go sometimes,’ but I am admittedly an amateur in strategy. If the general staff wishes to accelerate things, then I will not object.”
“You won’t...?” asked Princess Noelle.
“Do what you wish. All I will say is this—I think we should only fight when we can win.” As the Grandsage spoke, she looked almost nostalgic.
“Is that something Abel the Savior said?” wondered Princess Sophia.
“It is. He had a penchant for that sort of thing. You know, telling us to make sure everything was ready for an assured win, or to attack with ambushes for maximum impact. He might have been a hero, but he was also very cautious. Then again, that’s no surprise—he was the only real hero left by the time we fought Iblis.”
“What happened to the other heroes?” I asked.
The Grandsage gave me a meaningful look. “Dead. Killed by the demon lords and the wicked deity’s disciple.”
Guh. Damn it, Noah.
“Very well, Grandsage,” Princess Noelle said quietly. “We will continue with the original schedule.”
“Oh, are you sure?”
“We will follow the savior’s words of wisdom.”
Princess Noelle had made her decision, then. Personally, I wanted to train right up until the demon lord’s attack cutscene, so I was grateful.
“Although,” Princess Noelle continued, her tone and expression morphing, “you seem to be awfully close to the Hero of Roses, Grandsage. Sophia will scold you.”
“L-Lady Noelle?!” Princess Sophia sputtered as the conversation suddenly turned to her.
“It’s been a while, Priestess of Roses.”
“I-It has. You haven’t changed in the slightest.”
It seemed like they knew each other, and Princess Sophia looked nervous as they spoke. I guess the Grandsage must truly be high-ranking.
“Sophia and I studied at the same academy to become priestesses. The Grandsage was our magic teacher,” Princess Noelle explained softly. She then turned back to the Grandsage. “Incidentally, please refrain from drinking too much of his blood. You already get maidens’ blood from the church, do you not?”
“But, Noelle...half of the blood they send isn’t from a maiden at all.”
The two princesses let out simultaneous noises of shock. Sakurai and I just looked blankly at each other.
“I-Impossible... That means half the nuns at the church aren’t maidens...?”
“Inconceivable! While training, there is no way they can come into contact with a male from outside of the church!”
“Then they must be from inside the church,” remarked the Grandsage.
At that, the two princesses fell silent.
So this was one of those things? I guess there was a culture of sex in the church... Just what was the world coming to?
“I think I’ll head back to the inn,” I said, breaking the tense atmosphere. “What about you, Princess Sophia?”
“Oh, you’re already leaving? You could relax here some more,” the Grandsage offered.
I don’t want to lose any more blood than I already have. I’m swaying on my feet as it is.
“Are you well?” asked Princess Sophia, seeing me stagger.
“I’m fine,” I told her with a rueful grin. “See you, Sakurai.”
“Yeah, until next time,” he answered.
I finished off by giving Princess Noelle my farewells, then left the Grandsage’s home with Princess Sophia.
Before retiring for the night, we collected Lucy and Sasa from the party. They had certainly made an impact on the banquet—Lucy had gotten drunk and blasted her fire magic, and when one of the Soleil Knights had harassed Sasa, she’d punted him out of the castle.
Great...more people I’ll need to keep an eye on.
With the girls in tow, we all headed back to the inn.
“It is good to see you, Hero of Roses, Warrior Girl.”
We’d once again been invited to the VIP room at the top of the Grand Highland Casino.
“Thank you,” I replied.
“Thanks for the invite!” Sasa cheered.
“I-It’s good to meet you. I’m Lucy...”
For some reason, we were all surrounded by the Castor family.
“Brother! Thanks for coming!” Peter exclaimed. He was as cheery and blunt as ever.
“Well, there was nothing else I needed to do,” I replied.
In truth, Highland’s bigwigs were all sorting out the chaos from the battle, so the actual soldiers—people like Sasa and I—were no longer needed. Princess Sophia was working, and Fujiyan was crazy busy as well, so they hadn’t come with us.
The eldest son, Jack, laughed cheerily. “The old man wanted to thank you directly.”
“There are a lot of beastmen in our family. If you hadn’t undone the Snake Sect’s curse...well, I’d rather not even think about it.”
The person speaking was Genoa Castor, don of the Castor family and the man with the big scar across his face. He definitely looked scary.
“Our Princess Furiae was the one that broke the curse,” I said. “I’ll make sure she knows you’re grateful.” She’d been invited too but hadn’t come. I guess not wanting to see the mafia was a normal response...
“Brother...we heard you became the Priestess of the Moon’s guardian knight,” Peter said, face twisting.
“Guardian knight for the princess of curses...” Jack added with a similar expression.
Yeah, the position definitely didn’t have the best optics in this world.
“Stop your rudeness!” Genoa barked.
“Sorry,” said Peter. “Her name just raised my hackles since she’s supposed to be the reincarnation of the Witch of Calamity. We do owe her, though. It was a shame that she couldn’t come out today, but let her know that we would welcome her at any time.”
“I-I will...” I’d at least tell her what I could.
“Hero Makoto of Roses, does anything concern you?” asked the don. “We may not be able to do anything extreme, but we’ll pull whatever strings we can.”
“Umm...”
I wasn’t sure what to do. They didn’t seem like they had an ulterior motive, but I was wary about asking them for something. However, it’s not like I could say nothing—that might be construed as rude. I glanced toward Sasa and Lucy in their neighboring seats.
“Lady Aya, this is a rare stone I obtained in Caol Ilan.”
“Lady Lucy, this dress is the trend in Highland right now.”
“Wow, it’s so pretty.”
“It’s gorgeous!”
They were talking with some of the women from the casino’s staff. These women were showing them all sorts of things, and the girls seemed like they were having fun.
“You may have it all,” said one of the staff members.
“What?! B-But they’re so expensive,” Sasa protested.
“Uh, what do we do, Aya?”
Sasa and Lucy both pulled back in shock when they were offered the expensive gems and dresses. I suppose the items were gifts of gratitude for breaking the curse.
Maybe we should take them up on it. I could even take something back for Furiae...
Still, the Castors... The bosses of the capital’s underground...
The mafia was known across the continent. They were socially powerful, though they possessed a different kind of influence than the princesses I knew. Thinking about that dynamic, something rose up in my mind...something that I’d been considering for a while.
Before I could overthink it, I blurted out, “Can I ask for something?”
Everyone was silent. The orphans stood stock-still alongside the nun who ran the church in the slums—all of their mouths hung agape in shock.
“Hey there, I’m Peter from the Castor family!” he exclaimed. “We’re Brothers now!”
“U-Uh... Makoto, what in the...” the nun tried to ask, looking between Peter and me.
“Sorry to show up out of nowhere. The Castor family is here to offer help if you need it,” I explained. “Though, maybe I shouldn’t have interfered...”
The church was a gathering of weak people in the slums. I’d asked the Castors to include the area in their territory and look after it. As a safeguard, I’d also gotten them to promise not to recruit the orphans into the mafia.
“Thank you, Hero,” said the nun after a long pause.
“When I found out that this is where Jean and Emily grew up, I couldn’t just do nothing. I hope this helps, even if it’s not enough.”
“It’s more than enough. The demon blood that flows through these children’s veins condemns them to a life of discrimination already. And living in this dangerous area, I’ve always worried that many of them will grow up to hate the world. This safety net will help. Truly, thank you.” Her eyes were swimming with tears.
Phew, I was glad I hadn’t overstepped.
One of the orphans turned to me and said, “Thank you, big bro!”
“I’m going to be a hero too!”
“Don’t be an idiot,” said another orphan. “Commoners like us don’t get hero-level skills or stats.”
“Right, I only have stuff like Fighter (Mid Rank) and Earth Magic (Low Rank)...”
“I’ve got Fire Magic (Mid Rank). If I became an adventurer, I’m not even sure I could make it to iron rank...”
What? Seriously, what were they on about? They had super strong skills.
“Come on, you lot,” I said, beckoning the kids. “Take a look at my Soul Book and be amazed.”
I opened it to show them...
And the whole crowd let out a yell in unison.
“What’re these stats?!”
“They’re weaker than mine!”
“M-Magic: 4?”
“He’s a mage apprentice!”
“N-No way!”
“His only magic skill is Water Magic (Low Rank)...”
“No combat skills...?”
“Bro, are you really a hero?”
W-Wow... Their expressions had gone from Shock → Sympathy → Doubt. Their reactions reminded me of being back at the Water Temple!
“Listen up,” Peter boomed. “My Brother here beat the Hero of Lightning Gerald in a one-on-one fight, then he drove off five thousand ancient monsters with a single spell. He’s the real deal!”
“Whoa, you’re amazing!” all the orphans shouted.
Aaand now they were all looking envious again. Phew.
“Well, the point is that I became a hero with these stats and skills. So I think you’ll all be fine,” I told them.
“G-Got it! I can do it!”
“I’ll try too!”
“I’ll train and become a hero!”
Great, they were all happy again.
“Makoto...I’m not sure they should think of you as the standard...” Lucy whispered into my ear. Sasa nodded at her side.
“Really?” I asked.
“Everyone, the Hero of Roses here is a weirdo! When he’s not sleeping, he spends every single moment training,” Sasa told the kids.
“R-Really?”
“The whole time he’s awake?”
“Come on, Sasa, don’t misrepresent me,” I interjected immediately. I didn’t want the kids to get the wrong idea.
“G-Good,” one of the kids murmured, sighing heavily. “That would be too mu—”
“I train when I’m asleep too.”
There was a flat “what?” from everyone around us.
“Makoto... While you’re asleep?” Lucy asked.
“Takatsuki you’re such a...” Sasa shook her head. “Well, I already knew.”
The girls were now looking at me strangely too.
Whyyy? It wasn’t that weird—I usually just set Calm Mind to 99%, cast Waterball above my head, and then went to sleep. If I lost control of my magic while I was passed out, the water would fall on my head and wake me up. I thought it was a great idea; it added a bit of tension and let me train while I slept.
They let me explain all that, but then...
“See, Makoto’s a weirdo,” Lucy confirmed, “so you can all just go at your own pace.”
“Riiiight!” they chorused.
Well, in the end, they’d decided I was strange. I guess they wouldn’t see it my way. Oh well. Sasa wanted to spend the day playing with the kids, so the rest of us took our leave.
Three days had passed since the end of the chaos.
“Princess Sophia, Prince Leonardo. We will be returning to Macallan soon,” I said.
“What?! Already?” Prince Leonardo exclaimed. “All of the nobles want to meet you though.”
They did. Rumors had spread about my relationship with the Grandsage; some just said that we got along well, and others...added sweeteners. But what good would that do for me?
“It would be a good opportunity to make connections. You just don’t have the desire for it, do you?” Princess Sophia said with a reluctant smile.
“I’m just bad at talking to people I don’t know,” I explained.
“You’re still so shy,” Sasa observed.
“And yet,” Lucy added, “you’re A-okay with charging at strong monsters.”
“You can’t compare those,” I protested. “Monsters don’t talk.”
Sasa and Lucy said nothing else, just exchanged weighted looks and gave sighs of defeat. What was that all about?
Regardless, I’d told my friends from Roses about my plan to return to Macallan, so now I just needed to let the Highland officials know. But just as I set off to do that, I received a summons from Princess Noelle.
◇ Musings of Noelle Althena Highland ◇
I know. For as long as I can remember, I have known. I was raised to be the reincarnation of the holy mother, and my role is to support the savior who represents the world’s hope.
Though it seemed like a distant recollection, I remembered when Gerald, with his Hero of Lightning skill, had once been called the savior.
“I’ll defeat the Great Demon Lord!” he declared. Gerald trained with his sword every day, and I watched from the sidelines, learning the skills I would need as a priestess.
Yet as I grew, so did my uneasiness.
According to the legends, Anna the Holy Mother could heal thousands of people in an instant. Her song could give a simple soldier the strength of a thousand men. In her lifetime, she had caused many miracles.
I was far from capable of that.
It wasn’t just me... The Hero of Lightning began to plateau as well. He was considered to be the best swordsman on the continent, but Great Keith’s Olga—the Hero of Incandescence—often fought him to a draw. In ranked matches, they were always neck and neck. After a time, people began to ask questions: was this all that the savior’s reincarnation could manage?
Gradually, Gerald’s personality grew harsher and harsher.
Monsters were also growing more active by the day. Since the goddesses had offered the revelation that the Great Demon Lord would return before 1010 AS, people steadily became more uneasy.
Otherworld heroes will save us all.
Priestesses from all six nations received this revelation simultaneously. This kicked off a frenzied search across the continent for otherworlders. And when Highland heard about the Hero of Light being at the Water Temple, it used its influence to claim him.
“He is the Hero of Light, Ryousuke Sakurai. Noelle, you will become his fiancée and support him. This is my order as king.”
“What?”
That command had come from out of nowhere and had instantly annulled my engagement to Gerald. I was betrothed anew, this time, to the Hero of Light.
This also changed my position in the order of succession. I had been third in line to the throne, and now...I was first. I would be the next monarch of Highland.
The purpose of all this was to create blood ties between the Hero of Light and the royal family of Highland. None of it was of my own will. As a princess, it was my duty to follow this path. I just silently accepted it.
The Hero of Light, Sir Ryousuke Sakurai...he is a handsome man...
That was my first thought when I glimpsed him from a distance. He seemed like an agreeable young man with an easygoing disposition. However, even Highland’s leaders had been oddly cautious of inviting his ire.
“I can only assume that this all comes as a sudden shock to you,” the prime minister told him, oddly deferent. “However, Highland will support you with all of its strength.”
Our nation could not afford to offend the Hero of Light.
“It’s okay,” Sir Ryousuke responded. “This is the role I have been given. Just, my classmates...”
“You can rely on us for that.”
In exchange for joining us, the Hero of Light only wanted one thing—Highland needed to ensure that his otherworld comrades were kept safe. His friends relied upon him, and our nation would try its best to meet that condition.
The hero was also given more women, fiancées besides myself. As a priestess, I could not bear his child. However, there was a chance that he would lose his life in the upcoming war with the Great Demon Lord, so the other girls were to defend the savior’s bloodline against the possibility of extermination.
Though he and I barely knew one another, we could not be antagonistic, so we were required to have weekly meetings. That was no real burden—he was personable and a good conversationalist. At the time, though, I had no real feelings for him. Our interactions were merely a matter of duty.
However, I held two powerful positions in society: I was both a cardinal in the goddess’s church and the first in line to Highland’s throne. Fulfilling the duties of those roles was more exhausting than I had ever imagined, so I started to resent the meetings with Sir Ryousuke. Considering his own lofty position as the world’s savior, I could only imagine that he felt the same way.
In his old world, he had never even held a sword, but he was now being trained personally by the commander in chief of the army, Lord Owain. He started at dawn, polishing his skills in both swordplay and magic. At night, he learned strategy and how to lead an army. All of these lessons must have been significant burdens on him, and eventually, I thought that we should stop our pointless meetings. I even decided to consult the prime minister on it.
But one day, I became so engrossed in my work that I forgot to meet Sir Ryousuke. I had even overlooked the schedule an attendant had written for me. By the time I noticed, it was already late into the night.
He can’t still be there... I thought. I decided that I would apologize the day after, but on a whim, I checked our meeting place on the off chance he would be there.
“What?”
Despite the late hour, Sir Ryousuke was still waiting. He must have been exhausted because he was nodding off.
“Sir Ryousuke?! You did not need to wait for me until such an hour. Surely you have an early morning tomorrow?”
“Oh, Princess Noelle, are you done with your work?” He asked this with a wide smile as if he didn’t care about the hour.
I got angry.
These meetings were pointless. He shouldn’t have pushed himself so hard just to meet me.
“Sir Ryousuke, you are the most important person in Highland. You should not push yourself so far that you—”
“It’s not too far,” he insisted.
“Why are you here, then?”
“I wanted to hear more about your work in the church.”
“You want to hear...about that?” I asked, completely confused.
During our last meeting, I had touched on some things that I was personally carrying out—plans to ease the discrimination in Highland. These new policies had many opponents among the royalty and nobility. Honestly, I had been starting to think that I could not do it alone, and I’d just been complaining. He had listened to me with a smile, though I can’t imagine the topic was particularly enjoyable.
“I do want to hear it,” he answered. “When you spoke about those issues, it felt like, for the first time, I was hearing how you really felt. It made me happy.”
I let out a startled gasp as my heart fluttered. One of my skills was called Peerless Beauty, and it gave everyone I met a good first impression of me. My skill allowed me to carry out successful meetings with anyone, even if it was the first time I’d met them.
Even so, I had never truly connected with anyone.
If I had to say...I probably felt closest with Princess Sophia of Roses. After all, we had similar positions. However, for the first time, someone other than the Grandsage had pointed out that I was obscuring how I really felt.
“I thought we’d finally gotten a little closer,” he admitted, “so I didn’t want to miss today.”
His words made me pause for a moment. “You are a strange person.”
“Still,” he said, “it is late tonight. Let’s have a proper chat the next time we can.” Indeed, we didn’t talk much that night.
But...
I want to speak more with him...
He had now piqued my interest. After that night, I stopped using Peerless Beauty around him and chose to speak honestly. I admitted my dislike of Highland’s strict classist nature and the rampant interracial discrimination. I talked about the power struggles of the church, royalty, and nobility. Sir Ryousuke listened to all my complaints with a smile.
And before I knew it, I had someone I could speak openly with. The weekly meetings were now anxiously awaited, and...I had feelings for him.
There was just one issue with that though—he had many fiancées. Several of them had already borne him children. I was jealous.
Calm down, Noelle, I willed myself. I activated Serenity, which was a skill I’d learned as part of my church training. I am his first fiancée. I should be confident.
“My fiancées...they all want to improve their families’ standings, or rank higher in society,” Sir Ryousuke told me awkwardly. That was shameful—those women already had his children.
As time went on, I got to hear more and more of his worries, and we could speak more frankly with each other.
At least, until that day...
A command came down from Highland’s leaders—Sir Ryousuke was to capture the Priestess of the Moon from Laphroaig.
It was a plan that the pope had proposed to ease people’s worries. The priestess’s Charm skill could not be fought against, not by anyone. Paranoid rumors circulated, and people believed that if she put her mind to it, she would be able to restore Laphroaig. The pope’s plan was to nip that concern in the bud.
A force of the Soleil Knights and Temple Knights carried out the orders. The Hero of Light, Ryousuke, had the leading role because of his immunity to debuffs.
The mission went off without a hitch, but when he returned, Sir Ryousuke was...much less spirited.
“Princess Noelle...I saw her people,” he stated. “They were doing their best to eke out a living. Was...there any point? Any reason why we had to kill them just for protecting their priestess...?”
“I...”
“Furiae let us have it...” he continued. “She called us pillagers. Told us that her people just wanted to live peacefully...”
“I...”
The military reports said that her people had all been charmed into protecting her...but they had committed no real crime. And yet, other than the priestess herself, whose curse meant she could not be killed, every one of them had been eliminated. The pope had given the order; the Temple Knights had done it. Exterminating the people of Laphroaig had been a choice made by Highland.
I knew that Sir Ryousuke did not agree with that tactic...and I thought he might have started to lose faith in our country.
He started to visit the priestess.
“Did you...see her again?”
“I did. I’ve only heard Highland’s side so far, so I need to understand the perspectives of people outside this country.”
He was right, but I was nervous. I would never go to visit her—she could use Charm with a glance. Had he been charmed? I was anxious about it all.
So, I made a plan. I sent him away to defeat the blight dragons that had appeared in Labyrinthos. Roses’s request for aid was an answer to my problems.
I went with him to another country, figuring that it would be a change of pace. When we left Highland, his expression was dark.
But that changed right after we arrived in Labyrinth Town.
“Saki!” he yelled to another of his fiancées, Saki Yokoyama. “I saw Takatsuki!”
“Um, you mean our classmate?” she asked. It was the first time I’d seen a bright expression on his face in quite some time.
“Did something pleasant happen?” I asked.
“I got to meet my childhood friend again!” he cheered. “I knew that he stayed in the Water Temple for the whole year, but I was worried because I hadn’t heard from him. What a relief...”
I’d never seen him so happy. Curious, I investigated.
“Makoto Takatsuki...an iron rank adventurer.”
He was an otherworlder and an adventurer in the rural town of Macallan. He had increased his rank quickly, but that was nothing special for a warrior from another world. I just filed that information away in a corner of my mind.
The next time I heard of him was after the blight dragons had been defeated.
“He used king rank magic to drag both of them out?” I asked.
“Yup! That’s our Takatsuki!” Sir Ryousuke gushed. “I should have gotten him to help from the start.”
The reports had said that he was a mage apprentice. That meant he should not be able to use king rank magic...but all the knights had witnessed it.
“Maybe I should meet him...” I mused.
I had the skill Insight. While it was not on the same level as the legendary Mind Reading skill, I was confident that it could help me make a judgment about someone. And if he was capable, I wanted him for Highland.
Besides, he got along with Sir Ryousuke, and the more people supporting the Hero of Light, the better.
“Makoto Takatsuki...” I murmured.
My first impression of him was bland—he seemed like a completely ordinary teenager. He was a skilled mage but didn’t appear to be a strong combatant. I got the impression that he was a good person, if not exceptionally reliable.
In short, he was average—the type of person you could see anywhere.
That was the conclusion I drew with Insight. But, my gut intuition felt differently.
He’s... I’m not sure, but there is something about him. I didn’t know what it was, but I could not press an invite to Highland too strongly in front of Princess Sophia.
He decided to remain in Roses.
I wasn’t about to give up though, so I extended an invite to Highland. It would be an opportunity to recognize his aid in defeating the blight dragons and also to speak with him in more depth.
That had been my plan, but it had soon gone awry.
“What? Makoto Takatsuki is a State-Authorized Hero of Roses?” I was shocked. It had not been very long since he had returned from the dungeon. And at that time, he and Sophia hadn’t seemed like they were on good terms...
What in the world had happened?
He did come to Highland though. And immediately, he found himself in a skirmish with Gerald, the Hero of Lightning.
He won...
Throughout the castle, rumors ran wild concerning Roses’s new hero. I was curious, so I asked Sophia.
“What...you want to hear about Hero Makoto? He is our hero, Lady Noelle!”
Her attitude toward him had seemingly undergone a complete reversal since the dungeon.
“I-I know. Do not worry—I will not take him for Highland.”
“You had better not!”
What a change, considering that Sophia was said to be “carved from ice.” Every time she spoke about him, her eyes began to sparkle. I didn’t need my Insight (Ultra Rank) to figure it out. She was a maiden in love...
I remembered when she and I had studied together at the academy. She had told me that she would dedicate herself to Roses and never get married, so this lovestruck attitude was a significant departure for her. I didn’t know what I could do, but I wanted to support her from the shadows—I wanted to see her love come to fruition.
The Hero of Light idolized him, and he had stolen Sophia’s heart. There had to be something to this Makoto Takatsuki.
The next time he appeared, I was shocked.
“Th-The guardian knight of the Priestess of the Moon?! What are you thinking, Sir Makoto?! Princess Sophia is with you as well.”
The group from Roses had suddenly appeared one night. And...they had that cursed priestess with them. The conversation that followed was even more of a shock: the beastmen of the city had been cursed for over ten years by the Snake Sect, and that curse would activate tomorrow in the form of a rebellion.
B-But... The Great Demon Lord is yet to return. Symphonia cannot fall...
My eyes dimmed with despair.
But then the Hero of Roses spoke up, his tone easy. “So I had this idea.”
His plan was to use the Priestess of the Moon’s curse removal powers, transmitted through rainwater.
“And that pretty much explains it,” he finished. “Grandsage, can you please help with controlling the weather?”
“That is quite the tall order,” the Grandsage replied. “It will cost you.”
“I can pay in blood, right?”
Thus, the contract was sealed—the Grandsage would perform the difficult task of controlling the weather.
Using this plan, we managed to quell the rebellion facing Symphonia. Then, we defended against the Snake Sect’s attack and drove off the swarm of ancient monsters. By now, no one in Highland Castle was unaware of Makoto Takatsuki’s achievements. Yet, according to Princess Sophia, he didn’t seem to appreciate the enormity of them...
No matter what...I had to speak with him.
◇ Makoto Takatsuki’s Perspective ◇
Behind a door on the highest level of Highland Castle, protected by golden knights, was Princess Noelle’s meeting room.
“Excuse me...” I called out softly as I stepped inside.
Princess Noelle was within, backlit by a huge window. She was glowing like a painting.
“Thank you for coming, Hero Makoto,” she said. “I have heard that you will soon be returning to Roses. I want you to know that you can relax here in Symphonia for as long as you wish.”
“I can’t really seem to calm down here... New people keep visiting me every day,” I explained.
“I see. Sir Ryousuke was quite upset to hear of your departure.”
“Ah...”
That reminded me... I hadn’t spoken with him since right after the battle. He was always busy, so I’d held back and had missed out on seeing him.
“Let us speak a little about your future,” pressed Princess Noelle.
And so, we talked, covering a myriad of topics:
• The Northern Front Plan and how best to proceed
• Scheduling regular meetings that included the heroes of the six allied nations
• Enacting a cross-national support network for when blight monsters and other strong beasts appeared
• How the Snake Sect was not accepted by any country
This discussion was completely normal, and I wasn’t sure what warranted a formal and direct invite to her meeting room.
“Allow me to digress for a moment,” the princess finally said, her expression changing. While she’d been all business up to this point, she now looked a bit teasing. “What do you think of Sophia?”
I couldn’t help the noise of confusion that escaped from my mouth. “I’m grateful she made me a hero,” I eventually answered, hedging my bets. But apparently, that wasn’t the response she was looking for.
“What do you think of Sophia as a woman?” she clarified.
“Uh...”
Where had this come from? As I hesitated, Princess Noelle sighed and then smiled.
“You are the Priestess of the Moon’s guardian knight, are you not? Were you charmed into it?”
“You don’t need to worry about that,” I assured her. “Charm magic doesn’t work on me at all.” Even Noah had admitted it. I now knew that it was a hidden effect from my RPG Player skill.
“I honestly find that hard to believe... But it is a relief. Please, continue to aid Sophia.”
“I will. After all, I like Roses.” None of that was a lie. Was that the answer Princess Noelle wanted to hear, though?
She made a show of thinking, then opened her mouth again. “Incidentally, I have heard a somewhat...concerning rumor,” she said, peering at me.
“What rumor?” I asked after a moment of wondering. Was it about me?
After another pause, she spoke again. “That the Hero of Roses is the Grandsage’s lover.”
“Huh?” What did she just say?
“The Highland nobles...seem to think that you are the Grandsage’s lover.”
“Where did that come from?!” I demanded. That was even worse than my old Goblin Cleaner nickname!
“They inferred it from your conversation with the Grandsage at the party,” she explained.
Wait, that? Barely anything happened, though.
“So,” she continued, “what is the truth?”
“I’m not!” I exclaimed.
Her face sharpened again slightly. “Allow me to explain the Grandsage’s position in Highland.”
“She’s like the third most important, right?” Fujiyan had explained that to me.
“Publicly, yes,” Princess Noelle confirmed. “But listen, this country places Abel the Savior’s companions on the same level as the gods. After all, Highland was formed by him. The pope inherits Anna the Holy Mother’s position. And the Grandsage...is the descendant of the legendary mage.”
“Well, she actually is the mage, but yeah.”
The princess nodded. “Indeed... In other words, the Grandsage is akin to a god.”
I had no response.
“His Majesty...my father, cannot gainsay the pope or the Grandsage. The Grandsage is not particularly interested in influence, so her title might be in name only, but she has the highest influence of all.”
“R-Right...I see...” The Grandsage had started teaching Lucy magic, so I’d gotten on pretty friendly terms with her. Maybe I shouldn’t have...
“You hadn’t realized at all.” Princess Noelle sighed. “Sophia was right.”
“What did Princess Sophia say?”
“That you were unconcerned with the things you had done.”
“What things—” I’d paused for a moment before speaking, only to be cut on by Noah’s voice in my mind.
It’s true.
Noah? I thought back.
Reflect on your density, she demanded.
Aww, but I’ve always played it carefully.
You’re a careful player before you clear something...but afterward, you really aren’t.
Was I not? I guess I didn’t worry too much about what came after clearing a dungeon or fighting a great battle...
“Sir Makoto?” The princess was peering into my face. She was a bit too close.
“Thank you for the information. I’ll be careful.”
“Very well. Please continue to be friendly with Sophia as well.”
“I-I will.”
So she was a Princess Sophia stan, then? She’d also mentioned that, if I had the time, Sakurai wanted to see me. She really loves him, I mused.
Once we’d finished, I thanked her for the meeting, then left.
At least I hadn’t let anything slip about Noah...phew.
“Makoto, what happened with Princess Noelle?” Lucy asked when I returned to the castle entrance.
“Let’s go get food,” Sasa cheered.
“You’re late, my knight,” Furiae interjected.
The three of them were waiting at the entrance for me. Furiae was wearing a hooded robe to hide her face.
“Sorry to keep you,” I said. “Let’s head back to the inn.”
A whole lot had happened...but we’d done all we could in Highland. All I wanted was to go home—to Macallan.
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