Chapter 3: Makoto Takatsuki Heads to Laphroaig
“What?! The demons are attacking first?!” The prince of Highland screeched demandingly and stamped his foot on the meeting room floor. Was this posturing just hiding his unease?
Everyone else had tense looks on their faces. Upon the notification that the demon armies were amassed and invading, all heroes, priestesses, royalty, and nobles were gathered once more. Furiae couldn’t get involved again, so she’d remained at the inn. Sasa and Lucy were staying back there to protect her, so she was probably safe.
Princess Noelle then spoke, and the tension in her voice was evident. “Estelle, I need to confirm something.”
“What is it?”
“Iblis has not yet been reborn, correct? You are sure of this?”
“I am,” Estelle answered calmly. “The demons seem to be rushing somewhat.”
“I cannot fathom it,” the Grandsage commented after a moment. She was propping her chin up on her hand and wearing a bored expression. “What need have they to rush?”
“Who knows what goes through a filthy demon’s mind? This is an opportunity, though. It splits their fighting strength. Astaroth is not participating.” Estelle’s face was as unbothered as her voice, almost like the invasion was no big deal.
“Astaroth... Well, that is fortunate,” the Grandsage replied. “The city would fall in a night if he really tried.”
At those words, the atmosphere grew even heavier.
“The strongest demon lord...” General Talisker murmured solemnly. “He’s said to be beyond even Abel the Savior’s strength...”
“People put him on par with Iblis...but that must have been an exaggeration of history,” one of the Sacred Nobles suggested jokingly.
“Astaroth is not involved!” snapped another. “To the point at hand—do we truly have no strategy against Zagan and Forneus?!”
Estelle turned to gather the room’s attention. “On that note—”
Before she could finish, the first prince interrupted, voice dripping with hatred. “Could you not foresee this, Lady Estelle?”
“Prince Gaius,” she said coolly. “I did foresee this. However, I disclosed information to the bare minimum number of people in order to avoid needless chaos. His Majesty, His Holiness, the Grandsage, Princess Noelle, and the commander in chief of the Soleil Knights are all aware.”
Her calmness made sense now.
“So I wasn’t worth informing?” he sneered, lips twisting.
Estelle grinned impudently back.
“This invasion was foreseen. Iblis is not among our enemies—at this point, he has not returned, so that is naturally the case. Now is our chance to remove at least one of the three demon lords. My future sight has seen how the army will move. Commander Owain, General Talisker, I ask the two of you to collaborate on a strategy.”
Impressed murmurs buzzed among the group. A strategy based on foresight was certainly a heartening idea.
“I would like to hand this meeting over to Commander Owain to discuss said strategy. However, before that...” Estelle turned to Princess Noelle. “Lady Noelle, I offer you a piece of advice—take the Saint’s Trial immediately. You will pass as you are.”
“But...I cannot leave the capital in this current situation... Besides, I undertook it half a year ago but was unable to receive guidance from Althena.”
In their brief conversation, I’d picked out a phrase I hadn’t heard before. I turned to Princess Sophia by my side. “What’s the Saint’s Trial?” I whispered.
“You know that one of Abel the Savior’s companions was Saint Anna, correct? She was the Priestess of the Sun to begin with, but after overcoming trials from Althena, she became a saint who saved Abel. Princess Noelle has taken those trials several times—”
“But hasn’t passed them yet?”
Princess Sophia gave a small nod.
Princess Noelle was next in line to the throne and was high up in the church as well. She must have had just as much work as (if not more than) Princess Sophia, but she was still undertaking trials...
“Can’t another priestess do it?” I asked. Surely someone like Estelle could complete the trials rather than piling yet more onto Princess Noelle’s plate.
“The saint has to be bound to the Hero of Light,” replied Princess Sophia with a shake of her head.
Ah...yeah. Estelle won’t work then. It had to be Princess Noelle, who shared a bond with Sakurai.
While she and I were talking, the meeting had moved on to the next topic. Talk of the trials must have been postponed.
“I shall now discuss the forces of our alliance that will meet the demon lord’s army,” came a deep, carrying voice. This voice belonged to Owain Bladnoch, the commander in chief of Highland’s armies.
“Firstly, Sir Sakurai, Grandsage, please head to the north of Cameron, to the Begg Coast. Zagan’s main force should be there.”
He’d dropped that important information out of practically nowhere. I was just thinking about how I couldn’t ignore it when I suddenly felt a tap on my shoulder.
“Highland and Great Keith are having their strategies presented in order. Roses will likely be last,” Princess Sophia murmured into my ear.
Militarily, Roses was the weakest, so we would present after everyone else. That meant I’d probably be called upon last as well.
“Wait! Why must the Hero of Light sortie in the opening moves?! He should be in the capital while the advance forces whittle down the demons’ numbers!” cried Prince Gaius.
Well, I suppose it’s a sensible question, I thought as I watched him. Honestly, I agreed—wasn’t it too risky to use our trump card right away?
“Our enemy will think the same thing,” Estelle answered. “They will not imagine that we would place the savior’s reincarnation in the first wave of forces. Zagan would ordinarily be behind all of his troops...but not now. We cannot let this opportunity pass.”
There was a pause.
“And if Zagan is absent?” the prince asked.
“He will be there. My foresight showed that clearly.”
“So we need not necessarily—”
“A careless warrior will merely strengthen our enemies. Additionally, if the demon lord is injured, he will retreat and hide away. From what I have seen, this is our only chance to deal a fatal blow to Zagan.”
A much longer pause followed.
“Very well,” Prince Gauis conceded, seeming convinced. Once fate magic and future foresight came out, arguing was pointless.
Owain eyed the group once more. “Are we done? Very well. Next...”
The commander continued relaying his instructions for a while before someone spoke up. “I have a question. We know Zagan is approaching from Cameron...so who will stand against Forneus?”
The voice belonged to the Hero of Lightning, Gerald Ballantine. His tone was serious, a far cry from his usual posturing. If only he were like that the rest of the time...
“I’ll beat him back wherever he shows up! He has a water alignment, so my Thunder Sword will work well. I’ll crush him!”
Never mind... There’s Gerry.
“Have you already forgotten your loss against the elementalist, boy?” the Grandsage taunted. “Water magic can kill you as well as any other.”
“Shut it, hag! I’ve grown since then!”
In response, the Grandsage reared back and kicked him to the floor. Right after calling him “boy” too... We’re in the middle of a meeting—what are they even doing? Also, since she’d mentioned an elementalist, some people had started looking my way.
“Sir Gerald,” Estelle said, breaking into the argument. “We cannot defeat Forneus here.”
“What? Why?!” he screeched, still sprawled on the floor where he’d been kicked.
Gerry, maybe you should get up first?
“Forneus will not truly invade the continent,” explained Estelle. “Monsters under his command will attack the coastal cities and then return to the sea. I have not foreseen anything on land.”
“He is a diversion,” the commander continued, taking over. “The likely goal is preventing a true alliance of our forces. Lady Estelle has only seen his army attacking coastal towns.”
“Sir Gerald,” said Estelle, “you will proceed to the location with Forneus’s closest ally. Is that acceptable?”
Gerald was silent for several seconds before eventually growling out a sharp, “Fine.”
At his assent, the commander went back to the force distribution. “Prince Leonardo, the Hero of Ice and Snow, will accompany the army of Springrogue...”
That was a relief—we could relax since he’d be with Maximilian and Springrogue’s army.
“And that concludes assignments,” Owain said, folding up the paper he’d been reading from. “Any questions?”
Huh?
“W-Wait a moment!” Princess Sophia exclaimed. “Roses has another hero!”
“Fool!” spat the pope as he glared in my direction. “We will not rely on a wicked deity’s disciple. He’ll slit our throats in our sleep.”
The commander turned to him. “I personally think that this is not a situation where we should be leaving strength on the table.”
That’s some mild support at least...
“Commander, are you trying to make some kind of point?!” the pope demanded.
There was a long pause, and finally, the commander murmured, “I retract my statement.” The pope was the commander’s superior, so it wasn’t like he had much of a choice. The only one who would be able to speak out would be...
“Sophia, is the king not here?” I asked. This had been on my mind for a while. He was above all others in Highland, but I’d barely ever seen him.
“His Majesty is...unwell,” she replied. “He likely will not be present...”
Was there something going on? Regardless, the king’s voice was obviously something I could not rely on. As far as things stood now, I was pretty much out of the war.
I guess at this point, that might count as lucky...? I could escape from the danger of the battlefield.
Estelle then addressed the meeting room. “Your Holiness, he is a hero of Roses. Playing games with our fighters is a waste—give him some border region. There will be many monsters regardless, so he is perfectly suited for the front lines.”
There was no way that Estelle was going to get through to him. After all, she was just a foreign priestess.
“Very well.” Surprisingly, the pope folded like a cheap suit.
So...I was heading off to war as well...
“Then the Hero of Roses will be going to...”
The name Owain said was not one I’d heard before. I’d have to ask Princess Sophia or Lucy about it later. Finally, though, the meeting was over.
Princess Sophia had things to discuss with Princess Noelle and the others, so she remained in the castle. I headed back to the inn and filled the girls in on what we’d be doing.
“Cornet? That’s the town we’re going to? Sure!” Sasa replied cheerily. Nothing had happened while she was staying here, so she’d gotten kinda bored.
“Cornet? Isn’t that...?” Lucy mumbled. Something seemed to be bothering her about it—she turned to look quizzically at Furiae.
When I’d told Furiae everything, she had folded her arms with an odd look.
“Princess? What’s up?”
Furiae didn’t respond to my question, and Lucy answered instead.
“Makoto, Cornet isn’t a town... The most prosperous city in Laphroaig was called Cornet, but nowadays...”
She trailed off, not finishing her sentence. Furiae sighed deeply and then picked up from where Lucy had left off.
“She’s right. Cornet isn’t a town—it’s a ruin. It...is where I was raised.”
◇
“Noah?” I asked.
She’d brought me to her space the night before we were set to head off for battle. As always, she exuded a divine glow. Next to her was Eir, shining just as much and wearing a blue dress.
I made my way over to them.
“This is a disaster, Makoto.” Noah had her hands on her hips and wore a rueful smile.
Eir, on the other hand, was waving her arms in the air. “It’s awful, Mako. Awful!”
So...who to respond to first? Well, my goddess, of course.
“Noah, I got outed.”
She and I had similar reluctant smiles on our faces.
“The people you’ve helped were on your side though,” she replied. “It’s all thanks to you.”
Noah was right... The Soleil Knights, the people from Springrogue and Great Keith... They hadn’t turned on me, not even when they’d found out about my goddess. It was all worth it.
“Well, that’s thanks to your guidance then,” I told her.
She giggled. “That’s right—praise me more.”
Noah sure was cute when she asked like that.
“It wouldn’t have even been an issue if you’d become my believer,” Eir cajoled, her tone unhappy.
Whoops... Guess we’d ignored her.
“Hmph. That’s what you get,” Noah replied.
Ack, she’d start sulking at this rate.
“Eir, what’s ‘awful’ about the plan?” I asked.
“The war! The army wasn’t supposed to attack now!”
“Huh?”
“They weren’t?”
Noah and I were both taken aback.
“Irrie’s gone off somewhere,” Eir complained.
Oh? “Ira isn’t around?” I asked.
“Nope. She and Naya were both absent during our last meeting... Naya’s never there, so that’s fine... Althena was pissed though!”
“What do goddesses discuss at meetings?” Noah asked.
I was curious too.
“How to win the war, obviously,” Eir replied. “We’ll get less reverence points if the demons win! That’d be the worst!”
Eir had worded that seriously...but it didn’t seem like it was to them.
“They’re immortal, Makoto,” Noah explained. “They don’t care all that much about mankind or demons that aren’t even a millennium old. It’s all pretty much a game to them.”
“Not true.” Eir pouted.
That was definitely the face of someone caught out. So this was just a game to the gods?
I also wanted to comment on another point.
“Eir, I met Ira.”
“Wha?” This time, it was Eir’s turn to look confused. “No way... What are you on about? That’s not possible.”
“Well, I’m not certain, but I’d say she’s probably possessing Estelle.”
“Why do you think that?”
“While Estelle and I were talking, she spoke like she was the goddess.”
“Huh... Not bad, Makoto. Still, what’s she planning?” Noah wondered.
Eir laughed. “Not a chance. I’d definitely notice...”
Suddenly, Eir cupped her hands and...gazed into them?
“It’s her All-Seeing Eye,” Noah explained. “It’s about a hundred-million times better than your Clairvoyance skill.”
“That number’s too high to really make sense of...” I muttered. Humans couldn’t understand the true power of the goddesses.
“Ah!” Eir yelled. “No way! She’s doing it?! And all the time?! Althena forbade that kind of thing!”
“Is there something wrong with a goddess frequently possessing her priestess?” I asked. Surely it was a good thing to have a goddess close at hand for emergencies.
“Divine law forbids direct interference, and constant possession doesn’t really count as mere guidance. If the wicked deities and Titanea did the same, then all the progress we made after Titanomachia would vanish.”
“Oh...” It was more serious than I’d expected. Was Ira going to cause an issue?
“Eh, it’ll probably be fine,” Noah said dismissively. “She got past your curious looks, so she’s disguising herself well.”
“What do you mean by disguising?” I asked.
“A goddess usually leaks anima when descending through their priestess. You didn’t feel any of that, so she’s managing to hide it.”
“Not that it’s easy to do...” Eir grumbled. “Ugh! I’m gonna have to go talk to her!”
Suddenly, she was gone. Noah and I were the only ones left.
Noah peered at me steadily. It wasn’t her usual joking expression—she seemed sorrowful and serious.
“Hey, Makoto?” Even her voice sounded concerned.
“Wh-What is it?” Have I done something?
“You’re using Calm Mind now. Stop turning it up to 100%.”
“Huh...? It’s that high right now?” That was weird. I’d been trying to be careful and not use it too much.
“You’re doing it subconsciously. It’s probably because of this,” she said, snapping her fingers and uncovering my elemental arm, which was glowing blue. “You’re probably still afraid of failing that elemental conversion and being taken over. That’s what makes your skill act up.”
“I...thought I’d gotten much better with it.” It’d seemed easier to use my arm after training with it daily. Maybe I’d overestimated things.
“Right, but that’s why your feelings are slipping away,” she remarked sadly. “Janet’s confession didn’t do anything for you, did it?”
“That’s not—”
I cut myself off. In the end, I couldn’t deny it. Janet’s sudden proposal had been a shock. Her argument with Princess Sophia had been concerning as well.
Still, I felt a chill at how little it’d affected me.
“Um... Is this bad?”
“It’s because you’re using the skill at 100%. You feel nothing. That can be useful, and it can make you stronger, but if you feel nothing, you’re no longer human.”
Her serious expression was enough to make me shudder.
What should I do...?
“Well, I’ve already taken precautions,” she said.
“What?”
She put her hand over the small red mark on my arm. “My anima is stopping the transformation from progressing. You can relax—don’t use Calm Mind most of the time, okay?”
I peered at the mark again.
“That’s what it’s for?”
“It is. Your arm won’t go back to normal, but it won’t get worse either. My anima is maintaining the status quo.”
“I...see.” I touched the mark myself. The slight heat of it felt like the warmth of her affection.
“Well, I can also control you through it as a last resort...but Sacred and wicked deities alike would be on my case if I did that, so I won’t.”
“Thank you, Noah,” I said, bowing deeply. It seems like I’d ended up constantly relying on her.
She giggled. “It’s fine. Depend on me more. If anything, you don’t ask enough of your goddess.”
“That’s not true,” I protested. “I am being sent off to some ruins though, so I probably won’t get to do much for the war effort.” I was kind of sad about that—I really did want to help out.
Noah frowned angrily at me. “You should be thanking Ira for that. If she sent you to the front lines, you’d happily prance on in, wouldn’t you?”
“No, I wouldn’t. But I do want to see a proper demon lord.”
Lucky Sakurai...getting a battlefield with a demon lord...
Noah must have heard my thoughts because her expression turned hard. “I. Said. No! ‘I want to see a demon lord,’ indeed! They’re not tourist attractions!”
“I just want to peek from a distance. I mean, this is another world... That makes sense, right?”
“Wow... There’s no saving you.”
She didn’t look entirely in agreement with my stance.
“Noah—I won’t try it. I will focus on safety in my adventuring from today onward.”
“Liar,” she teased, poking me in the forehead.
“I should be getting up soon,” I said. “I’ve got a trip to Laphroaig to make.”
“You do. Take the opportunity to relax while you can.”
I bowed to her and then stirred awake.
◇
We were currently traveling to the ruined city of Cornet. This time, we were journeying in carriages—after all the trips aboard Fujiyan’s airship, this method of travel felt really slow.
I peered out of the window. Accompanying us were mounted knights, infantry, mages, and support staff. All personnel were members of the Soleil Knights. And the person leading them was...
“Sir Makoto, I have heard that this is your first expedition with the military. How are you faring?”
This question (and an accompanying smile) came from Ortho, the commander of the Soleil Knights’ first division. I’d fought alongside him against the stampede in Highland. Owain or Sakurai had probably assigned him to me because we’d worked together previously, and I felt really grateful for his presence. Speaking with new people was really hard for me!
“The trip’s been nice, but...is it really acceptable for us to have such a large carriage?”
“How could you even ask? The carriage has been requisitioned for two heroes and Rosalie’s daughter. Of course it’s grand—that’s only natural.”
I suppose that’s just how things were. Ortho held command of the army, so after we finished talking, he headed back to the center of the formation. In our huge carriage, I was sitting opposite Lucy, Sasa, and Furiae (who had Twi on her lap).
“Waheyy, I’ve never ridden in a carriage before!” Sasa cheered, chattering like a child.
Ladies and gentlemen, the State-Authorized Hero of Great Keith... I had a feeling that no one would believe that upon first meeting her.
“Wait, this is the only time you’ve been in a carriage?” Lucy asked her.
“Yeah! I’ve only traveled on airships and pegasi before now.”
“Neither of those counts as normal!”
“They don’t?”
The two of them were making a fair racket. It was like they were off on some school trip. Meanwhile, Furiae remained utterly silent. She didn’t even open her mouth and just stared out of the window.
She’d been sort of off since we’d been assigned to Cornet.
“You seem down, Princess,” I said, worry evident in my tone. I’d actually offered for her to remain in Highland with Princess Sophia, but she’d been even less willing to stay in that country. It made sense—the pope was definitely someone to worry about.
There was a long silence, and then Furiae spoke in a mumble. “Being a priestess, I was always around so many believers. Almost all were cambions with nowhere else to go.”
The word “cambion” brought the Snake Sect to my mind...but that wasn’t the case here. The cambions she referred to were not villains, but persecuted citizens, the same as the people living in the slums of Highland.
“When I say ‘believers,’ I’m talking about those who follow Naya, not the Typhon-worshippers of the Snake Sect. I told my people to run when the knights from Highland captured me. And I told them not to search for me.”
Lucy, Sasa, and I listened quietly.
“I’m sure they have been, though. As Priestess of the Moon, I was practically their idol. Some of them probably think I died and have been grieving...but all I’ve been doing is taking it easy abroad.”
“Fuu...” Sasa murmured. Lucy and I couldn’t even manage a word.
“I don’t even know how I can face them,” Furiae admitted with a self-derisive snort.
“You just need to show them how well you’re doing!” Sasa exclaimed.
“That’s right,” Lucy agreed. “You haven’t done anything wrong!”
I nodded. “And we’ll help you look for the people you know.”
All three of us were of the same mind. Ortho would surely be willing to let us have some leeway—he was an understanding guy, so he’d look the other way. Figuratively, at least, he’d be paying a lot of attention.
“We can’t just do as we please while in the middle of a march,” Furiae protested. “But...” She paused for a moment to think. “I guess...okay, I’ll think about it.” She smiled, and there was a bit more liveliness in her expression now.
Things were much brighter in the carriage after that, with the three girls mainly carrying the conversation.
That night, once we’d gone as far as we’d planned, the formation stopped to make camp. Our journey was progressing well.
“I can’t sleep...” I mumbled. I wasn’t used to traveling by carriage, especially when surrounded by so many people I didn’t know. Everyone else had drifted off quickly though...
I suppose I usually stay up late training.
Lucy and Sasa were wrapped around each other in one of the narrow carriage beds, snoring softly away. Actually, why were they even using the same bed? There was one for each of us... They’d sure gotten friendly.
Well, I guess I will get some training in after all.
I activated Stealth to make sure I didn’t wake the pair of them up as I left and then exited the carriage. I nodded at the Soleil Knights on watch as I headed off to find some water for training. Not a single cloud floated in the sky. The full moon would likely be in a few days, so the road was lit up fairly bright.
Beneath the moonlight’s glow, I saw a dark silhouette.
Huh? Is that a person?
I peered at the figure and soon recognized Furiae—her long hair and dark dress practically melted into the night.
Concern filled me since I didn’t want her to wander off on her own. However, before I could call out, she turned around. She’d noticed me as well.
“Hello, my knight.” She looked at me, hands linked behind her back. Her gaze was soft, different from the usual half-glare she usually wore. The moonlight gave her an ethereal air, like she was a flower that would fall apart at the slightest touch.
“What’s up, Princess?” I asked. I wondered whether she was still mired in regret about leaving the other faithful in Laphroaig.
She didn’t say anything and just let her gaze wander. Was she finding it hard to put her thoughts to words? I just waited quietly.
“If...” she began. “If I really was the Witch of Calamity...a person destined to bring disaster to the world...what would you do?”
Her phrasing bothered me. “Is the pope still worrying you?” I asked.
After all, he was practically the head of the Sacred Deities’ organized faith, and he had decried Furiae as an enemy of the world. Even Ira—despite her usual foresight—was unable to see Furiae’s future.
It must be bothering her. Knowing this, I responded to her question as brightly as I could. “The future’s not set in stone, y’know?”
“Nor is it so easily changed,” she countered.
“Besides,” I continued, “Ira can’t see your future, so no one knows what it will be anyway.”
“That’s...right...”
I could tell that she really wasn’t doing well. It wasn’t just coming back to Laphroaig—it was the abuse she’d endured in Highland as well.
Really...I’m a useless guardian knight...
I tried to think of something else to say that might cheer her up, but she spoke up first.
“If...if I were to become an enemy of the world...would you still be my guardian knight?”
She was usually so haughty, but this question was full of trepidation. Her watery eyes had the same uneasy look as when she’d first told me to become her guardian knight.
There was only one answer I’d give to that question.
“We’ll match, then.”
There was a long pause.
“What?” she asked flatly.
“You’ll be an enemy of the world. I already am one because I follow a wicked deity,” I clarified. “We’ll be enemies of the world together!”
“You’re so...”
I’d thought it was a pretty clever response, but Furiae looked like she’d just asked for a cold drink and I’d brought her a piping hot cup of tea.
Uh? Was that the wrong answer? Damn it! Is this a side effect from Calm Mind again?
You know Calm Mind has nothing to do with being able to read the mood, right? Noah chimed in mentally.
Come off it, goddess. That makes me sound like someone who can’t take a hint.
That’s exactly what I was implying...
Who knew what Noah was going on about?
Hey!
“No matter,” Furiae said. “Sorry for the odd question.” It seemed that her usual cynical attitude had returned. She folded her arms and gave me a fierce grin. “So, my knight. Even if I become an enemy of the world, keep protecting me,” she demanded.
“Sure thing, Princess.”
It was a promise spoken more like small talk under the moonlit sky.
“Nrow.”
Twi soon came twisting around her legs.
“Oh, you want to be on my side as well?” she asked, stroking the cat’s chin and earning a purr for her troubles. Twi was her cat in all but name at this point.
“Whose familiar are you supposed to be?” I grumbled.
“My knight’s, of course. Why else would she cozy up to your mistress?”
I was silent for a second. So that’s how the pecking order works. Twi and Furiae were both above me in that hierarchy. Got it.
“I will head to bed soon. What about you?” she asked.
“I’ll get a few hours of training in first.”
“Keep it in moderation.”
After leaving me with that warning (which was rather similar to Noah’s) she headed back to the carriage.
Several days passed the same way, with the carriage progressing during the daytime and us relaxing at night. And after those several days, we finally arrived at the ruins of Cornet.
Laphroaig had been—at least a thousand years ago—a prosperous country. The Moon Palace situated in the capital was said to have been the most beautiful in the world.
Why had this country prospered in the dark ages of the demon reign?
It was all due to the country’s princess, the Witch of Calamity. She had been in league with Iblis. At the time, this had been a secret—Laphroaig had been known as a miracle country, one that had escaped invasion for unknown reasons.
The witch had pushed through policies of harmony between humans and demons...by way of intermarriage. She’d pushed for the birth of more cambions—children born between mankind and demons—to improve race relations. These children had been intended to serve as links binding the two races together.
However, this method had been ill-chosen.
She had used her Charm Magic to force the issue without agreement from either race, and many unions had taken place without either side desiring them. Her wicked deeds had been later exposed by Abel the Savior, and upon Iblis’s defeat, Laphroaig had been thoroughly dismantled. At that point, the huge numbers of displaced cambions had become refugees.
The Witch of Calamity’s infamy had abated little, even after a thousand years. And today, this land was the home of many cambions.
It was the ruined country’s capital—Cornet.
“So this is where you grew up, Fuu?” Sasa asked. “Hmmm...”
“It’s kinda...plain,” Lucy said.
Both of them had chosen their words carefully.
I peered around. “There’s nothing here.” That was my first impression of the place. Occasional mounds of rubble that might have once been buildings were strewn about. Otherwise, though, it was just open land.
“Everyone here lives underground,” Furiae explained. “The merchants of Highland and Cameron come through on the surface.”
“Eh? Why does that matter?” Sasa questioned.
“Because they’re searching for cambion women and children to enslave,” Furiae spat. “After all, we don’t have rights.”
“Th-That’s awful...!” Sasa cried out.
Furiae’s words weighed heavily on us. Frankly, I didn’t know what to say.
“H-Hey!” Lucy exclaimed, breaking the silence. “Back when I was small, I was told I couldn’t leave the forest. They want elves for slaves as well. Especially cute half-elves like me, apparently.”
“L-Lucy?! You never mentioned that before!” I shouted.
“Oh, didn’t I?” she asked.
I knew she’d joined in to try and change the atmosphere, but her admission had been alarming. Was the Great Forest really that dangerous? Besides all that...man, this world was scary!
A dark silence filled the air, broken only by Twi meowing. That was when Ortho arrived.
“Sir Makoto, do you have a moment?” he asked.
“S-Sure. What is it?” Phew, a topic change.
“We will be making camp now. This evening, we will have a remote conference with the capital via communication magic. Please join us for that meeting. Feel free to do as you wish until camp is made, but if you are traveling farther away, please tell someone first. Also, there is a beach beyond the Moon Palace, but there is a strong possibility that Forneus’s army will attack, so keep a lookout for monsters and demons. Additionally...the chance is relatively low, but the Snake Sect may take the opportunity to strike, so be on your guard for that as well.”
That’s...a lot of warnings. Actually being at war really ramped up the tension.
“Understood, Ortho,” I replied.
“Until later,” he said, swiftly moving away. A massive tent was being constructed in the distance. Ortho gave instructions to his men, and I considered going to help, but these knights were professionals. I’d probably just end up getting in the way.
Which meant...our party had some free time.
And here I was, expecting some form of supervision... A thought had occurred to me during the journey: it was mostly the church and nobility who were so averse to the wicked deities and the Priestess of the Moon. By contrast, the knights didn’t seem to care all that much.
So, what to do with this windfall of free time?
I looked toward Furiae suddenly. She shot me a questioning look in return.
“What?”
“You know the area, right? Show us around?” I requested. When you were in a new place, it was always best to ask the locals.
“Okay. I suppose that’s fine,” she answered, turning and leading our group off.
“Fuu, you walk too fast!” Sasa protested.
“We’re coming with you, Fuuri,” said Lucy. “Heading off alone is dangerous.”
Sasa and Lucy hurried right after her, and I followed behind them, keeping Scout up. Very few buildings were still standing, but remnants of a paved road were obvious along the ground.
Furiae strode along that broken path without hesitation.
“Nothing has changed at all,” she murmured. “Not that it’s much of a surprise.”
“Really?” Sasa asked.
“Really. I grew up in these ruins for over a dozen years...” Furiae then giggled. “I’ll never get tired of the sights.”
There was a sense of enjoyment lurking under her words, so maybe she was cheering up a bit.
“I always felt like it wasn’t quite fair, seeing Highland and Roses... Everyone lives out in the open, but my people were hidden away like moles.” She giggled again. “Every time I witnessed happiness from those who’d never had to drink from the mud...I could have happily killed them.”
Nope, not cheery! Too much darkness in her heart...
“H-Hey...” I stammered. “Princess Noelle is against the class system as well, so maybe there’ll be less discrimination once she takes the throne.” I’d heard someone mention that fact at some point.
“I wonder about that,” Furiae replied. “She talks about removing the discrimination against elves and beastmen, but that doesn’t mean she thinks the same about cambions. Besides, the church doesn’t even see cambions as people.”
“I’ve...heard that before,” Lucy said darkly.
Highland was certainly infested with severely discriminatory views. Remembering how the pope acted, I could definitely imagine how deep those views went.
“Besides, how can you rely on that woman?!” Furiae snapped angrily. “My knight, from the moment she was born, she’s had everything handed to her. I don’t want to hear any more about the Priestess of the Sun!”
I don’t think she’s had everything since birth... I thought. After all, she’d originally been third in line to the throne. And in fact, she’d only risen up in succession after becoming betrothed to the Hero of Light—Sakurai. She was merely half of the pair. Until then, she would have been aiming for the pope’s position and training herself as a priestess.
Princess Sophia had called Princess Noelle a far better person and a hard worker, so I’d formed that image of her as well... Still, this wasn’t the time or place to mention it.
“I won’t bring her up again,” I assured Furiae. Then, changing the subject, I asked, “By the way, where are we heading?”
“There,” she answered, pointing. A smallish hill rose up from the landscape in that direction—a large pile of stone bricks sat atop it. Though it definitely counted as ruins now, the bits of architecture that remained certainly looked the part of a once-great building.
“That’s where the Moon Palace used to be. I lived underneath it,” she explained.
At that, we descended.
“Huh, there’s so much space under here,” Sasa commented.
“Were they once secret passages?” Lucy asked.
They both peered around with interest. We were currently in a wide, circular area, with many tunnels branching off the hub.
“They were,” responded Furiae. “The former palace had practically a labyrinth of secret passages underneath it. They were designed as escape routes for wartime.”
“It’s kind of like Great Keith’s capital,” I remarked as I recalled searching the underground passages for the Snake Sect alongside the Herald Knight.
They’d used a sacrificial rite in those tunnels to try and destroy the city... I’ll prepare Scout...just in case, I thought, making sure my skill was ready to go.
It found something instantly.
“Sasa, Lucy! People are hiding over there. Princess, c’mere!” I exclaimed.
“G-Got it,” Furiae stuttered, rushing quickly over to me.
The people hiding were faster, though.
“Don’t resist.”
“Kill the knights!”
“Save Lady Furiae!”
“For the glory of the cambions!”
Suddenly, the figures hiding in the shadows came rushing at us. The person closest to the masked people...was Sasa.
“If you want her to surv— Gauh!”
The leader seemed to have decided that Sasa looked pretty weak compared to the rest of us, so he’d tried to grab hold of her...and was sent flying.
Sasa had a blank look on her face and held her right hand out in front of her. I hadn’t even seen her throw the punch.
The rest of the attackers stopped all at once.
Yup, she’s our strongest, I thought toward the leader.
“Are they from the Snake Sect?” Lucy wondered. She held her staff over her head, along with a rumbling ball of fire five meters in diameter. It was always intimidating to see Lucy’s fireballs. A hit from one wouldn’t even leave bones behind—I was sure of it.
“Makoto, I’m going to fry the lot of them,” she growled.
“Sure. Leave the leader behind, though. We’ll take him back to Ortho.”
“Okey dokey!” she cheered with an impish wink. Our whole exchange was obviously a joke.
The massive fireball started billowing as Lucy poured more of her ridiculous mana reserves into it. It’d probably take out the whole palace if she let it fly...and we’d also be buried alive if she did.
More, and more. She just kept pumping mana into the fireball she’d never launch. The air grew drier, fragments of mana burned in the air, and it became harder to breathe.
The people attacking us must have been absolutely terrified.
Suddenly, the man Sasa had sent flying let out a cry. “W-Wait! If you’re going to kill us, just kill me! Please, let the others go!” he pleaded.
“Oh, you seem familiar...” Furiae mused, stepping from out behind us. “Havel, is that you? What are you doing?”
“Lady Furiae! Ahhh...to think the day would come that I could see your face again! Our comrades will save you! You need only wait!”
These guys...
“Friends of yours?” I asked her.
“They are... My knight, mage, if you would wait a moment?”
In answer to Furiae’s request, Lucy let her spell fizzle out. She really had gotten so much better with magic. “I never thought I’d see the day her spells were so reliable...” I mumbled.
“What? Makoto! Seeing you so choked up over a fireball isn’t exactly comforting!” Lucy chastised.
“What’re we gonna do with them, Takatsuki?” Sasa asked, pointing to the masked group.
“Lady Furiae!”
“Priestess!”
“M-Meeting you again—”
“Is a blessing.”
The group had removed their masks and were kneeling on the floor around the princess. Some of them had been moved to tears, and their voices shook as they all but prayed to her... What on earth?
“Princess, can you give us an introduction already?” I asked, waving at her.
“How dare you speak to her in such a way!” the leader—Havel—boomed.
“What did you say?” Sasa demanded, activating Menace.
They all yelped, and Havel fell back to his knees. The others shrunk back as well.
That was a lamia queen’s Menace for you... Properly terrifying!
“Wait a while, my knight!” Furiae commanded.
“Sure thing,” I answered before settling in to do just that. As far as I’d seen, we probably didn’t have to worry about them hurting her.
Lucy, Sasa, and I waited for the others to finish talking. I just observed them vaguely.
“Hey, Makoto... Have you realized?” Lucy whispered meaningfully into my ear. “They all look...”
“Yeah, they’re all cambions.”
The people around Furiae all had horns, red eyes, or the like—demon features. They were just like the cambion children we’d met in the orphanage in Highland. These people were all visibly related to demons. Also, I’d thought they were all men at first, but there was at least one young woman among them. What kind of relationship did these people have with one another?
Furiae spoke with them for a while before leaving them behind and coming over to me.
“I am sorry, my knight. They follow Naya as I do, and they wanted revenge on the Highland knights for taking me away. Can you let their behavior pass...?”
“Hmmm...”
Well, technically, they had attacked us. Because Sasa was so strong, it hadn’t really been an issue, but if they’d gone after Lucy... Actually, no, she would’ve managed something—she’d grown pretty strong recently.
I was the weakest in close combat. Now, how to answer?
“The punishment for a cambion attacking someone is death...without exception...” Furiae added.
“What?!” Sasa exclaimed in shock. I was on the same page—that was pretty extreme.
“That’s why you want me to let it go?” I asked.
“W-Will you?” she asked, a clear expression of fear on her face. She must have been close to them. “I...lived with them when I was young. I certainly do not want to see them killed.”
“So you’re childhood friends...?” If so, it made sense that she’d want to save them.
I glanced at Lucy and Sasa.
“You can decide,” Lucy said.
“I see no problem with that,” Sasa remarked. “No one got hurt.”
“If you two say so,” I replied before turning to Furiae. “I didn’t see anything happen.”
“Y-You’re sure...?” she asked.
“Yeah. Though, make sure they don’t attack the Soleil Knights again.”
“Thank you, my knight.”
If one of my childhood friends—for example, Sakurai or Sasa—were in danger of dying, I’d definitely do my best to save them. I would never be able to just watch them get executed. Of course, I couldn’t exactly imagine either of them being in danger... If anything, I was the one most at risk.
“Thank you, Lady Furiae... And our apologies to you all.”
Her acquaintances all bowed their heads. Though, I had to admit, none of them sounded like they were childhood friends with her. I suppose it must have been because of how important her position was to them.
“B-But!” One of them spoke up. “You call him your knight...is he your guardian knight, Lady Furiae?”
“Yes, he is.”
“Why?! We would lay down our lives for you!”
“That’s right! He barely has any aura or mana! I doubt he can protect you!”
“Please! Come back to us!”
They practically had their heads to the floor as they pleaded with her.
Guys, can you not just dismiss me like that?
“My knight is the Hero of Roses. He also defeated Bifrons in Springrogue.”
There was a collective noise of confusion and surprise.
Did I really look that weak?
“The warrior that blasted Havel away is Great Keith’s hero.”
This time, the group uttered words of understanding.
Oh, so you can accept that one?!
“You saw the mage’s mana earlier. A hundred of you wouldn’t be enough to defeat them. And besides...if I chose a cambion as my guardian knight, Highland’s Temple Knights would slay them where they stood.”
Everyone fell silent.
“Guh. You, what’s your name?” the leader—Havel—asked me.
“Makoto Takatsuki...”
“Makoto Takatsuki...an otherworlder, then?”
He was all up in my face. The man had silver hair and dark skin. His features were fairly handsome, but his red eyes and the horns on his forehead betrayed him as a cambion.
“Please...look after Lady Furiae,” he murmured, almost glaring as he bowed his head reluctantly.
“I will.” Not that I needed him to tell me that.
“Lady Furiae, I am unsure how much assistance we will be, but should you ever need it, all of Laphroaig will stand with you.”
After those parting words, the man signaled the others with a look, and they went to leave.
“Wait,” Furiae called out to them. “The demon lords’ armies are heading to this continent. Did you all know that?”
“Yes, we did...but this is still the only place we have left,” Havel replied with a saddened smile.
“I...I see. Take care.”
The cambions bowed once more before vanishing down one of the passages.
At least we managed to avoid a pointless fight. Something’s still bothering me, though...
I’d probably get accused of not reading the mood because of it...but well, we were at war.
“Um...Princess?”
“What is it, my knight?”
“Ah, well it’s kinda awkward to ask, but...”
I was trying to decide how to actually word it when she cut me off.
“You’re worried they’re connected to the Snake Sect?”
“Well...yeah.”
“I thought you might be concerned about that, so I used my Charm to listen to their intentions. They weren’t lying—they have no links to the armies.”
“Oh, okay.” She always did pay attention, and I was relieved by her assurance.
It was now time to return to the Soleil Knights since I had a meeting to attend this evening. As we headed back to the campsite, I felt a poking at my shoulder.
“Say...my knight?” Furiae asked, looking up at me through her eyelashes.
“Yeah?”
“What if I was lying? What if they were working for the demons?”
“Were you?”
“Well, no, but...”
“Then I trust you.”
Her eyes widened.
“What’s up?” I asked.
“Some woman’s going to take advantage of you like that!” she shouted, avoiding my look.
I didn’t understand how I’d pissed her off.
“Look how red Fuu is. What’d you say to her?” Sasa teased, taking her place.
“Nothing really,” I said.
“Hmm.”
“Do you do it on purpose?” Lucy asked. “Or is it all natural?”
She must have overheard our conversation.
“What’d he say?” Sasa asked her.
“That he trusts in Fuuri.”
“Well, neither of you think she’s lying either, do you?” I pointed out. “That’s why.”
The two of them just stared at me oddly for a moment.
“Flatterer.”
“Bane of women.”
Pickup artist.
Now even Noah was getting on my case!
“Shouldn’t we be focused on heading back?” Furiae yelled at us. “You’ve got that meeting tonight!”
Whoops. Definitely didn’t want to be late to that.
And so, we proceeded to the campsite. As soon as we arrived, we were ushered to the big tent in the middle of everything else.
“Wow...”
“It’s the same as in Springrogue.”
Inside, a myriad of images floated in the air. This must’ve been the communication magic they’d been talking about earlier. I remember that back in Springrogue, the village chiefs had used it to confer with one another.
According to Ortho, it was a standard spell now used by all the nations’ militaries.
The largest of the images was of the Soleil Knights’ overall commander, Owain. I could see Sakurai by his side, and the Grandsage was there as well...sleeping?
“Now, let us begin,” Owain said softly. “To start off this strategy meeting, let us discuss the situation on the demon continent.”
“Yessir! I can begin,” one of his subordinates responded, prompting everyone to focus on him. “Firstly, the army led by Zagan is...”
He read out what we knew of the armies’ positions, strengths, and organization. Everyone listened with serious expressions, nodding along. However, since I’d come from another world, none of it was really sinking in. Hearing different place names and the names of smaller demon races meant nothing to me.
I looked back—Sasa had apparently gotten bored as well and was just stroking Twi.
You’re a hero too, you know?
“Lucy, Princess, any hints?” I asked them quietly.
The two of them shook their heads.
“Well...I don’t really know anything about the geography of that continent...” Lucy responded.
“I hadn’t left Laphroaig until recently, so I do not know.”
Guess they couldn’t offer any insight. If Princess Sophia or Fujiyan were here, then they’d probably be able to explain...
I’d just have to ask Ortho later.
The knights relayed a lot of information on the demon army, and the flow of intel showed no signs of stopping anytime soon.
Suddenly, I noticed Princess Sophia in one of the images. She was next to Princess Noelle, so they were probably in Highland’s castle. I also spotted Estelle—the Priestess of Fortune—so maybe they were gathering all the priestesses too.
The image of Princess Sophia met my eyes. She smiled slightly, mouthing words. “I wish you luck,” was what it looked like—just some soundless encouragement.
Should I reply somehow? I hesitated but ultimately offered a wave back.
“Hero of Roses! Quit your flirting!”
Guh!
The yell had come from Gerry—the Hero of Lightning.
Everyone looked toward me at once.
“Taking it easy, elementalist? If you’re bored, why not come down here?” the Grandsage asked with a smirk.
All the gazes I felt upon me were cold...and Princess Sophia’s face was bright red.
Sorry, Sophia!
The other princess at her side offered some support. I’d need to apologize properly later.
“What are you doing?” Lucy demanded.
“My knight, are you a fool?”
“Come on, Takatsuki, you’ve got to listen.”
Getting chastised by Lucy and Furiae was one thing...but I didn’t want to hear that from Sasa!
“Well, since we seem to be boring people, let us leave the reports there for now.”
Even Commander Owain was getting in on it... I’d apologize to everyone later for interrupting the conference.
“Lady Estelle,” Owain said. “Please explain our next steps.”
“Very well,” she replied, stepping forward. “Over the next six days, Forneus’s armies will make landfall.” She continued speaking fluidly. “The coasts of Caol Ilan, Highland, Great Keith, Springrogue, and Roses will all see incursions. We cannot, however, pay them heed—they are all diversions, traps to divert the Hero of Light from our main forces.”
All of the people in the images listened raptly.
“On the seventh night, Zagan will attack Cameron. He is aiming to kill the Hero of Light and weaken the country as a whole. Should he fail at his main objective, using Cameron as the battlefield will still weaken our alliance as a whole.”
Cameron was the center of our logistics—crushing it would hamper us considerably.
“That makes sense,” General Talisker said after a while. “Yet, this course of action seems far more prudent than we would usually expect from the demons.”
“Precisely, General. The plan came not from the demons, but the cambions. The archbishop Isaac, to be exact, of that damned Snake Sect.”
“Those parasites...we should just wipe them all out, Snake Sect or not!” That excessive comment had come from the bishop.
I heard a “tch” from Furiae. She can’t have been pleased to hear the bishop’s remark. I offered her a silent apology, hoping she wouldn’t make a scene.
Weird, though...
If what Estelle said was correct, would Laphroaig not be attacked?
Said woman looked my way, and as if reading my mind, spoke up. “Ah, right. The armies will go to the ruins of Cornet as well. There are only cambions there anyway, but it would be rather bothersome if they established a base on the continent, so drive them off if you would, apostle of Noah.” Estelle—or more accurately, Ira—sounded bored as she relayed those instructions.
“I understand.” Did she really need to say “apostle” like that...?
“Do you truly?” she countered. “The aim of our battles is to crush Zagan’s army. Then, to prepare for the return of Iblis, we must keep as much of our strength as possible. Pointless battles are out of the question. Wicked apostle, you are known to readily run into danger, so do I make myself clear?”
She was speaking like she’d been watching over me, and I guess she had been... “She” being, of course, Ira.
“Tomorrow, around ten thousand sea monsters will arrive in Laphroaig. They will likely remain just out of range, provoking you.”
“Tomorrow?!” I exclaimed. That’s so soon!
“However, you cannot go out to fight them. These monsters are skilled in ambush, so they may even attack some of the country’s citizens... We cannot afford to lose fighters. Leave them be.”
I heard a short, aggrieved noise from Furiae at the cool instruction.
“But of course. Cambions are worth less than insects. There is no need to waste our resources on them.” That statement came from the bishop’s mouth, but the majority of people present agreed.
Bastards...
I knew I had to say something. But just before I could, Furiae turned to me.
“Hold, my knight,” she whispered.
“Princess?”
“You are in a bad position now that they know your allegiances. Do not make any more trouble!”
“But—”
“Do not!”
Well, if Furiae was going to insist...
“I’ll keep that in mind,” I said to Estelle on the screen.
The priestess nodded in satisfaction. “Good.”
“That wraps up our meeting. If there are any changes, report at once,” Owain announced, addressing the whole group.
Thus concluded the strategy meeting between the six nations. The images flickered out one after another. However, I really wasn’t at ease—I needed to relax.
I’ll just do some training once we’re released.
Once all the images had disappeared, Ortho called out, “Hero Makoto,” stopping me in my tracks.
“What is it?” I asked.
“You need not worry about the cambions.”
Furiae and I looked questioningly at him.
“Princess Noelle instructed us to protect the citizens of Laphroaig without distinction. Commander Owain is of the same mind.”
“He is?” Neither of them had said anything against the priestess or pope earlier...
“Our positions mean we can say nothing against His Holiness, but the final decisions in military matters rest with the commander. Princess Noelle wants to remove the racism, and he agrees with her. We will protect the people of Laphroaig,” the man asserted strongly.
So that’s how things were behind the scenes.
The first division that Ortho led had many of the veterans and older knights within its ranks. It had seemed a bit weird for them to be defending Laphroaig, but now the order made sense.
“That’s good. Right, Princess?”
The question hung for a moment before Furiae answered. “It is. She intends to treat the cambions fairly.”
Despite her assent, she had a conflicted look on her face. Was it because Princess Noelle was involved? Whatever her misgivings with the sun priestess, Furiae had to be grateful for what she was doing here. Regardless of the reasoning, that was one less thing to worry about.
I tried to walk away again, but Ortho grabbed my hand.
“Ortho?” I asked.
“We aren’t done yet, Sir Makoto,” he said, his grip tightening. “These meetings will determine the future of the continent. I must ask that you focus on them.”
“R-Right...” He was definitely correct.
“You seem unfamiliar with the geography of the demon continent and the races making up their armies. I will explain them for future reference. Do you have the time now?”
After a beat, I said, “Yes, of course.” Waving at Princess Sophia during the meeting definitely hadn’t gone down well with this military man.
“Right then—Lucy, Sasa, Princess, you too!” I announced.
“What?!” they all complained.
Hey now, I don’t want to do this all on my own!
In the end, we had to sit through the lecture for several hours before we could leave.
◇ The Next Day ◇
“Enemy sighted! Ten thousand strong!” came a yell from the Soleil Knights on guard.
“Estelle was right,” I mused.
“Just as predicted,” Ortho replied gravely.
We were standing on the coast behind the Moon Palace. The enemies were finally close enough that we could see them with Clairvoyance. Sea monsters were slipping in and out of sight in the distance. Each one of them was about as long as a fishing boat.
“Sir Ortho! Deployment on the beaches is complete!”
“Of course. We will follow Lady Estelle’s directions and not engage on their terms. They are trying to provoke us.”
“And if they attack?”
“Let them get as close as possible. Do not allow them to make landfall,” Ortho ordered.
“Understood!”
“What are we doing for the night watch?”
“An eight-hour rotation, twenty-four hours a day. The shifts have been distributed to the squads already.”
“Good. Now, the next thing...”
The tense conversation between Ortho and his subordinates carried on for a while.
I thought back to the lecture yesterday. My misunderstanding that sea monsters wouldn’t cause problems on land had been corrected—just because they were based in the ocean didn’t mean they couldn’t come onto the beach as well. They spent most of their time in the water but could remain active on land for several days.
In other words, where we were standing right now could become a battlefield.
Once more, I gazed out at the open expanse of water in front of us. It’s been a while... I thought. The last time I’d been near the ocean was when I’d tried to reach the Seafloor Temple.
The important thing was...that the ocean was awash with water elementals.
“Hmm...” I folded my arms in thought.
“What’s up, Makoto?” Lucy asked, propping her head on my shoulder and pressing her cheek into mine. I could feel her warmth on my skin.
“There are a lot of water elementals here,” I replied. I’d never seen so many in one place before.
“Huh, are there? Can you see them too, Lu?” Sasa had jumped onto my back, slinging her arms over my shoulders from behind. I could feel her soft frame pressing against me.
“I can’t,” Lucy replied. “I don’t have a high enough level in water magic.”
“Hmph. You’re a mage, though, so you should be able to see them if you train. You two are so lucky,” Sasa griped.
She and Lucy were chatting away, leaning closer and closer to me as they did.
“Guys, you’re a bit—”
Before I could finish, Furiae interjected.
“Stop clinging to my knight so much!”
The two girls yelped as Furiae grabbed them by the scruffs of their necks and lifted them like cats.
Furiae was pretty damn strong...
“Say, my knight, perhaps we should go back to the tent?”
We’d actually been told by Ortho to wait—we were supposed to be on hand if the monsters attacked. I’d wanted to see the beasts for myself, so we’d accompanied the knights.
Furiae was sneaking glances at the monsters as she suggested we leave. It made sense that she’d be bothered by an army on her homeland’s borders.
“Let me down already!” Lucy protested.
“Fuu! Let us goooo!”
Both of them were kicking their legs in the air. Again, like cats.
“Put ’em down, Princess. Also, just give me a minute.” I wanted to check something, so I lifted my right hand toward the sky.
“×××××××××××××× (Elementals, elementals,)” I called...prompting clouds to swirl into being and start to disgorge water. Even more water elementals gathered around us, and huge amounts of mana started to coalesce in my hand. It felt like enough to cast several king rank spells.
“My knight...did you just change the weather?” Furiae asked, somewhat aghast.
Lucy stared worriedly at my arm. “M-Makoto, that mana...”
“Wah! Cold! Hi-yah! Hi-yah!” Sasa was batting away every drop of water that got near her.
Whoa...
The air shivered, and the sea seemed to rise a little higher in response.
It was going well. I had plenty of mana...
Makoto, Laphroaig doesn’t have much influence from the Sacred Deities, so there are more elementals there than in other places.
That makes sense, Noah. It was good news—I could have a steady supply of mana even without using my arm.
“A-Ah...Sir Makoto? What in the...?”
I realized that Ortho had come over. I looked between him, my hand, and the distant monsters. Then, I remembered the worried look on Furiae’s face.
Before I could give it a second thought, the words tumbled from my mouth.
“Ortho, do you mind if I get rid of that army?”
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