In a Different World with a Smartphone (LN) - Volume 7 - Chapter 2

Chapter II: The Knight Princess’ First Love 

A month had passed since the Phrase invasion, and nothing odd had happened since then. 
The guildmaster, Relisha, did show up and ask for an explanation of what exactly went down. Apparently there was a branch in Yulong that got completely trashed. 
The civil war, if you could even call it that, was continuing in Yulong. Every now and then a new noble would appear and claim he was the rightful heavenly emperor, only to be killed by another noble declaring himself as the true heavenly emperor, and so on. 
Yulong itself was no longer a unified country; it had broken down into several city states within the former country’s territory. It would be more apt to call it the “Yulong Region,” as it no longer had any singular national identity. I wondered if they’d do what the nearby Roadmare Union did, and eventually form a unified alliance amongst the smaller states. 
“Those arrogant idiots won’t last long if they pursue spring dreams.” 
“Hm? What do you mean?” 
“I’m saying that no matter how they prosper, they obviously wouldn’t have lasted forever. Just like a little dream in the midst of early spring, their ideals are fleeting.” Monica looked confused at my explanation, so I just went about and dropped it. After thinking about it, I realized Yulong had probably lasted a long time as a nation, so my musing wasn’t exactly on point. 
The fact that Yulong was destroyed by mysterious invaders didn’t take long to spread to other nations. 
In the end, not quite as many Yulong nobles continued to slander me as I’d expected. Plus, I had the guild help mitigate the damage by distributing flyers and information to adventurers. The information concerned the Phrase, explaining what they looked like, what they were called, and the fact that they had ravaged the world in the past. 
I also disclosed their strengths and weaknesses. I was hoping that adventuring parties would be able to take out Lesser Constructs if they were equipped with that information. 
We had no idea where they’d appear next, after all. It was necessary to finally make them public knowledge. 
Still, if I was to believe what Ende had told me, I wouldn’t have to worry about another grand invasion for a while. 
“So then, we can only have four Fragarach drones equipped to a Frame Gear at once?” 
“Sir yes sir! If we equip any more, then the Frame Gear’s mobility will be hindered, sir!” That certainly wasn’t something we wanted. A Frame Gear that couldn’t move well might as well have been a sitting duck. The four-drone limit had nothing to do with the pilot, it was simply a technical limitation of the outdated Frame Gear schematics we had on hand. 
Rosetta had just finished installing four Fragarachs onto a Knight Baron, so she promptly descended from its shoulder. 
They were arranged in a cross-shape on its back. Since they were sword-shaped and made out of phrasium, they could also be used as conventional weapons in a pinch. 
Using a Fragarach to attack was something that consumed exhaustive amounts of energy, so it wasn’t something I could have people use consecutively. I’d asked if we could use [Transfer] in advance to give the pilots more to work with, but apparently after synchronizing with the pilot’s wavelength, the Frame Gear would either reject my magic, or make it so only I could control the Fragarach drones. Neither were particularly appealing. 
We’d finished making the new weapon, but there was certainly a lot to consider about it... 
My liege, is everything well...?? 
Hm? Kohaku? I’m alright. Something going on with you?? Kohaku was currently back at the royal castle, so I was surprised to receive a telepathic message. 
Representatives from a foreign nation have arrived at the castle. They’re seeking an audience with you.? 
Foreign representatives? If they’re from Yulong, just chase them the hell out already.? 
They’re certainly not from Yulong. They appear to be from, er... a place called Lestia. Some kind of Knight Kingdom.? 
Oh, that sounds familiar... Wasn’t that the place where I flew over and helped that Hildegard girl fight against some Phrase...? Yeah, now I remember! I saved her and gave her a phrasium sword. She did say something or other about making it up to me, I think... I wonder if this is it! I used [Gate] to go to my throne room, but nobody was there. What the heck? 
“Ah, Your Majesty. Please, this way.” I was looking around the room like a moron when Lapis showed up and beckoned me to follow. 
“Didn’t we have a group from Lestia here?” 
“Yes, we did... But when I asked them to wait a while, they headed for the training grounds to watch our knight order practice their swordplay.” Huh, that makes sense. If they’re from the Knight Kingdom, they’ve gotta love a good fight. I can understand why they might wanna watch foreign soldiers display their skills, too. So long as they’re just watching, it’s no biggie. 
I arrived at the training grounds to find Logan and a female knight dueling with training swords. But that wasn’t just any female knight. It was Princess Hildegard! I had no idea how to react. 
“Haaah!!!” The knight princess delivered the final blow, screaming loudly as she disarmed her foe. Logan’s sword flew up into the air. She was pretty damn talented, that was for sure. 
“Match concluded!” Nikola’s voice reverberated through the field. The crowd, huddled around and watching the fight intently, erupted into cheering. I could see members of my knight order, as well as Lestian knights. 
“Th-Thank you so much, venerable princess...” 
“And to you.” The two exchanged pleasantries, and with that the match was over. Just as I’d wondered if she’d spotted me, I saw the girl pick up the pace and head in my direction. Her long blonde hair shimmered as it blew in the gentle wind. She was clad in her usual armor, but had the sweetest little smile on her face. Now that I had a better look at her, she looked to be around Yae’s age. 
“Y-Your Highness... I-It’s been a while!” 
“Yep, sure has. But uh, more to the point... what’re you doing here, Princess Hildegard?” I returned her greeting, but was mostly just surprised to see her. 
 

“This visit is my way of saying thanks for that incident. There’s also something I wished to ask of you... Still, I’m not here as the representative, but more of an attendant.” 
“...Attendant to who, exactly?” 
“That would be me.” An elderly fellow stepped out from the gathering of Lestian knights. He looked close to seventy years old. He had a long white mustache on his face, and hobbled along with a gnarled cane. Even though he walked with a cane, his back was completely straight. He had an excellent poise about him and seemed fit for his age. Suddenly, I had a thought as to who he might be... 
“It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance, Grand Duke of Brunhild. My name is Galen Yunas Lestia. I am the former king of Lestia, and a Gold-ranked adventurer, much like you.” The old man took a guild card from his pocket, presenting it to me. It was definitely the real deal. I was pretty sure this guy was the only other person on the planet to share my rank. 
“It’s a pleasure, sir. I’m Mochizuki Touya. I’ve heard about you before. Guildmaster Relisha spoke well of you.” 
“Ohohohohohhh... You have my gratitude, young man. You brought us something wonderful recently. I was wondering if I might be able to confer my thanks, and make my way around Brunhild to see what this fine nation has to show for itself.” 
“I guess that could be arranged...? There’s not a lot going on in terms of sightseeing, but you’d be an honored guest if you decided to stay here a while.” I reached out to shake the former king’s hand, but somehow... I missed. Wait, what? 
“Eeek!!” I turned around in response to the sudden scream, only to find Lapis clutching her behind and shuddering violently. The former king had somehow flash-stepped behind her, and was making a groping motion with his palm. 
What. 
“Oh, you must forgive me... This is just a habitual manner of mine. Goodness me... What an exceptionally firm ass. I can tell you’re no mere maid, since it’s toned to perfection.” 
“G-Grandfather, please! We’re guests, this is not Lestia! H-Have some restraint...!” 
“You’ll have to forgive me, my hand moves on instinct when it senses a righteous rump. I’ve been rather patient until now, restraining myself in a magnificent sea of asses, but I’m almost at my limit, you know? Bwahahahaah...” Hildegard suddenly got mad at the former king. That was a little jarring. Given her response, I had to assume his behavior here wasn’t out of the norm. If I recalled correctly, she seemed a little reserved when I’d mentioned the former king during our last meeting. Now I understood why. 
But more importantly, I had no idea how or when he’d gotten past me. Lapis was also a former member of Espion, and was a fully trained spy, so it made no sense that he’d gotten behind her with such precision and speed. 
The old man was absolutely not an ordinary person. He clearly had his Gold rank for a reason. Then again, he could’ve just been exceptionally talented at being a pervert. 
“Please forgive us! This is just... my grandfather’s reflexes taking hold. O-Once he’s touched you, he’ll generally leave you alone, so don’t worry.” 
“Hah... Goodness me...” What the hell kind of reflex is that supposed to be? I can’t believe this guy ruled over a kingdom of knights. This isn’t the kind of guy I was imagining at all! 
For the time being, we returned to Brunhild castle. Then, we took the group of Lestian knights toward the barracks of our own knight order. Some of them decided to stay as escorts for the visiting royalty, of course. 
We entered the castle, and I was about to guide them, but... 
“Eeek!!” 
“Ohohohohohhh...” 
“Grandfather!” The incident kept repeating itself. Our maids didn’t even have a chance. I was worried he’d end up causing an international incident, honestly. 
I was sorely tempted to restrain him with [Gravity], but... 
“Oho... It’s Touya. Good morning, y’know?” My sister... Karen, walked around the corner all of a sudden. In a flash of lightning speed, the former king of Lestia bolted toward her, hand groping its way toward her butt. 
Before I could blink, however, the old man was on the ground, rolling in the opposite direction. 
“What...” From my perspective, Karen’s posture hadn’t changed. She was clearly untouched. It was as if she hadn’t moved. The dumbfounded old man stayed there on the floor, staring into space. 
“Hey bro, who’s this guy?” 
“Huh, oh... He’s the former king of the Lestia Knight Kingdom.” 
“Oh, gosh... He’s certainly a lively old man, y’know?” I introduced Karen to our Lestian visitors, who were equally as surprised as I. Given that Karen was posing as my sister, that also technically made her royalty, too. 
“Please forgive my sister, she can be a little... brash.” 
“No, goodness no! This was our fault from the beginning! I honestly think my grandfather needed something like that. A little divine punishment, ahaha.” She had no idea how close to the truth she was. I kept my mouth shut, though. Her grandfather was lucky to only be slightly injured after trying to grope the ass of a literal god. 
“But truly, you’re amazing. Suppose I’d expect as much of His Highness’ elder sister. This is the first time I’ve met a woman who can repel my grandfather’s advan...ces... Erm... i-is there something on my face?” 
Karen was staring intently at Hildegard. Her eyes were wide, as if staring into the poor girl’s soul and searching for secrets. After a little while, Karen abruptly spoke up. 
“You’re in love, aren’t you?” 
“Wh-Huhwhat?!” Hildegard shrieked, shrinking back as crimson shot across her cheeks. Her composed expression was completely obliterated, replaced by a profusely sweating brow and panicked eyes. 
“Wh-Whatever do you, uhm... mean?! L-Love?! Love?! HAHAHA! Ha! Don’t be silly, ma’am!” 
“Mfuhuhu... Love can never escape my gaze, y’know? Would you like me to give you some pointers? You should come to my room later, I’ll teach you proper courtship etiquette.” My dear older sister left for the dining room after leaving a weird passing comment. Hildegard was beet red, both hands over her face. I couldn’t quite make out what she was muttering, either. 
“Hey, uh, you okay?” 
“Huh?! Yeah! HAHA! I’m great! I’m really, really great, actually. Thank you so much for asking, but I am great!” Are you sure about that...? If you were any redder there’d be steam coming out of your ears. 
Still, if Karen had said she was in love, then she was in love. When the Goddess of Love said something about that, I’d be inclined to believe it. It seemed that in the end even female knights have the hearts of fair maidens. Her face turned so red after thinking about the guy she liked. He was a lucky one. 
I was a little weirded out because she kept glancing at me now and then. She must’ve been embarrassed that I saw her in such a state. 
“Anyhow... Princess Hildegard, and uh, former king... shall we be off?” 
“A-Ah, uhm... please don’t call me Hildegard. There’s no need for such formality. I’d like it if... you called me Hilde. That’s what I prefer to be called by those close to me...” The princess made a bashful request. I certainly didn’t mind, since her name was a bit of a mouthful. With that, I decided to honor her request for my own convenience. 
“Alrighty then. You’ll be Hilde to me from now on.” 
“G-Great!” 
“Ohohohohh...” Princess Hilde smiled broadly, but her grandfather just chuckled ominously in the background. 
What’s so funny, old man?! 
 
“So then, what brings you both here?” Princess Hilde and her grandfather sat on a three-person couch in the castle’s meeting room. I sat opposite them, hearing them out. 
They’d informed me that they’d been traveling incognito, and didn’t intend to give away their social status during the trip. Upon closer inspection, their armor didn’t have the Lestian Royal Crest on it. 
The former king was a great adventurer once, so he had contacts all over the place. Thanks to that, they arrived without a hitch. The guy sure was something. 
From what I’d heard, they’d disguised themselves as commoners and went around fighting criminals... Kinda like Mito Komon from that one period drama show. I could almost imagine them facing down criminals with cries of “Do you know who this man is?! He’s the great Galen, former king of the land!” and then they’d all be like “Ha-haaa!” or something... It probably wasn’t that close to the show, though. Still, I didn’t really have an issue with him delivering punishment to evildoers. 
“Yes, we’d actually like to discuss the Yulong incident with you...” Hilde brought up the subject pretty quickly. I wasn’t too surprised, all things considered. 
The incident had involved several members of foreign countries, and Yulong had been spreading all kinds of baseless and inconsistent lies about what happened, so most nations that weren’t involved had no idea about what had actually happened. That issue was mostly prevalent on the eastern side of the continent, as the western allies all knew the truth. 
It was somewhat amusing that the west knew more about the situation at the east, given that it was an eastern situation to begin with. 
The guild had been circulating the truth of the matter, but the facts did sound stranger than fiction. Beasts unaffected by magic, with complex regeneration abilities, and they appearing out of a tear in space? Nobody had ever heard of such a thing, so it was reasonable not to believe it. 
I detailed exactly what had happened to the two of them, since there was no need to lie. 
“Wow... So there really was an invasion by the Phrase creatures... So you’re saying that Belfast, Regulus, Mismede, Refreese, Ramissh, and Lihnea were all fighting as one?” 
“The Phrase are foes we couldn’t have defeated if we weren’t united. Just one of their Upper Constructs wiped Shenghai from the map in a single attack.” 
“What a frightful story... Do you think this could happen again, elsewhere?” The former king’s worries were certainly justified. After all, a small group of Phrase had appeared in Lestia some time ago. I decided not to lie to these two, and gave them the honest truth of the matter. 
“I don’t think that anything like this will happen for a while, but there is still a real possibility this event could repeat itself elsewhere. It’s for that reason that I’ve been preparing countermeasures.” 
“That’s the Frame Gears, right? The giant warriors?” I was surprised they knew it by name, but at the same time I knew word would get out eventually. 
I decided in this case it would be better to show rather than tell, so we moved to the western plain outside the castle. Along with their escorts, of course. 
The former king, the princess, and the escorts were all taken by surprise as I warped them through my portal. I kept forgetting people weren’t used to that. They were even more surprised when I used [Gate] to materialize a Black Knight in the field. 
“This is one of my Frame Gears. I call it the Knight Baron. It’s one of our primary weapons in combating the Phrase.” The people in the area were absolutely speechless. I took out a radio from [Storage] and contacted Monica. She was sitting in the cockpit, of course. 
“Alright, show them some motion. Don’t mess around, though.” 
“As you command, Master.” Monica started displaying various movements with the Frame Gear. She walked, ran, drew a weapon, thrust, and slashed. 
“And these... Frame Gears... How many were deployed in Yulong?” 
“Around two-hundred-and-fifty of them, including spare units. It was pretty close, given that there were around thirteen-thousand Phrase.” 
“Two-hundred-and... Wh-What does Brunhild intend to do with this military might?” The former king’s eyes fell upon me, as if attempting to probe me for information. I couldn’t really blame him. Anyone would suspect someone’s intentions if they wielded this much power. 
“You can believe me or not, but I do not intend on using this power to conquer. I would only use them in grave circumstances. Their first and foremost purpose is to fight the Phrase. I can promise you that even other members of the western alliance would not be wielding one of these unless a real crisis occurred.” 
“And how do you define a real crisis?” 
“If a Behemoth were to emerge, or if we needed to rescue people from natural disasters. Those are crisis situations to me.” I’d actually lent Frame Gears to a couple of allied nations for situations just like those. If they were saving lives, then obviously I’d let them make use of my power. I didn’t charge them either, so it was a show of good faith on my part. My primary goal was to inspire confidence in foreign nations, to reassure them that I wasn’t going to take over their homes. That being said, I’d make them compensate me if the Frame Gears were damaged fighting Behemoths or whatever. 
“Then, as an example... if Lestia were to form an alliance with Brunhild, would we gain access to these Frame Gears as well?” 
“If you were using them for honest situations and not war, then yes.” They asked me if I was worried about foreign nations stealing the technology and reverse-engineering it. I challenged them to show me a place in the world that could do it. Not even my workshop could produce a Frame Gear from scratch. Unless a once-in-a-blue-moon genius like Doctor Babylon showed up, I had nothing to worry about. 
They could disassemble a Frame Gear, but even then they’d be able to replicate the limbs at most. They wouldn’t be able to distill the Ether Liquid, either. If a country actually did disassemble one of my Frame Gears to the point where it couldn’t be put back together, I’d simply blacklist them from borrowing it anymore. 
“The reason I came to Brunhild was to establish friendly relations. I can’t formally propose an alliance without my son, though I’m sure he wouldn’t reject it.” 
“I’d be happy to forge an alliance with Lestia, but I’d need to consult my other allies first.” I didn’t really expect there to be any objections, but formalities were still formalities. I was quite pleased with my image of Lestia so far. Being a Kingdom of Knights they seemed to be dutiful, honest, and noble people. This grope-happy old man was probably the only stain on that image so far. 
I briefly wondered if the western alliance would have to change its name if Lestia joined. They were from the eastern part of the map, after all. Well, that was a minor detail, so I decided to worry about it later. 
 
“Haaaaaah!!!” 
“Hiyaaaaaah!!!” The two fighters halted inches before their wooden swords made contact with their enemy’s body. Princess Hilde’s sword rested itself at Yae’s waist, while Yae’s sword hovered just behind the nape of Hilde’s neck. They were both extremely talented at swordplay. 
“Alright. Match over.” I’d volunteered to referee, so I used that power to end it there. 
Hilde said she wanted to face my nation’s greatest swordsman, so I decided Yae would be the best fit. After all, when it came to the art of the blade, she was even more adept than old man Yamagata. 
Over the last year, I’d shown Yae countless websites and videos relating to traditional swordsmanship. She absorbed the info about as well as how a sponge absorbed water, and studied almost every day. Her style had really started to come into its own. Sure, her family’s Kokonoe style left its mark on her, but she had evolved beyond it. 
Still, the fact that Princess Hilde could fight Yae to a draw was astounding in itself. 
The two of them lowered their weapons and breathed heavily. 
“That was a very fun match. You truly have a wonderful knight, Your Highness.” 
“Hm? Ah, I am not one of his knights, I am not.” 
“Eh?” Hilde shook Yae’s hand, but tilted her head in confusion at her words. 
“I am betrothed to Touya-dono, I am.” 
“Er... excuse me?” 
“Ah, she’s my fiancee.” I butted in to clarify, but Hilde suddenly stopped moving. Huh? What’s wrong? She slowly turned toward me, almost creaking as she stared. I had no idea what was going on, but her eyes looked completely lifeless. 
“Engaged... You’re... engaged...?” 
“Hm? Well, yeah... Wasn’t there a big announcement about me marrying Lu and Yumina?” 
“Yumina...? Lu...?” It felt like Hilde wanted to ask who they were. She didn’t seem to recognize the names at all. I figured the news had yet to spread to the eastern side of the world or something. 
“They are the princesses of Regulus and Belfast, they are. Like myself, they are both Touya’s fiancees as well, they are.” 
“Whaaat?! H-He has three fiancees...?” 
“Actually he has six, he does.” 
“SIX?!” Hilde was stunned into silence. Hmm... I guess she’s surprised. Even though polygamy’s normal in this world, it’s unusual for nobles or wealthy merchants to have two or three wives, and most outrageous members of royalty usually cap it off at five. 
Many merchants and nobles had wives, and then many concubines. 
Apparently once a highborn man in this world took a wife, he’d have intimate relations with several women over the following years. But people like me with multiple marriage partners off the bat were considered rare. 
“I... Well, I just... I didn’t... expect that. Excuse me.” Hilde muttered to herself, a little frown on her face. I waved my hand in front of her face, but she was completely lost in her own bubble. 
“Looks like a job for Big Sis, y’know?!” 
“Gah! Don’t do that!” I jumped in surprise at the sudden voice. 
Karen had appeared out of nowhere, striking a dramatic pose. Her breath was heavy, bated with excitement. 
Geez, can this girl teleport or something?! Well, I guess she’s a god rather than a girl... so she can just pop up as she pleases... 
“Hey there, sweetheart. You’re suffering from a case of one-sided unrequited love, y’know? And the target of that love is Touya, isn’t it?” 
“Eeep! Wh-What are you saying?! What?! Hahaha! WHAT?! That’s so silly! H-How did you?! How did you guess like that?!” Karen pointed her finger over at Hilde, and the girl practically exploded into a deep blush. What... Why’s she freaking out? She can’t... No... But we only met twice, no! No way! Please no... Don’t say it! 
I pulled Karen off to the side and suddenly whispered to her. 
“Wait just a second here... Are you using some kind of divine power here? Did you fire an invisible love beam at her or something?” 
“Don’t be so rude, Touya! I’d never interfere like that, y’know? That little girly over there has had love for you in her heart since the very beginning. Actually, I can see it and smell it. It’s her first love. It’s absolutely stunning, y’know?” 
How is that so obvious to you?! Am I just slow or something? It’s her first love, seriously?! So... What the hell do I do here? I had no idea what to do, and Hildegard was looking extremely awkward. Before I could think of something, Yae suddenly stepped in front of the poor girl. I reaaally hoped she wasn’t going to fight her or something. 
“Hilde-dono, do you love Touya-dono?” 
“Eeep! I... No! Erm, that is to say... I didn’t know he had a fiancee, especially not one so lovely as you, Yae. I... Please forgive me. I must be causing you grief.” 
“It is quite the contrary, it is. I know your feelings very well, I do. I was once in the same position as you.” Hilde, who was looking at the floor in shame, slowly raised her head. 
“When Touya-dono was first betrothed to Yumina-dono, I was simply his companion. I buried the affection I had deep within my heart, I did. But even so, both Touya-dono and Yumina-dono came to accept me.” 
“I see...” 
“That is why I am comfortable with you joining our ranks as a fiancee, Hilde-dono.” 
“Excuse me?!” Both Hilde and I yelled the same thing at the same time. How did this happen?! What is going on here?! I only took Sue as a fiancee recently, so isn’t this a little soon for number seven?! “Right now, Touya’s bridal limit is set to three more, it is. It has been decided that he will have nine wives in total.” 
“Nine?!” Hilde raised her voice in shock. You’re just sharing that now as well?! I didn’t even agree! 
“Popular as ever, little bro... Your big sister’s super proud of you, y’know?” 
“Now hold it right there!” I glared at my idiotic sister, who had started wolf-whistling from the sidelines. I’m glad somebody’s seeing the funny side of all this! 
“S-S-So you’re saying that he can only take on three more brides? That women after that would merely be his mistresses? I-If that’s the case, then I gladly accept! I’ll happily become the seventh, Yae!” 
“Then I will have you introduced to the others later, I will. I am delighted that someone like you will be joining us.” 
“Thank you so much, Yae!” Princess Hilde grasped Yae’s hand firmly. 
Wait, what the hell just happened? Was my opinion voided entirely? Do I not matter?! This is bad... This is totally bad! It’s gonna happen the same way it happened that time with Yumina and Lu. What can I even do? If I say something now, I’d just hurt her... Marriage is more than just love here, it also means deepening political and social ties. I guess us not knowing one another is fine to them because they’re a society that nurtures love after political marriages, but... Agh! I don’t know what to do, this is some weird upper-class custom or something...! 
She is royalty, after all... Maybe it’s a politically motivated decision? But no girl would choose to go marry someone she doesn’t love... 
The two girls quickly began chattering before my eyes. I was powerless to stop them, but luckily I didn’t have to. 
“Now hold your horses, I can’t just allow this marriage!” 
“Grandfather?!” 

“Goodness me, what a situation this is...” The former king appeared as if from nowhere, jumping with outstretched hands and a serious expression on his face. What is this, some kind of kabuki play? 
I’m getting a little worried this is gonna turn into a “If you want my granddaughter, you have to get through me!” kind of situation... That’s not what I want at all! 
“You would take the position of a Princess of Lestia so lightly...? Fight me, prove your worth!” 
Bingo. Welp, guess there’s no helping it. Still, this is a bit of a lucky situation; I can just lose on purpose. I don’t intend to take Princess Hilde as my wife, not right now at least. She’s cute, but I don’t know the first thing about her! 
Still... the former king is a Gold-rank adventurer. Despite his age, this might be a struggle, even if I don’t throw the fight... 
“You must honorably accept this duel. Show me your power, defeat me, and I’ll accept you! Fight me now, Hilde!” 
“Very well, Grandfather! I shall strike you down!” 
Wait... What?! 
 
“All opposed to the engagement between Touya and Princess Hildegard of Lestia, raise your hands now.” Yumina spoke up, but nobody raised their hand. 
“Then I happily accept Princess Hildegard as a kindred spirit. She, like us, will dutifully support Touya, striving to become good wives and mothers.” 
“Thank you so much! I’ll work hard.” Hilde shed a little tear as the other six stood around her and applauded. I had no idea what was happening. 
There were eight people in the room. Myself, my fiancees, and Princess Hildegard. This was what they called a bridal conference, and the intention was to approve my engagement to Hilde. Though, for whatever reason, I was seated away from all the others. 
“Come on, guys... You’re seriously gonna ignore me here?” At my comment, Yumina turned and frowned. 
“Do you dislike Princess Hilde?” 
“Well, no. Don’t see any reason to.” 
“Then you think she’s unattractive?” 
“Of course not! She’s really pretty.” 
“Then her personality’s at fault?” 
“No. She’s a hard worker and gives her all for her homeland. I’m really impressed, in all honesty.” 
“Then there’s an issue with her heritage?” 
“Nope, not that either. She’s a princess like you and Lu.” 
“Then there’s nothing to object.” 
“Ugh...” Yumina finished up her questioning and flashed me a grin. I looked over at Princess Hilde, only to find her blushing deeply and looking at the floor. It was true that I didn’t have a reason to refuse her, but... I kind of had the feeling that if I gave in at this point, they’d walk all over me forever. I could barely stand up to one of them individually... Seven combined and I’d be their abusable puppet! Polygamy sounded like a man’s dream at first, but I quickly found that if his brides joined forces, he’d be done for. 
“...A-Are you all really okay with this?” 
“If I wasn’t, I’d have raised my hand.” 
“As far as we’re concerned, you’re the same as us. We see you as a good friend, and we’d love to have you in the family. We all came to love Touya in our own ways, as well...” Elze and Linze reassured Hilde. I wondered how they could speak so confidently about her, but it was probably Yumina’s Mystic Eye. That would explain it. 
Whenever Yumina used her Mystic Eye, she could read the ‘aura’ of a person. A person pure of heart would appear shining and gleaming to her, but a person with wicked intent would seem muddy and foul. 
I didn’t know all the details, but she couldn’t read much beyond the surface intentions in their heart. In the end, Yumina told me that she judged based on the color she saw and her own intuition. 
In other words, she knew things about people in a roundabout way. She could tell the difference between a bad person wearing a chivalrous disguise, and a good person who was trying to act rough. Yumina must have appraised Hilde in this way, or at least that was what I figured, but... 
“This is definitely a good opportunity for us. Yumina and I are princesses, but we hail only from the west. Hilde is from the east, and after the Yulong incident, she’s princess of the largest nation there... There’s a frightful power in connecting the east and west.” Lu muttered this and that about political workings. It felt a little dangerous, honestly. 
Forging a strong alliance with Lestia would be handy, but I didn’t want to just do this for political reasons. 
“But, I mean...” 
“Touya, you need to speak up for yourself. Have more confidence in yourself and your decisions. As your sister said, you’re a popular man!” 
“...Am I really that popular?” 
“Of course you are! Everyone here loves you to pieces!” Sue’s words made my cheeks burn scarlet. Gah! I don’t know if I’m happy or just embarrassed...! Ugh... Damn it, I’d rather not be so wishy-washy after so much time, but this is just how I am... 
I looked over at Princess Hilde, and her nervous eyes met with mine. I was a little worried, since it almost looked like she was going to cry. 
“...Alright, then. If everyone’s agreed, it’s fine.” Everyone suddenly gathered around Princess Hilde and cheered for her. As I listened to their shrill, girly laughter, I was once more reminded that I had no power against them. A twinge of unease set in when I thought about my future. 
“Hey, Princess Hilde. What about your battle with the former king?” 
“Just Hilde is fine, thank you. From now on I’m both your fiancee, and your first knight.” Princess Hilde, or uh, just Hilde, turned to me with a smile. 
“Very well then, Hilde. So, about that fight with the former king... Is there any chance you can beat him?” 
“If you want my true thoughts, I don’t think it’s likely... The likelihood of me fighting and prevailing against my grandfather is around one in ten.” Those were seriously low odds. It was about what I’d expected, though. The old man must’ve been powerful. Still, one chance in ten was still a chance. 
“And... the times I have won against him, I must say it wasn’t due to my skills. It was just a case of me getting lucky...” 
“Ha... So you’re saying your victory is a matter of coincidence, then?” 
“Y-Yes...” Come on, Sue. Don’t just say it like that. She looks depressed enough as it is! 
On the contrary, I thought perhaps her grandfather might end up being taken off-guard. If he doesn’t take her seriously enough, she could use that to her advantage and come out on top. 
The weapon for the duel was to be a sword, and it would be only a test of physical prowess. No magic was to be allowed. 
“Touya-dono... Is there not something we can do?” 
“Hm... Well, we could always lace Hilde’s weapon with some kind of blinding poison, or make the hilt of his sword detonate or something... Or maybe I could just enchant Hilde’s weapons and armor to have a ton of buffed up effects?” 
“A-A victory like that would be rather... hollow, and a-against the code of chivalry.” I mean, I guess... but there’s a lot of ways we could easily win here. The rules said magic couldn’t be directly employed during the duel, so it’s not technically cheating! Heheheheh... 
“You’re making a wicked face again, you are.” 
“...You’re probably coming up with something cruel and underhanded, aren’t you? I don’t know if that’s a good thing.” 
“I-I’m a tad concerned...” Don’t be mean! I’m not thinking of anything wicked or underhanded, I promise! 
Not this time, at least. 
 
The moment the match started, the former king cornered Hilde. She was forced into the corner, but still managed to think on her feet, parrying his wooden sword and batting it away from her. 
“What’s wrong, Granddaughter?! Are your feelings for the grand duke so pitiful that you’d falter here?!” 
“...I believe in Touya! If I move as he instructs, then I shall surely win!” 
“As he instructs?! Show me, then!” The speed of his attacks increased, striking Hilde over and over in an unstoppable barrage. The girl’s defenses slowly started to crumble. She blocked his hits with a shield, but each strike caused vibrations against her arm. If that kept up, then her movements would end up being hindered. 
The battle was being held in the underground arena. The audience was just myself and my fiancees. I had the escorts wait outside. 
Hilde defended to the best of her ability. I told her to focus on defending and keep her eyes wide for a vital opening. With that, she’d be able to end the fight in a single shot. 
Hilde smacked his wooden sword aside using her shield and created some room between them both. She was clearly running out of energy. Her breathing was ragged and unsteady. 
On the other hand, the old man looked like he had life in him yet. A small smile painted his face. 
“Hmph... He is strong, he is. His style is violent and unrefined, like a whirlwind. If Hilde-dono is a strong person, then he is truly a monster. He employs his weapon as a fearsome storm that favors brutality over technique, he does.” 
“But she’s withstanding it pretty damn well. I think they’re matching up great.” 
“That’s just because she’s solely focused on defense right now. She can’t win if she keeps going as she is. Even if she focuses on her defenses, they’ll eventually crumble. That’s when she’ll lose.” Yae, Elze, and Lu... The three main fighters of my entourage offered their professional insights. I was especially amazed by how steadfast Lu had become recently. It was hard to believe that she was the one who was cowering in fear during the coup. It was possible that she was just in shock at the time, though. 
She still wasn’t quite up to the level of Yae or Elze, but she was definitely skilled. She ended up wielding her weapons in a way that combined my and Yae’s fighting techniques, so she was mostly self-trained. 
“It should be any time now... I hope she doesn’t miss the opening.” 
“But will the former king actually leave an opening? He’s powerful, and she’s still an opponent he’s taking seriously in the end...” 
“He won’t make an opening. Heheheh... I’m going to make the opening.” I disregarded the confused Yumina and began to focus my magic. I’d browsed the internet for a convenient video, and now it was time to put it into action. 
The former king charged toward Hilde, clearly intent on landing the final blow. That was my chance! I used [Mirage] to project an image of something about two meters behind Hilde. 
“Whuh!” The former king’s eyes shot open wide and he suddenly stopped moving. Hilde had no idea what had happened, but she took her chance. She smacked her training sword against her grandfather’s body with all her might. 
“Ghaugh!!!” If that had been a real sword, the hit would’ve split him in two. With that, the old man collapsed and fell on the ground. I’d done it! 
“...Touya.” 
“Yeah?” 
“...Who was that woman behind Hilde? The one wearing a... string-like bikini that appeared for a split second.” A lewdly-posed pinup model clad in a teeny tiny micro-bikini was currently on my phone’s display. I had no idea who she was, but her outfit was seriously risque. She had tanned skin, gorgeous eyes, and a voluptuous body. 
“I did it! It’s my victory! Oh, Touya, I did it! I won!” Hilde looked positively overjoyed, so I waved over to her. My other fiancees were smiling too, but I could hear their low, terrifying mutters. 
“...That was a convenient opening...” 
“Men are the worst...” 
“I’ll handle it, Sis...” 
“H-Her chest was pretty big...” 
“...Is that the kind of swimsuit you prefer?” 
“Hm? Where are you going, Touya?” Everyone except Sue looked at me with dark eyes. I definitely couldn’t stick around after employing one of the Thirty-Six Stratagems! I hopped down from the audience stands and walked over to congratulate Hilde. I felt piercing gazes digging into my back, but I didn’t turn around. 
“Touya, I really won! I can marry you!” Hilde didn’t seem to think too hard about her grandfather’s suspicious loss. She was simply celebrating as the old man groaned and grumbled on the floor. 
“You’ve done well to defeat me... But know this... the second and third times you come at me, I will not make it so simple... This isn’t even... my final form!” 
“...Geez, what are you, a JRPG Archfiend...?” I cast recovery magic on the former king. Honestly, it was amazing to me that this guy was the king of a noble knightly society. Though, I had heard he was adopted by the generation before him... so that kind of explained why he didn’t have the traditional knightly image. 
The former king rose to his feet and turned to Hilde, apparently completely healed and recovered already. 
“I know now the faults in my maturity. A loss is indeed a loss. Your resolve is clear as day to me, my dear. Thus, you may marry freely. ... As for the boy, I’ve no complaints either. From here on, you are no longer a knight of Lestia, so ensure you become a proud knight of Brunhild.” 
“Grandfather...” 
“Touya, son... My granddaughter is only talented with a blade, but I entrust her to you until the end of time.” 
“...I understand, sir. I’ll look after her.” The former king bowed his head to me. 
“A-Also... who was that pretty little number in the swimsuit?! Let me see her again! Even if only one more time, allow me to burn her voluptuous form into my mind!” 
“...Swimsuit?” 
“A-Ah... Sir, if uhm... If you’d bear with me a moment, then sure. I can’t do it right here, so if we can just go to another room...” 
“Ohoho, no problem! Hilde, you go with the others. They’ll take care of you, I’m sure. Touya, Touya! Let’s go!” The former king grabbed me by the arm and started dragging me off. I was kind of surprised he hadn’t complained yet about the opening being unfair... but part of me wondered if he was actually going to lose on purpose anyway. 
In the end, he convinced me to use [Drawing] to print out a ton of pinup swimsuit model pictures for him to take home. I really wondered where his perverted powers came from... 
I returned to my room, exhausted, only to find everyone except Sue and Hilde waiting for me. They violently interrogated me for a while, asking me about my preferences in women. They asked questions about whether bigger boobs were better, whether I preferred slim, toned women, or if I would prefer it if they changed their regular outfits for more risque and naughty versions. 
In the end, I bowed down on the ground and begged for them to stop. Mostly because they suddenly proposed that they should all get micro-bikinis. I definitely couldn’t allow them to do that, it would’ve been way too much. 
...It might’ve been nice to see, though. 
 
A few days later, I took our Lestian guests through a [Gate] back to their kingdom. 
I was guided to their royal palace, and finally met up with the Knight King, Reid Yunas Lestia. Though I had the former king’s blessing, I thought it prudent to come here and explain the situation myself. 
I thought things were moving a little fast, but I was in too deep to rely on common sense. I wondered if he was more like me, or more like Hilde’s grandfather. ... I wondered if he’d end up being a weird old pervert like the former king. 
“Hm... It may be a tad late for me to say this, but my father’s way of doing things is certainly a little wild. All in all, I have no objections toward Hilde’s marriage. Grand Duke Touya, I must commend you for taking on such a... rough girl as Hilde. She’s certainly tomboyish in her pursuits, but I’m glad she’s to your liking. We’re indebted to you, really.” 
“I agree, thank you for accepting her. I’m proud of you, Hilde. You’ll surely find happiness...” 
“Congratulations, Hilde. Please, Grand Duke, take care of my little sister.” 
Wow... These guys, are uh... very proper. The king, the queen, and the prince... are all good people. That wacky old man really threw me for a loop! I thought these guys would be just as bad as he was, but they’re actually pretty normal. 
Or maybe it’s because they were around this guy... He’s a prime example of how not to behave. 
They all seemed like kind and gentle people, so I was pleased. The king seemed to be around fifty years old. His hair was dark brown and cut short and his mustache had some gray hairs in it here and there. I had the feeling he was probably a popular guy in his youth. 
Queen Esther looked to be in her mid-forties. She had a gentle aura about her, similar to Cecile’s. The woman was noble and beautiful; she’d likely been the same way all her life. She seemed very motherly to me. 
Hilde’s older brother, Prince Reinhard, certainly looked the part. He was in his mid-twenties and had golden-blond hair like his sister. They’d likely inherited it from their mother. As much as I hated to admit it, the guy was really handsome, too... I heard he was engaged, as well. From what I could understand he was dignified, skilled with a blade, and quick-witted. He was basically an ideal candidate to be the next king. 
“Father, Mother, Brother... I promise to find my own happiness!” Hilde shed tears of joy and pulled her mother into an embrace. It was a beautiful scene to watch, but I couldn’t help but feel out of place. Here was a happy, loving family, and I was just kind of standing there. 
“In truth, ahem... there’s actually a reason I’m content to move your engagement forward. I intend to abdicate the throne to Reinhard... but there’s a small issue with our ceremonial blade.” 
“Hm? What’s that?” 
“Ah, it’s a holy sword that has been in our royal family for generations. It’s the Holy Sword Lestia. It is the blade that bestowed its name to our country, and is very much the symbol of our royal line.” As I heard Hilde’s explanation, a knight entered the room and handed a long wooden box to the king. 
The Knight King uttered a quiet spell, and I heard a clicking sound as the box unlocked. I actually heard the hiss of air rushing out, as well. It was a goddamn airtight sealed container! The box finally opened to reveal a beautiful sword. 
It was a broadsword adorned with silver and gold. Alongside it was a magnificent and ornate sheath. It was definitely something one could easily call a king’s sword. 
“Oh, I see...” I frowned a little upon seeing the problem. The dazzling blade was snapped in half, split at the midpoint. It was completely ruined. 
“This is Holy Sword Lestia. It’s only used for ceremonial purposes, or if our nation is at war... Otherwise it’s kept sealed. The last time it was used was during Hilde’s formal initiation as a knight, three years ago.” 
“Once I decided to abdicate my throne to Reinhard, I removed the seal in order to prepare for his ceremony... but the sword was like this. I’ve no idea why the blade is broken... What I do know is that the ceremony cannot be performed like this. I was concerned about it all and was thinking of making an imitation sword as a last resort, but then... I heard of you from Hilde, Grand Duke.” The Knight King unsheathed the blade at his waist, holding it gently in his hands. It was the sword I’d given to Hilde. 
“Aye, we thought a man who could make a sword as glorious as this would surely be able to repair Lestia. That’s why I traveled to Brunhild on my son’s behalf. Though I must confess, I had personal interest in you, Touya. I wanted to know the kind of man my little Hilde had been dreaming of. I wished to judge your character.” 
“G-Grandfather...?” 
“Over the past few months, whenever Hilde spoke, it was only about you, Grand Duke. She would wistfully sigh and look at the sword you gave to her. She thought we wouldn’t notice, but how could I ignore the fact that she would always ask roving merchants about Brunhild?” 
“You too, Brother?!” I cast a sidelong glance toward the flustered Hilde, but was more interested in the sword. It was... definitely old. What looked like ancient lettering was engraved into the blade itself. There was also a crystal embedded in the hilt. 
“Mind if I hold it?” 
“Go ahead.” I gripped the broken blade by the hilt, taking a good look at it. I could almost feel some residual magic inside of it. 
“Was this sword enchanted with a special effect?” 
“Ha, you’re quite the discerning one. I’m amazed you could tell just by looking. The sword has a regenerative effect on its wielder. It patches up minor injuries, and even causes grievous wounds to regenerate.” 
I see... So I guess this thing’s imbued with [Healing] or something. Or was, rather... As it stands, the effect isn’t triggering. 
“The best blacksmith in Lestia has also found himself unable to do a thing. I was told that the sword’s material was something completely unknown to him. The regeneration ability is gone now, too... I fear that it’s completely ruined...” 
“What do these letters say?” 
“Ah, I have no idea. There was nothing mentioned about it in our family history. The language seems to be the one used by the ancient civilization, Partheno.” 
Huh... Guess there’s one way to find out! 
“[Reading]: Ancient Partheno Language.” I had a handy Null spell, though this one hadn’t seen use for a while. It allowed me to read any language, so long as I knew what the language was to begin with. 
“What the...” My shoulders slumped, drained of energy. I was completely bamboozled. The lettering on the blade was a signature. The kind of thing someone carved into their work to prove it was theirs. And, with [Reading], I was able to see what it was. I had no idea what I expected, but it wasn’t this. 
“Designed by Regina Babylon.” 
 

Why did it have to be here? Why was that no-good doctor even in the business of making swords? I briefly pondered if this was fate, but... as far as she was concerned, I had no idea what was engineered and what wasn’t. 
“Is something wrong, Touya?” 
“N-No, it’s... just... This sword was made by the same person who made the Frame Gears...” 
“What?!” The former king went wide-eyed. I had no idea why this sword was here, nor did I expect to find it... Though it had me wondering if this wasn’t more of a Horny Sword than a Holy Sword, given that pervy doctor’s inclinations. 
“...It’s been over five-thousand years, so it’s possible the magical power’s just drained. You’ve had it sealed all this time, right? Only using it now and then for ceremonies? It’s possible it’s been weakening little by little because it’s been cut off from the residual magic in the air.” I was thinking that if it had been cut off from magic and weakened, magic might’ve been what kept it intact. It definitely wouldn’t have much time to absorb any magic if it only kept coming out briefly now and then. There was really no wonder why it snapped just like that. 
It was kind of like an animal that didn’t get much food every day, and slowly lost weight until it died. 
“F-Five-thousand years...? But... this is the blade of our royal founder. I don’t believe our history stretches back that far.” 
“When was Lestia founded?” 
“Around three-hundred years ago... Two-hundred-and-ninety-one, if I’m to be precise. It was said that our founder wielded Lestia, used its power to unify the squabbling tribes in the area, and created the Knight Kingdom of Lestia.” 
...I think I’ve got it. What the prince said just now... It would all make sense. No, it’s not that it would make sense; it’s pretty much definitely what happened. I’ve seen this situation before! I know what it is! This thing definitely fell down from the storehouse! Then, a wandering knight must have picked it up... And then he used its power to end the warring in the region... and ultimately founded the Knight Kingdom of Lestia. That’s pretty damn amazing. 
Honestly, the gynoid in charge of the storehouse had been clumsy and irritating, so she wound up causing me a lot of trouble. But I figured this was an example of it turning out in a positive way. In the end, what mattered was how the item was used. 
“Well, I’ll be able to repair it. There shouldn’t be an issue. I’ll be able to re-apply the enchantment, too.” 
I cast [Modeling] on it and joined it back together. The previous enchantment vanished due to that, but I’d easily be able to re-apply the effect. I also increased the magical reserve that the weapon held. So long as they didn’t seal it back in that box, they wouldn’t have to worry about it running out. 
“Oooh!” 
“There we go. It’s back to normal.” 
“Thank you. Now we can proceed with the ceremony as usual. We’re in your debt.” The king took the Holy Sword in his right hand, and sliced at his own left arm. Blood flowed from the wound, but the cut closed almost immediately. 
“It works as it did before... Actually, it feels a little faster.” 
Oh boy... did I accidentally give it a stronger effect? The magic should run out faster if that happens... Still, it’s better this way, honestly. 
The sword would absorb magic from the air and slowly build it up over time, then use that magic to preserve itself and heal its owner, but naturally that would slowly deplete the reserve. 
But that was fine, because the weapon would just continue to recover that reserve through the air. It was a slow process that accumulated over time. Ideally you wouldn’t want to use it all up in one go, or the sword wouldn’t have a special function for a while. 
It could probably only heal to the equivalent of ten [Cure Heal] uses, or five [Mega Heal] uses... so it wasn’t perfect, but it was pretty good in a pinch. Still, I’d increased its magic pool so it could store a bit more than before, so I figured it wouldn’t be an issue. 
Holy Sword Lestia as it was before wasn’t exactly perfect either, so this would be fine. Infinite free healing simply wasn’t feasible. 
Or, well... maybe it wasn’t... I felt like I could probably make something like that if I put my mind to it. Worst-case scenario, I’d end up creating something like that immortality gem I’d encountered in Eashen... I decided not to think about it. A person may as well discard their humanity if they had an item that prevented them from dying. 
“It may be a little different to how it was before, sorry...” 
“No, no... You’ve done us a great service. Thank you so very much.” The king sheathed the sword, but he didn’t put it in the sealed box this time. He didn’t have to go that far, though. I ended up explaining to him that so long as he exposed it to fresh air for a full day every year, then it’d be okay. In the end, he agreed that the box seal would be undone once a year, on the anniversary of the country’s founding. 
After that, it was time to celebrate the prince’s ascension to the throne. I decided to gift him a phrasium blade. I’d given one to the former king, Hilde, and the king... but back then I didn’t know there was a prince. 
I’d designed it in the same shape as Lestia. It was made to be light, sharp, and indestructible. It was the perfect blade for battle. It wouldn’t be good for training matches or duels, though. It was way too sharp. If a sword clashed with it, the weaker blade would surely shatter. 
“It’s a wonderful gift. In truth, my son was a little envious of us for our beautiful blades, but now his is the most wonderful of all... I’m quite pleased, all in all. It’s a wonderful gift for him, thank you.” I was happy that he was happy. He was going to be my brother-in-law, so I’d hoped to maintain good relations. 
A few days later, a new king was crowned in Lestia. Along with his ascension, the engagement of First Princess Hildegard was announced. Thus, Hilde formally became my fiancee.