Isekai Mahou wa Okureteru! (LN) - Volume 4 - Chapter 3

Chapter 3: Twilight, Dance 

As the time for the parade for the Holy State El Meide’s summoned hero, Elliot Austin, drew closer, the imperial capital became unusually crowded. The people of the city were bustling with excitement day in and day out, all hoping for the chance to catch a glimpse of the supposedly gorgeous hero. Tourists from both within and outside the Empire were pouring into the imperial capital. The population swelled so drastically that the inns in the city weren’t enough to accommodate everyone. Even the cheap lodgings on the outskirts of the city were filled to capacity. 

Thanks to the large crowds, local business was booming. The shops lining the streets were all specially decorated for the occasion. The extra touches made the streets of the imperial capital appear even more glamorous than usual. And with things so crowded and busy, it wasn’t unusual for new shops to spring up overnight if you looked away at the right time. 

The ones recruited to build these impromptu shops were not only the carpenters, but also the dwarves. Feeling especially motivated, the craftsmen in town were putting up stores, doing various carpentry, and creating weapons for warriors inspired by the hero summoning. Everyone had been hard at work for the past few days with practically no rest. 

Even the citizens who treated their businesses like pastimes were working diligently now. It was as if they had all forgotten about the coma incidents. What helped, certainly, was the fact that there hadn’t been any more incidents lately. 

But nevertheless, on this particular day in the especially crowded imperial capital, Lefille was out and about on her own. Going out to play like a small child... was obviously not the reason for this; she had gone out to go shopping. After the episode Suimei and the others had had with Graziella in the plaza, they were hesitant to show their faces too openly in public. Therefore, gathering information and buying foodstuffs for the household became her responsibilities. 

It wasn’t like the military police were coming over to search or apprehend Suimei and the others, but they decided to play things on the safe side at least until the residual excitement of it all had cooled down an appropriate amount. After stuffing groceries and other goods into her bag, she picked it up and pushed through the crowd of people. Finding it harsh to move around while being jostled by so many passersby, she took refuge in an alleyway to catch her breath. 

“Phew...” 

Setting down her bag for a moment, she rolled her shoulders and stretched her back. After checking to make sure that her favorite frilly dress that she’d bought in Kurant City was unmarred, she gave the ribbon holding up her red hair a swift tug to tighten it up. She then looked back out at the teeming crowd of people still pushing and shoving each other with her blue eyes. 

The situation that she and the others found themselves in recently had suddenly changed. It was all quite bewildering. There was the Goddess’s oracle, Suimei’s serious injuries from trying to talk to Liliana, even more injuries from fighting with Graziella, and now, on top of everything else, they’d even taken Liliana in. 

“It must all be troublesome to Suimei-kun too...” 

Even if she told him not to push himself, he would act without restraint until the bitter end. Claiming it was something that he must do, he would forge on down the difficult path that lay ahead. However, be that as it may, it could be said that his personality was good for all of them. Because he was just that sort of person, Lefille was able to go out like this after all. Even though she should have been letting out a sigh, she realized her face was frozen with consternation. 

“There sure are a lot of people out, huh?” 

It was about time for her to get moving. She picked up her bag and set off down the alley. She took a brief look back towards the bustling street. After walking a ways, she could no longer see the crowd on the street, but the din of the hustle and bustle still reached her. Just the thought of having to enter a crowd like that again was unpleasant. And so, deciding it would be better to take the side roads the rest of the way, she took the next turn and bumped into someone. 

“Whoops, I’m terribly sorry.” 

“N-No, it’s fine, girly.” 

As she immediately apologized, a man’s voice came down from above in reply. He was speaking softly, but Lefille could hear excitement—or rather restlessness—in his tone. When she looked up, she could sense the air of completely irrepressible joy about him. A forced smile crawled over her face. She felt an unfamiliar shiver creep up her spine and stepped back, but then got a hold of herself and resolved to press onward. 

“...Excuse me, but could you perhaps move out of the way?” 

“Sorry, but I can’t exactly do that.” 

“What? What do you mean you can’t exactly do that? What... What are you—?!” 

Lefille let out a reproachful shout at the actions of the man in front her. Not only was he blocking her way, he was now moving his hands in a revolting manner. They were such unpleasant movements that she felt like she could hear them creaking. 

“Eheh, eheheh... Why don’t you come and play with your big brother here?” 

“Big brother...? In what way are you a big brother?! Aren’t you more like an uncle?!” 

“No way. I’m only in my late thirties.” 

“That age bracket most certainly qualifies as uncle territory!” 

Lefille jumped backwards. 

“Now, why don’t you come over here and play with big brother? Guheheheh...” 

The look in the man’s eyes wasn’t normal. He must have been the pedophile that had been the subject of the rumors floating around the imperial capital recently. 

Ugh... What should I do? This is bad... 

If she were in her original form, it would have been simple. But escaping from the crowd had been a mistake. To think that there was something even more dangerous than that milling mass of people in a place like this... If she screamed, would someone notice? Now that she was fairly deep into the back alleys, the odds of anyone hearing her scream over all the commotion on the street was quite low. But it was better than doing nothing. While she was contemplating her options, the man sidled up closer. 

“Stop! Don’t come any closer!” 

“Eheh, eheh... Come on now. Don’t be shy...” 

Now that it had come to this, she had no choice but to throw her bag at him and use it as a distraction to escape. Internally cursing the small figure she now inhabited, she took a stance and got ready to throw... 

“Wait!” 

At just the right time, a ferocious voice resounded in the air. 

From the sea of people not unlike the crowds at a theme park on a holiday, Mizuki barely managed to slip away. She stood there with both hands on her knees, catching her breath. Then, while wiping the sweat from her brow, she let out an irritated complaint. 

“Th-There’s sooooo many people!” 

Behind her were the figures of Reiji and the others being jostled by the crowd and sweating from the stuffy air. Reiji let out a few feeble words of agreement, and Titania took a seat on a convenient wooden crate and began wiping her brow with a handkerchief she received from her knight escort. 

Reiji’s party had just today reached the imperial capital, and the cause of their panting and exasperation was the flood of people who’d also just arrived in the imperial capital. The city was stifling. Tourists, merchants, followers of the Church of Salvation, and all manner of other visitors had packed the streets. There was hardly anywhere for them to stand, much less take a break. Amid the explosion of colors assaulting Reiji’s eyes, Mizuki’s long, black hair was a rather calming sight. 

Blocking the sunlight beaming down on them with his hand, Reiji managed to shade his eyes as he peered up into the cloudless sky. Up until arriving at the capital, he’d been delighted with the great weather, but he now found it rather detestable. He caught a flash of blue hair come into his field of vision from the corner of his eye. And before he knew it, Titania began speaking to the fed-up Mizuki. 

“This is probably the result of the parade for the hero summoned by the Holy State, no?” 

“If I remember right, the parade still isn’t for a few days, right? What on earth will this place be like the day of...?” 

Hearing Mizuki’s words, everyone’s faces filled with dread. No one wanted to think about it. The sea of people was one thing, but there was a much more serious problem looming over them. 

“In the end, we couldn’t find any lodgings, huh?” 

“I know, right...? Aaah, what to do?” 

“If we courteously ask the Church of Salvation, I believe they should welcome us... Reiji-sama is a hero, after all.” 

“Yeah, we’ve always got that card to play! Nice idea, Tia!” 

Mizuki was delightedly sticking her thumb up in approval of Titania’s suggestion. Reiji, however, shook his head. 

“Let’s not.” 

“What? Wh-Why not? What’s wrong, Reiji-kun?” 

“If we use my name like that, the whole imperial capital will find out that we’re here. I don’t think we’d be able to move very freely after that.” 

“Certainly, I cannot deny the possibility that the followers of the Church of Salvation would spread the word. If we walked around in the middle of the city, I am sure we would be instantly swarmed. And just like the hero from the Holy State, they would probably insist on holding a parade for us as well. Regardless, if it comes to a matter of taking alms or not, perhaps we should refrain. There are quite a few of us, after all.” 

“I’m not so sure about receiving alms either.” 

Reiji agreed with the princess on that matter. But in terms of making their presence known to the public, there was the danger that they would no longer be able to take action within the Empire. After all, the people believed that Reiji was responsible for defeating Rajas. Thanks to word spreading in Kurant City, Reiji and his party were forced to stay holed up in the inn most of the time. Recalling that, it wasn’t hard to imagine the same thing happening here. 

Moreover, the reason they’d come to the Empire was to check on Graziella’s movements. There would be some benefits to making themselves known, but for the time being, they at least needed to act in accordance with Hadorious’s instructions. Reiji was also personally interested in Graziella as well. 

“Uuugh... Then are we gonna camp outside? We finally made it to a big city. I don’t wanna camp...” 

Mizuki wasn’t being selfish, but she was being unusually whiny. During their travels, they hadn’t actually made camp all that often. When they did, it was only when there was no other option for accommodations. Reiji could understand how she felt. After coming to such a grand city, being forced to camp outside wasn’t exactly something he wanted to do either. 

“Certainly, resting without a proper place to sleep isn’t good for your health. I think it would be best if we could secure some lodgings.” 

“I know, right? But what are we gonna do?” 

Both their rest and their duties were important. However, in this situation, they didn’t have a solution for fulfilling either one. 

“Why don’t we try a different district? Perhaps over there...” 

As Mizuki suggested moving to a different part of town, the senior knight—Gregory—grimaced in a stiff expression. 

“No, Mizuki-dono, that will not do. Even if there was lodgings available outside of the main district, such cheap accommodations would be cruder than camping outside. It would be somewhat unhealthy for Mizuki-dono and Her Royal Highness.” 

“I-Is that so...?” 

All Mizuki really heard from Gregory’s stern rejection was one thing: Dad said no. Feeling somewhat discouraged and hopeless, Mizuki nodded with resignation and shrank back. As she did, the younger knight named Roffrey spoke up. 

“If we search around the district, I think we’ll at least be able to find a place for Her Royal Highness, Reiji-dono, and Mizuki-dono.” 

“Just us three? Then where will you and the others stay...?” 

“There is no need to worry about us, my lady. Our top priorities are you, the hero, and the princess.” 

Backing up Roffrey, Luka added her two cents. But even then, Reiji had a hard time accepting it. 

“Hmm... Maybe it would be best to just grin and bear it, and go to the church after all.” 

As the group was putting their heads together and racking their brains about what to do next, they were suddenly interrupted by the screams of a young girl from nearby. 

“Stop! Don’t come any closer!” 

Everyone looked up and glanced at each other. 

“Reiji-sama...” 

“It sounded close. Let’s go take a look.” 

Taking the lead, Reiji headed towards the sound of the voice. He caught a whiff of danger in the air. Turning the corner into the alley, he saw a strange man cornering a little girl. 

“R-Reiji-kun, that...” 

“Yeah, I got it.” 

Reiji judged what was going on in an instant, and went to stop the man. Watching Reiji run off with a dignified expression, Titania’s face flushed red. 

“As expected of Reiji-sama... Mizuki, did you see it? That gallant face that brooks no evil?” 

“I’m used to seeing that part of Reiji-kun.” 

Mizuki stuck her chest out with a proud smile. Titania bitterly pursed her lips, the jealousy written on her face. 

“How unfair...” 

Meanwhile, Reiji had already cut in between the man and the little girl. 

“Wh-What’s with you?!” 

“You don’t need to know anything about me. That’s none of your concern. Get away from this child right now. If you don’t...” 

As he spoke, Reiji sharpened his gaze and overpoweringly stared down the man in front of him. He let out a pitiful squeal, but just to be doubly sure, Reiji began to draw his sword from its sheathe. 

“E-EEEEEK!” 

Before Reiji, who had fought both demons and monsters in this world, there was no way this man who seemed to be planning to kidnap a small girl would be able to make a stand. With incredible speed, he turned tail and ran as fast as his legs would carry him. 

“Good grief. For an adult to do such things...” 

Reiji let out a sigh as he lamented the man’s behavior. When he turned around, the little girl bowed to him. 

“Thank you for saving me.” 

“Don’t mention it. It was nothing. But are you alright? Did he do anything to you?” 

“I’m fine. After I screamed, you came right away.” 

Reiji had a brief exchange with the little girl. Her appearance was striking. She had beautiful, neatly combed back red hair, and two moles lined up under her eye. She was cute enough that Reiji could almost understand why the man wanted to kidnap her. However, upon taking a closer look, her bearing and demeanor gave off a very dignified impression. While Reiji was thinking of such things, the girl casually looked off in the direction the man had run. 

“I’m glad that you saved me and all, but was the manner in which you drove him away not a little too aggressive?” 

“I’ll go ahead and entertain your strange problem: when things become that odd, being a little aggressive is the best option.” 

“I see... That’s true, isn’t it?” 

She seemed to be convinced. People like that weren’t worth wasting words on. Trying to resolve things peacefully might even make the situation worse. As they talked, Mizuki and the others then finally caught up to Reiji and approached from behind. 

“Those kinds of people exist everywhere, huh...?” 

“In this world, they are what we call pedophiles. Do they exist in your world as well?” 

“Yeah, you hear about them in the news every now and then after they’ve been arrested.” 

Reiji could hear Mizuki and Titania discussing the details behind him. But his attention was focused on the girl in front of him, who then politely introduced herself. 

“My name is Lefille Grakis. Allow me to thank you once more. If it’s alright with you, might I know your name?” 

“I’m not really someone worth remembering... would be a little pompous to say, huh? My name is Reiji Shana.” 

When Reiji named himself, Lefille knit her brows together. 

“Sir Reiji, right? You wouldn’t happen to be... the one Suimei-kun knows, would you?” 

“Huh?” 

“What?” 

“Suimei, as in... You know Suimei?!” 

Lefille nodded at Reiji’s question. The two girls who’d also heard her question poked their heads out from behind either side of Reiji. 

After the dangerous encounter with the pervert, Lefille was now headed back to base with Reiji and company in tow. After finding out that they were Suimei’s acquaintances, she was guiding them back to their house. 

“So you came to the Empire together with Suimei, Lefille-chan?” 

“Hmph... I’m not very happy about having ‘-chan’ applied to my name, but... Well, whatever. Yes, that’s how it happened.” 

“Huh? But Lefille-chan, weren’t there a lot of demons in the area at the time?” 

Faced with Mizuki’s suspicions, Lefille was forced to come up with a plausible story. 

“Y-Yes, well, we got lucky in slipping past them. After escaping past Kurant City, we came to Nelferia.” 

“I see. We might have just nearly missed each other somewhere, huh?” 

“Indeed, we never thought of checking the visitor registry there. We all thought that Suimei hadn’t made it to Kurant City yet. What a blind spot.” 

Titania was troubled at their oversight. In contrast, Mizuki—now that the major anxiety she’d been carrying with her all this time had been blown away—was smiling brightly and breathed a sigh of relief. 

“But thank god Suimei-kun is safe.” 

“Yeah, really. As usual, he has the devil’s luck in getting out of whatever trouble he gets himself into...” 

“Seriously, though... After all that ‘I don’t want anything to do with danger’ stuff, what is he doing?” 

“But isn’t that how he always is? He always complains at first, but one way or another, he always ends up sticking his neck into it.” 

“Yeah, you’re right.” 

Reiji and Mizuki were cheerfully chatting away about their friend, who they were both truly grateful to hear was alright. Lefille smiled, as she had a very good understanding of what they were talking about. 

“From what I’ve heard, I imagined you were all very close friends. It seems I was right.” 

“I’ve known Suimei-kun for about four years, but for Reiji-kun, it’s been five or six, right?” 

It was only a couple years’ difference. Both of them were close enough to call childhood friends. As they continued to talk about Suimei—how much of a softhearted tsundere he was, how he was always acting cool, how he always ended up the comedian, and all manner of other things—they finally arrived at their destination. 

“Here we are. This is it.” 

As they came around the corner, a familiar back-alley dead end came into view for Lefille. It used to be a filthy place polluted by an ever-present stink in the air. But after Suimei used some incomprehensible cleaning method, it was neat and clean now. 

“So he’s living in a place like this, huh? Coming down this alleyway, I must say I was expecting something musty. This is a pleasant surprise.” 

“How pretty. I was dead sure it would have a much more quaint and boring vibe, you know?” 

Titania and Mizuki were both wide-eyed at the obvious disparity in the scenery compared to other places in the area. The dark, gloomy, dirty atmosphere had taken a sudden change for the bright. Part of it was because Suimei had put a thick, fresh coat of plaster on everything. He kept saying that all the houses in the area were too filthy, that it kept him from being in a good mood. It seemed he’d even cast magicka on the tables and chairs that were left outside so that they wouldn’t get moldy. He was of the belief that the place he called home would have to be taken care of the way he wanted, or else he wouldn’t be satisfied. And it was this place that they approached now. Lefille walked up to it and opened the front door. 

“I’m back.” 

As she did, an apron-wearing Felmenia came over to greet her. 

“Lefille, welcome back—Oh?” 

The expression on her face was exactly what one would expect from someone who’d just been thoroughly surprised. As she looked at each and every person behind Lefille, she froze on the spot. Reiji and the others felt much the same way. After an unnatural pause, it was Titania who raised her voice. 

“White Flame-dono?!” 

“Y-Your Highness and Hero-dono and Mizuki-dono?! Why are you...” 

Just as she was about to question what was going on, Felmenia suddenly came to her senses. “Oh crap” was all that flashed through her mind. She immediately took the apron she was wearing and tossed it aside violently. Without verifying where it flew off to behind her, she turned to the full-length mirror installed in the entranceway. She checked her hair, the braids draped down beside her ears, her face, and all manner of other things with quick and agile movements. After taking up the same serious and cool expression she always had at Camellia, she bowed to the guests. 

“I mean... It has been too long, everyone.” 

After bowing deeply and long enough to properly show her respect to her superiors, Felmenia raised her head and met Lefille’s gaze. 

“Lefille, why are you together with Her Royal Highness’s party?” 

“They saved me after I got into a quarrel with a strange man. When I asked for their names, I thought they sounded familiar... And now here we are.” 

A coincidence. And a rather remarkable one at that. Felmenia still looked quite surprised. Reiji then turned the question on her. 

“Sensei, why are you here? I thought you were acting under the direct orders of King Almadious?” 

“Um... That is true. Let us talk about the finer details inside.” 

As she urged them to enter, a listless voice called from inside. 

“Hey, do we have a guest?” 

Suimei’s figure then appeared in the entranceway. When he spotted Reiji and the others behind Felmenia, he scowled with an expression like he’d seen a ghost. 

“Huh...?” 

The three of them called out to him as he stood there in his own world. 

“Long time no see, Suimei.” 

“Heyo, Suimei-kun!” 

“It has been quite some time, Suimei.” 

“HUUUUUUUUUUH?!” 

With the surprise reunion with Reiji’s group, Suimei invited them all to the living room after he collected himself. Considering the number of people, however, not all of them could comfortably fit around the table. Reiji, Mizuki, and Titania took their places at the table while the knights sat on chairs behind them. Since Titania was there, Felmenia hesitated to sit at the same table as the princess, and instead chose to stand behind Suimei. Lefille was uneasy about the arrival of so many people and was hiding next to her. As for Liliana, she was sitting on the sofa. Suimei was still completely baffled at this sudden visit, and looked at everyone one by one before speaking up. 

“Man, to think that Reiji would save Lefi...” 

“I could say the same. I never imagined that Lefille-chan would be your acquaintance.” 

“I bet, huh? Fate is a mysterious thing, you know.” 

As Mizuki cut in, Suimei’s lips curled into an impish smirk. 

“What? Not, ‘Oh, this must be the guidance of the stars’?” 

“Jeez! How can you be so mean right after we get here?!” 

Mizuki infuriatedly puffed out her cheeks over Suimei intentionally bringing up her past. Suimei and Reiji both smiled at her charming reaction. Of course, all of this was either meaningless, incomprehensible, or simply strange to everyone else. Titania, who was sitting next to Reiji, turned to Felmenia who was still standing behind Suimei. 

“I was concerned about what happened to you after you departed Kurant City, but it seems your duty concerned Suimei. Is that so, White Flame-dono?” 

“Yes. On His Majesty’s orders, I have entrusted my humble abilities to Suimei-dono.” 

“As expected, White Flame-dono has a strong sense of responsibility, I see.” 

“What? Ah, no, it’s nothing so...” 

“Again with the humility. In order to take responsibility for summoning Suimei, did my father not request that the White Flame herself support him? If that was not the case, you would not have traveled through danger all the way to the Empire, now would you?” 

As Titania came to her conclusion, Reiji nodded in agreement. He looked proud of his teacher and her dedication, but surely he was reading too much into it and overreacting. 

“At the time, I was certain that you were on your way to meet the man who destroyed that army of demons, but... It seems my prediction was inaccurate.” 

That wasn’t true. But there was no way anyone could tell her that. Catching a glimpse of Titania’s keen intuition, however, Felmenia and Lefille both looked a little nervous. 

“Why are you in the Empire anyway, Suimei?” 

“I’m looking for a way to return. So I went on a journey of my own.” 

“I see. So that’s why you left the castle. What happened from there?” 

“I believe you already know, but I traveled together with Lefi and a trade corps. Partway here, we ended up in a little bit of trouble with the guys in the trade corps and split up with them, but we cut through the forest and came out at Kurant City.” 

“Then... the demons?” 

“Well, we came across them a little. One thing led to another, and we ended up living together...” 

Just like that, with a shady smile and a strangely self-satisfied air of confidence, Suimei laid out a plausible story. Reiji and the others listening seemed like they bought it, too. However, Mizuki didn’t miss her chance to throw in a quip. 

“One thing led to another and you ended up living together with a cute little girl? What does that even mean, Suimei-kun?” 

“Oh, and that’s when Menia showed up and started teaching me magic.” 

“Suimei-kun just casually ignored me...” 

Pretending not to see Mizuki shooting daggers at him, Suimei glibly lined up his story. Felmenia and Lefille, who were listening in on the conversation behind him, both made somewhat disgusted expressions as they whispered to each other in secret. 

“He really can just calmly spout such lies...” 

“You could seriously say he’s become just a little evil. And that’s not a compliment.” 

Naturally, they were in awe, and not particularly in a pleasant way. Without the slightest hint on his face, Suimei was casually feeding his friends lies like it was all a matter of fact. Of course they were astonished. Knowing the circumstances, they could only see it as shameless, though his friends believed him unhesitatingly. They had to wonder if this was its own kind of magicka. But as their conversation came to an end, Reiji shifted his attention to Liliana, who was quietly sitting on the sofa on the other side of the room. 

“Now that I think about, who is that kid over there?” 

Suimei turned his head around like he was worried. 

“That’s... Well, there were special circumstances.” 

It was hard to talk about it, but he had tell them. It was quite the dilemma. As all eyes fell on her, Liliana stood up and humbly lowered her head. 

“My name is Liliana Zandyke.” 

“Liliana-chan, hmm? Wait, isn’t Liliana Zandyke...” 

It seemed that Reiji had heard her name before. He looked up the ceiling and began to poke around his memories to try and recall where. Even in the noisy conversational melting pot of the city streets, talk of the manhunt still seemed to be fluttering around. Perhaps as one would expect, Titania also knew the famous name. 

“One of the Empire’s Elite Twelve. Right now, she should be on the city’s wanted list.” 

“That’s it! Now that I think of it, didn’t we hear that she was the culprit behind some kind of incident?!” 

“...Didn’t I just say that there were special circumstances?” 

Suimei let out a sigh as he exaggeratedly shrugged his shoulders, and then began to give Reiji and the others a summary of what had happened. 

“I see...” 

“That’s pretty complicated, huh?” 

Hearing Suimei’s rundown of the incidents and Liliana’s circumstances, Reiji and Mizuki looked at her full of pity at first, but ultimately ended up sighing by the end of the story. Suimei looked at Lefille cuddling up to Liliana and gently stroking her hair as he quietly nodded his head. Perhaps because of her parting with Rogue, Lefille had been trying to cheer Liliana up ever since she came to the house. Suimei didn’t want to do or say anything that would weigh too heavily on her heart, but he’d had to explain. And as his story came to an end, Reiji looked at him with a very serious expression. 

“So what do you plan to do with Liliana-chan?” 

“Hmm? Oh, I’ll be sheltering her here.” 

“But that won’t resolve anything, will it?” 

“That’s right. That’s why our other goal is to find the real culprit and apprehend them. After that, we can just explain the situation and hand them over.” 

“That may be so, but won’t the people of the Empire demand you hand over Liliana-chan too?” 

“Odds are eight or nine out of ten, yeah.” 

Suimei agreed with Reiji’s assessment. Even if she’d been controlled, it did not change the fact that she had performed the act. It wasn’t difficult to imagine that the people demanding Liliana be handed over was in their future. But as long as he was taking care of her, there was no way Suimei would do so quietly. 

“Well, if it comes to that, should we all just flee to a different country?” 

In this world, if they made it past the border, it was likely no one from the Empire would be able to pursue them. It made fleeing to a different country a viable option. As he suggested it, Suimei smiled at both Lefille and Felmenia. Felmenia quietly nodded. And after a brief pause of surprise, Lefille flashed a daring smile. 

“You really are an impulsive person.” 

Liliana then stood up, her face paling. 

“B-But, that’s...” 

She bore an anxious expression, one that indicated she had no wish to cause trouble for others. But before she could finish raising an objection, Suimei let out a cheerful laugh. 

“I don’t mind at all, you know. But if everyone is against it, I’ll think of another hand to play.” 

“I am here for the sake of supporting Suimei-dono. I will abide by whatever intentions Suimei-dono has.” 

“Same for me. Life in the Empire is good, but I will accompany Suimei-kun wherever he goes.” 

“See? Not a problem.” 

Even as Suimei smiled at Liliana, telling her that she needn’t worry, it did nothing to abate her melancholy. However, it was already decided. She had no choice but to resign herself. As they came to that conclusion, Suimei turned his head. 

“So that’s how it is.” 

“Duly noted.” 

Reiji closed his eyes and nodded. Mizuki smiled wryly like she was watching over a troublesome best friend. 

“You’re just as softhearted as Reiji-kun, aren’t you, Suimei-kun?” 

“What? Don’t put me in the same category as this guy, Mizuki. I’m not really softhearted or anything...” 

“Oh yeah? Despite saying you shunned the idea of danger and refusing to come along with us, who’s the young imbecile that’s sticking his neck out for all this mess, huh?” 

“G-Gee, I wonder...” 

Even though he played dumb, everyone’s eyes were focused on him. 

“Okay, fine! Yeah, it’s me! Sorry ’bout that!” 

The fact that he was caught between bashfulness and anger was courtesy of the attack coming at him from all sides. Suimei raised his voice in a modest attempt to hide his embarrassment. It was meager resistance, but it was all he could offer against Mizuki’s pinpoint counterattack. For Suimei, this was the first time he’d ever found himself in a situation like lying on a bed of nails. Clearing his throat in an attempt to clear the air, he changed the topic. 

“Aaanyways, what are you guys doing in the imperial capital? If I remember correctly, you said you were headed to the self-governed state, right?” 

“...Regarding that, we have some special circumstances of our own.” 

Reiji smiled bitterly. As if being weighed down by his anguish, the atmosphere around him was heavy. Titania continued in his stead. 

“Suimei, do you know about Duke Hadorious?” 

“Yeah, I heard about him from Menia.” 

“About how he’s the man who ensnared us, you mean?” Lefille asked in a sharp tone. 

As expected, the flames of rage were still burning brightly deep within that small body of hers. Her indignant voice made no concessions on the subject. As Titania bowed down to apologize, Suimei stopped her with his hand and shook his head. Everyone was likely thinking the same thing—it wasn’t her fault. 

“We were told by His Grace to come to the imperial capital and check up on Her Imperial Highness Graziella’s movement.” 

Hearing that name from Reiji’s mouth, one of Suimei’s eyebrows shot up. 

“You mean Graziella, as in... her?” 

“Suimei-kun, you know her?” 

Suimei answered Mizuki’s question with something of a bitter expression. 

“Weeeeell, a little... Anyways, setting that aside, why do you have to listen to what this duke guy tells you to do? As a hero, can’t you just veto it?” 

At Castle Camellia, even King Almadious treated Reiji with respect. And when Graziella had been rude to Elliot, Graziella’s attendant had looked mortified. It seemed the prestige and authority of the hero was far beyond that of any single noble. 

“He took a family member hostage and threatened us.” 

“Family member?” 

Suimei was wondering just who that referred to. It was impossible that they’d gotten their hands on Reiji’s family. They were in another world, after all. As Suimei was making a puzzled frown, one of the knights who had been sitting behind Reiji and the others, Gregory, stood up from his seat and bowed down his head apologetically. Grasping the situation from that, Suimei leaned slackly back into his chair and spoke up in astonishment. 

“What’s with that? That guy really is an unbelievable asshole, isn’t he? Good grief... Looks like I’ll have to go and slug him sooner rather than later, huh?” 

If they just left Hadorious to his own devices, there was no telling what he would do. It seemed it was necessary to find a chance to make contact with him. Hearing Suimei’s statement, Reiji’s expression grew serious. 

“Suimei, Duke Hadorious is strong. He was able to catch and stop my fist.” 

“So what? What am I supposed to make of that?” 

“Do you think you could stop my punch as I am now, Suimei?” 

As Suimei was poking fun at Reiji, Reiji grinned and formed a fist like he was going to send him flying along with his joke. In response, Suimei raised both his hands. 

“I’m a pacifist. I’m against violence.” 

“...You sure can talk. Despite the fact that you’re surprisingly merciless.” 

Reiji’s unamused gaze pierced through Suimei’s shamelessness. Shrugging his shoulders as if he didn’t know what Reiji was talking about, he let out one more exasperated sigh. Moving on, Suimei turned serious as he closed his eyes and began thinking. 

“At any rate... Graziella, huh? Just why would some bigshot noble force you to do something like that?” 

“With regards to that, we’re pretty in the dark ourselves.” 

Reiji shook his head. The doleful look on his face told Suimei just how much distress this put him through on their journey. Seeing it, Suimei put together what he’d heard of the story and gave his assessment without any prompting. 

“Somehow, it feels like he wanted you to head towards the imperial capital.” 

“Wanted me to head to the imperial capital? But there shouldn’t be any demons in the Empire...” 

“That’s exactly why. This kind of place has nothing to do with the hero’s job. On top of that, it’s not like you’re here to raise the spirits of the citizens of an allied country. There should be no reason to make a hero come here, right? If he’s as remarkable as you say he is, he should have as many subordinates and spies as he wants to send over. And if he was really that curious, they would already be here. From what I’ve heard, it sounds like this Hadorious guy was going out of his way to get you to come to this country by any means possible.” 

“Why, though?” 

Suimei shut his eyes as he listened to Mizuki’s frank question. 

“Well... If he’s taken a hostage and made threats, it must be something big, huh?” 

“But Duke Hadorious only told us to check up on Princess Graziella’s movements. He didn’t tell us to do anything else....” 

Reiji’s expression became quite grim as he sank deeper into thought about what could possibly be going on. If it was just as Reiji said and Hadorious really only wanted Reiji to stalk Graziella, then Suimei could just deem Hadorious woefully incompetent. If this was only about checking up on her, then it wasn’t worth incurring Reiji’s enmity just to send him over to the Empire and make him take care of the job. 

“Certainly, it is just as Duke Hadorious says. Lately Her Imperial Highness Graziella has been quite busy. Using her authority in the military, she’s been taking very firm political measures towards neighboring countries, and quite often at that. As far as Astel is concerned, it’s not a very good situation.” 

No one was about to tell Titania she was wrong, but Suimei couldn’t just leave it at that. From the flow of the conversation, he couldn’t shake the feeling that there was something being implied in a roundabout way by Hadorious’s actions. 

“But when Princess Graziella invaded the border, Duke Hadorious didn’t really have anything in particular to say about it then, right?” 

“Aha, that’s it!” 

As if the answer had swooped down on him, Suimei snapped his fingers. The last fragment had fallen into place with Reiji’s candid question. 

“What do you mean, Suimei?” 

“You said at the time that woman invaded the border, right? The imperial princess... How did she get to where you guys were?” 

“How did she get there? Not the reason why she was there?” 

“That’s right. I’m talking about the way she physically got there.” 

“That’s... She said she took her troops and forcibly broke through.” 

“So she broke through that fortress on the national border without any trouble at all?” 

Rather than Reiji, it was Felmenia who answered his question. 

“Surely. From what I have seen of Her Imperial Highness and the troops under her command, it did not look like they had suffered any damage.” 

Felmenia was ruminating over her own words. After saying it, she seemed to be recalling the events in her head. As she thought it over, Lefille flashed a quizzical expression. 

“That’s certainly strange... When I was there with Suimei-kun, the fortress on the national border to Astel didn’t look so frail that it could be overrun so easily.” 

“No, it certainly didn’t, did it?” 

Titania was of the same opinion. A flustered expression floated up on her face as she realized she hadn’t thought about this before. The fortress on the national border was well built and well defended. Not only was there the ravine, but the fortress boasted an incredible iron gate. The times at which it opened and closed were predetermined, so it wasn’t a simple matter to pass through forcefully. But taking Graziella’s abilities into consideration, she was more than capable of bulldozing her way through. It wasn’t hard to imagine her doing it. But if she had used her magic to do so, it was inevitable that it would have turned into a major uproar. There would have been serious damage to show for it, too. Yet no one had seen or heard anything. 

“Besides, her timing was too good. I heard her arrival coincided exactly with the time the army from Kurant City was closing in on the demons, right?” 

“Certainly, now that you mention it, that was the case, but... It’s not an impossible coincidence, right?” 

Reiji uttered those words of denial like his self-confidence was faltering. But Suimei shook his head and continued. 

“At the point in time when the demons arrived in the country, the only ones who knew about it were the higher-ups in Astel and Gregory-san, who guided you guys away from them. And from what I’ve heard, the only ones who’ve encountered any demons were you guys, the lot from the trade corps, and us. The citizens of Astel were not made aware of the presence of demons. So as far as the people of Astel are concerned, there are only demons outside the country. So in spite of all of that, how did someone from another country get their hands on that kind of information so easily?” 

“Maybe they captured a demon within imperial territory and made it talk?” 

“Impossible. Demons would never cooperate. They aren’t that kind of being.” 

Lefille drew her conclusion in no time at all. She knew more about demons than anyone else; there was no way she was wrong about their behavior. And from what Suimei could remember of his encounters with them, he too knew that they were not the kind of beings who would reveal any information even if they were tortured. In fact, he wouldn’t be surprised if they self-destructed the moment they were captured. In that case, if Suimei had to guess... 

“Hey, perhaps this Hadorious guy...” 

Perhaps. That vague silhouette in Suimei’s mind gradually began to take shape. Before his answer became clear enough that he could put it into words, Titania took a stab at it. 

“...Leaked the information, allowed Her Imperial Highness Graziella into the country, and schemed with the guards at the national border? Suimei, is this what you are implying?” 

Suimei answered her with a nod. The tension in the air bound everyone in silence. Lagging behind a beat, Mizuki threw out a flustered question in a panic. 

“B-But what does he have to gain from doing that kind of thing? Duke Hadorious is a noble of Astel, you know? Are you saying he’s connected to Princess Graziella behind the scenes?” 

“Who knows? I don’t know whether they’re connected or whether he simply leaked the information yet... Well, if it’s that’s the case, then it would be an easy excuse to start a war. That dangerous woman aggressively crossed the national border without permission, after all. If there was someone important in Astel who was holding a grudge against the Empire, it would be quite easy for them to prey on that. And then he immediately sent Reiji over after that.” 

“Do you think they’re also being provoked?” 

Reiji’s expression had become quite strained. Suimei replied as though the answer was no surprise to him. 

“He said himself it was only to check up on things, after all.” 

Certainly, Graziella’s actions in pushing through the border into Astel’s territory may have been reasonable considering the situation. However, it would naturally make the leaders of Astel nervous. And if, right after it happened, Reiji made an unexpected visit to the Empire, that nervousness would double instantly. 

“However, Suimei, there should be no reason right now for Astel to declare war on the Empire.” 

“Right? That’s also the point I don’t quite get.” 

That was where Suimei had to throw his hands up in the air with a troubled groan. With demons invading human territories, there was no benefit to be wrought from causing a falling out between nations. Felmenia and Titania were also both in agreement on this matter. 

“Even if we’re talking about Duke Hadorious, he should fully understand the menace of the demon threat. Besides, just from leaking information on them, it would be uncertain that the leaders of the Empire would make a move.” 

“That’s true. There are too many variables for it to be that kind of scheme, huh...?” 

As they were discussing this, Reiji began to stir. 

“But...” 

“Is there something on your mind, Reiji?” 

“No, it’s just... If it’s as Suimei suspects, I was just thinking that Duke Hadorious’s attitude at that time might make sense.” 

“You mean about how quiet he was?” 

“Yeah. If Princess Graziella’s arrival was actually some setup by Duke Hadorious, then his silence at the time regarding her trespassing wraps itself up nicely. With his personality, he would have at least let fly one brutally honest remark under such circumstances... But, all in all, I don’t think we’re going to make any more progress on this topic.” 

“That’s certainly true.” 

There wasn’t enough material for them to make a proper judgment. There would be nothing better than quickly getting on top of whatever scheme was afoot while they could, but that was impossible under the current circumstances. All they could determine right now was that they needed to be vigilant in regards to Hadorious. 

“So, switching gears, what are you guys going to do from here on?” 

“Oh my gosh, Suimei-kun, listen to this! We couldn’t even find an inn!” 

“Well, there’s that parade and all.” 

Mizuki looked at Suimei imploringly, as if for advice or a solution, but he only looked back at her as if the present situation should have been a given. The inns were probably overbooked before they even arrived. Suimei leaned back in his chair as he pondering this. 

“...Wanna stay here? With this many people, it’ll be pretty cramped though.” 

“Suimei, is that really alright?” 

“We don’t have enough beds for everyone, so the guys will have to sleep together in the living room.” 

Reiji didn’t seem to have any objections. As he looked around the room to see if it was alright with everyone else, the female knight Luka spoke up. 

“If that is the case, we will once more look for some lodgings. Even if we’re only able to secure a few rooms, we would be able to split up between the inns and Suimei-dono’s house.” 

As Reiji acknowledged this, the knights all agreed and headed towards the front door. Reiji and Mizuki went to see them off, perhaps to once more show them gratitude for putting in so much work for them. Titania also stood up, but instead of following after Reiji, she approached Suimei. 

“What’s up?” 

Even though he asked her that, Titania came closer still. A gentle aroma tickled his nose. When she was within arm’s reach, she beckoned to Suimei. As he obediently leaned in, she brought her mouth closer to his ear to whisper to him privately. 

“Suimei, would you be able to keep me company for a bit tomorrow?” 

“Keep you company?” 

“I have something to talk with you about. It is very important.” 

Suimei leaned back again and looked at Titania’s face. Her deep blue eyes were looking straight at him earnestly; they reflected her seriousness. He guessed that she had a good reason for asking him. 

“...Understood.” 

Thanks to the great efforts of their knight escorts, Reiji’s group managed to secure rooms at an inn for three people. After splitting their party up between the Yakagi residence and the inn, it seemed that they no longer had to worry about accommodations for the time being. Reiji, Mizuki, and Titania would be staying at Suimei’s place while the knights stayed in the inn. That evening, for the first time in a while, Suimei and Reiji were able to talk just between the guys. The girls also had their own girl talk late into the night while going nuts over something, though that was mostly Mizuki. Morning came early the next day. 

“I’d gotten quite used to the air in Astel, but the Empire also has a nice wind blowing through it.” 

“Doesn’t it?” 

Suimei had gone out with Titania at her request. The two of them had left the Yakagi residence and were now outside the imperial capital to the northwest, stretching their legs on a verdant hill. Looking over the landscape, gently sloping waves of green stretched out before them. Every once in a while, a refreshing wind would brush gently against the back of Suimei’s neck. 

Standing in a slightly elevated place, Titania brushed her hair behind her ears, shut her eyes, and savored the breeze. Rather than the dress Suimei had seen her wear at the castle, she was now wearing clothes that were easier to move in with an overcoat draped over her outfit. Thanks to its high collar, he was unable to see her mouth from the side. If anybody saw her for the first time dressed like this outside the city, they would never imagine that she was a genuine princess. 

Suimei had that sort of impression, but it was blown away in an instant. Titania suddenly stretched out both of her arms and spread them as wide as she could. She started to enjoy the air in the Empire in an entirely different way than before. Suimei guessed it was because she was freed from the stuffy air in the imperial capital, or perhaps it was because she didn’t have to keep up appearances here. 

From Suimei’s perspective, her current behavior was more pleasant than usual. 

Other than the one horse they’d rode there on, there wasn’t a soul present except for Suimei and Titania. Titania hadn’t mentioned this to either Reiji or Mizuki, and unexpectedly, the knight escorts didn’t come along either. When Titania informed Luka of her plans, she requested to accompany them, but Titania turned her down. In Suimei’s case, he’d only told Felmenia and Lefille that he was going out. After a while, Titania seemed satisfied with the air on the hill, and turned around as she began talking. 

“Thank you very much for the accommodations. To make sure we all had beds, you even gave up yours for us.” 

“I don’t mind. All a guy really needs to sleep is enough room on the floor. That’s good enough.” 

“Oho, is that so? Thanks to you, I was able to thoroughly enjoy my evening yesterday.” 

The tone of her voice was rather bright and carefree. As Titania gently smiled at him, Suimei casually shrugged his shoulders. Then a change came over her, and she spoke to Suimei like she was troubled about something. 

“Did Liliana seem stiff to you?” 

“Yeah. Seeing everyone gathered together, she was in a state where she didn’t know what she should do. However, Lefille has been taking good care of her, so she shouldn’t be all that uncomfortable. Besides, Mizuki also talked to her a bunch. I think she’ll open her heart pretty soon.” 

“I see...” 

Suimei carefully considered Liliana’s situation for a moment. Even though it was temporary, her housemates had suddenly increased in number. It seemed to throw her off a bit. Naturally, due to her penchant for dark magic, she wasn’t used to being around other people. In short, she was extremely shy around strangers. Suimei knew this, and it was precisely because of it that he was worried about her the other night. Somehow or other, however, it seemed things were working out. 

Suimei was quite concerned about her, but a large portion of her care was left to Lefille and Felmenia. Part of it was because they were all girls, but one of their other goals was to use Lefille’s spirit powers to expel the evil from Liliana’s body. Suimei wasn’t particularly worried about the situation, even after his other friends had shown up. They were all considerate people too. 

“I wonder what Reiji-sama and Mizuki are doing now...” 

“They said something about having Lefi show them around the imperial capital. It wasn’t really necessary to give them a tour first thing, but she’s a hard worker.” 

“Is she now?” 

Titania giggled. Raising her hand to cover her mouth as she did, Suimei caught a glimpse of her elegance. 

“So, it’s about time I hear about this important thing you wanted to talk about, isn’t it? You didn’t bring any escorts and left the other two out of it. You must’ve had a reason for all that, right?” 

“That is correct. We should be fine here.” 

In a complete change from her graceful smile, Titania’s face became much more intense than before. As if she was looking for something she’d failed to notice, she scanned her surroundings. It didn’t seem like she was wary of people in the area, however. And as she turned back towards Suimei, her expression was somehow cold and serious. 

“Suimei. I have something I would like to request... No, that is not quite right. There is something I would have you do from here on out.” 

“That’s sudden.” 

“I am aware that it is abrupt.” 

“You mean to say there’s something you want from me, right?” 

“Very nearly... But rather than want, it may be more appropriate to say that I would like to force you to do so.” 

Titania corrected herself while maintaining a calm attitude. She was putting on airs quite considerably... Or rather, she said such a thing after thinking about it carefully, in short... 

“There’s no real need to hold back. Just call it an order.” 

“Then, Suimei, return to Astel immediately.” 

Suimei had told her not to hold back, but he wasn’t expecting her to fire off an order like that. 

“...That really is abrupt, huh?” 

“Indeed. However, I have a reason why I have no choice but to ask you to do so. I believe that is easy enough to understand, is it not?” 

“Just in case, I’d like to hear it straight.” 

“It concerns Duke Hadorious.” 

It was just as Suimei expected. Somehow or other, he’d anticipated this. 

“At this rate, you will become a shackle to Reiji-sama. That is why I’d have you return to the Kingdom immediately and stay by my father’s side quietly. If the king himself makes a few arrangements for you, even if you return, you would not be treated poorly. If you tell them what’s going on and accept my father’s protection, even a duke would have difficulty laying their hands on you.” 

Hadorious was picking a fight. If Reiji paid too much attention to the people around him, naturally his actions from here on out would be hindered. The lengths he’d gone to to try and save Suimei when he heard about the trade corps proved that much. 

“Well, it’s just as it sounded when you first said it, huh?” 

“If you think about Liliana’s case as well, I do not think it is all that unreasonable a request.” 

Titania argued for the validity of her suggestion quite convincingly, yet Suimei only shook his head. 

“But if that’s how it is, it’s troublesome for me.” 

“Why is that?” 

“I mentioned this in passing to Reiji yesterday too, but I’m looking for a means to return to my own world.” 

Suimei shrugged his shoulders as he once again spoke of his objective. 

“So you understand, right? If I do as you’re asking, I won’t be able to continue my search.” 

“That may be the case. However, your search need not be carried out right away, no? Eventually, Reiji-sama will defeat the Demon Lord. Once he does, Duke Hadorious would also stop meddling, and you’ll be able to search to your heart’s content for a way to return to your world.” 

“So what’re you saying? I should just wait until then? Wait until Reiji defeats the Demon Lord and the threat to this world vanishes? How long will that take? A year? Two? It very well could be five or ten, you know? That’ll be too late.” 

“Suimei, I am fully aware of your circumstances. However, this is something that is necessary to definitively bring peace to this world.” 

“This world this, this world that. How many times do I have to listen to this? Especially lately, that’s all anyone talks about.” 

Suimei spat out his complaint along with a sigh. However, Titania had a fair amount of consideration for him, and urged a reply despite his rudeness to her. 

“And so, your answer?” 

“I refuse. I’m suffering through this because I was arbitrarily summoned. I have no reason to just drop what I want to be doing in addition to that.” 

“I said so before as well, did I not? That if you continue down this path, you will become a burden to Reiji-sama?” 

“Because of this Hadorious guy, right? I’ll handle things skillfully from my end. If Reiji is worried about me, just tell him not to be yourself, Tia.” 

“Do you think that kindhearted Reiji-sama would listen to that?” 

“I have no intention of taking into consideration that guy’s meddlesome nature.” 

As Suimei rejected her rather flatly, Titania let out a troubled sigh. 

“...At this rate, we are just walking on parallel lines, I see.” 

“Despite that, you’re quite calm.” 

“Somehow or other, I thought it would turn out this way.” 

“Then don’t you have another hand ready to play? Where’s your trump card to convince me?” 

If she had predicted Suimei’s answer and arguments, then she should have had something else prepared in advance. There was no way she would go this far to talk to him, just to have it end like this. Titania then steeled herself and looked at Suimei firmly. 

“If you will not obey my orders, I will have you follow them by force.” 

“Huh? Hey now...” 

Those words were completely unexpected to Suimei. He thought for sure she would offer to have someone else do the searching for him. But what she said was nothing of the sort. 

“If you insist on continuing to search for a way to return to your world, though it will not be quite to the same extent as Reiji-sama, many difficulties would stand in your way. There will be monsters and demons, as well as Duke Hadorious. In that case, if you are unable to defeat even me, you will be unable to search for a means to return to your world. Is that not reasonable?” 

“Sure, but...” 

“Therefore, I will fight with you here so that you may prove your strength to me. Of course, if you win, I will allow you to do as you please.” 

“So that’s what you mean by force... It’s certainly violent.” 

“Sometimes violence is necessary. What will you do?” 

“I refuse.” 

As Suimei flatly refused again, Titania let out an unbecoming sneer. 

“In that case, you will be labeled as a coward, you know? Even then, will you refuse?” 

“By who? You? I don’t really care what you have to say about me, honestly... But that won’t exactly end our little talk though, will it?” 

“Of course not.” 

Suimei let out a deep groan as he grimaced at Titania’s declaration. 

“...So what’s the deal? If it’s a fight, do you want a magic duel?” 

“No, I mean this.” 

With that, Titania took a sword from the bundle strapped to the horse and brandished it. 

“What? A swordfight? Tia, can you use that kinda thing?” 

“To a certain extent. I am knowledgeable on the subject.” 

“You heard from Reiji that I can use kenjutsu, right? It should be obvious, but don’t I have the advantage? Wouldn’t that be unfair?” 

“I do not mind. What is your reply?” 

Titania was needling him with questions like she was cross-examining him. Suimei couldn’t grasp her intentions. She lowered her head a bit, covering her mouth and the bottom half of her face with the collar to her overcoat. It hid the subtleties of her cold and stiff expression, and made her impossible to read. If she used a sword, Titania should have been at a disadvantage as a mage. But his certainty in that disappeared into the ether when he was no longer able to read her. 

Just what should he do? Suimei still didn’t want to take part in any match, but surely she wouldn’t push him that far. If he used magicka to put her under the effects of a hypnotic suggestion, it would be quite simple to get through this situation, but... 

“With this, the four of us are all officially good friends.” 

Suimei recalled what Titania had said to him before they parted ways at the castle. She hardly had any close friends, and surely didn’t have many a chance to say such things. But the words she’d spoken that day undoubtedly came from the bottom of her heart. It would be hard for him to use magicka to control someone who considered him a good friend. Titania began to look like she was running out of patience, and Suimei let out a troubled sigh. 

“...I’d like to refuse, but I feel like you’d just take a swing at me if I did.” 

“If you understand that, then how about a proper answer?” 

As she spoke, the tone of her voice dropped considerably. 

“I do not wish to fight you either. However, there are things that I must do, and things I must take responsibility for.” 

She hung her head like she was confessing that she had no other option. She wasn’t exactly enjoying the situation she was putting Suimei in, after all. 

“I don’t really mind. I’m also doing what I have to. So even if you summoning me was what you thought you had to do, there’s no reason for you not to keep doing what you think you need to.” 

“You are kind in the strangest ways.” 

“That ‘strangest’ part was unnecessary.” 

“This is what Mizuki calls being... a tsundere, right?” 

“Hey, enough with that. Seriously.” 

As Titania stared at him briefly in astonishment, Suimei swiftly exchanged his disgruntled expression for a serious one. 

“Let me ask one last thing. After this, you won’t trouble me in the future, right?” 

“Yes. I swear it in the name of the Goddess Alshuna. If I lose, I promise I will not say or do a single thing in regards to Suimei’s actions henceforth.” 

“Got it. So, what about my sword?” 

As Suimei held out his hand, Titania tossed him the sword she’d been holding. It seemed she had another prepared for herself. It was likely meant to give her an advantage, but Suimei had been learning kenjutsu since he was a child. Whatever the circumstances may be, he wasn’t about to lose to her. Titania then took another bundle from the horse and pulled two long swords from it. 

“Oh?” 

“This is my weapon of choice.” 

As she said that, she drew both swords from their sheaths. They were made of a different material than the sword Reiji carried—silver. Seeing such a thing in this place was unexpected, but Suimei guessed it was probably corroded silver. Seeing that she drew both blades together, he also assumed she used a twin-wielding sword style. Contrary to common principles for that style, however, both of her swords were long. Generally, one of them would be dedicated to defense. So that it would be easier to handle, a shorter sword was typically used in the wielder’s non-dominant hand. But both of the princess’s blades were the same length. No, using his eyes as a magician, he could tell a slight difference between them. The one on the left appeared ever so slightly longer to him. As Suimei was assessing her with a puzzled gaze, Titania took her stance... 

“Wha—?!” 

Titania hid her mouth behind her collar. And just as she crossed her swords, Suimei’s entire body shuddered. 

“As I would expect of someone who’s studied the ways of the blade. Once I took a stance, you were able to ascertain my capabilities, right?” 

Titania saw through the subtleties of Suimei’s agitation. Her words of praise rang in Suimei’s ears like the voice of the devil. He had taken the sword she’d given him thinking that there was no way he could lose, but just how careless had he been? As a ferocious smile overpowered him, he put on his own smile to conceal his panic. 

“Man... I want to curse myself for not knowing until you took a stance. What’s with this little princess? Aren’t you a mage?” 

“Certainly, I also use magic. But the fundamentals of my fighting style would be this. Ever since I was of a tender age, I have wielded a sword.” 

“Seriously...?” 

“With this, you understand, correct? Our match is not unfair as you had suggested before. Indeed, I have the upper hand here in terms of skill with a blade.” 

“...My goodness, you sure reeled me in quite skillfully. You’re really quite the stubborn, spoiled girl.” 

“I will take that as a compliment.” 

With that, Titania twirled the two swords in her hands like batons. The sound of the wind they generated filled the air, and then she swiftly crossed them in front of her once more. At the same time, she unleashed her intense fighting spirit. With Titania as its center, a wave of power surged into the surrounding area like a sudden spring storm. After the illusion of wind brought on by her fighting spirit, a tense silence fell over the area. Then, finally, her name rang over the desolate hill. 

“One of the Seven Swords: Twilight, Titania Root Astel. Here I come.” 

She stood at the ready to confront Suimei, who still had goosebumps from feeling her fighting spirit. Finally realizing that he was only a step outside of her range, he put on a bluffing smile. 

“Man, you being such an expert is seriously scary...” 

Suimei then took his own stance. The pressure she exuded against him was strong and sharp. It was comparable to Lefille’s when she was fighting the demons. The girl before him had her swords crossed in her signature stance. Even when looking at her with his magician’s eyes, he couldn’t spot anything resembling an opening. 

There were two typical styles when it came to twin-wielding swords. The first was where the user held both blades aloft and pressured their opponent with the extra threat of two swords ready to strike; the second was where both swords were held crossed in front of the user, ready for both offense and defense. Titania’s was the latter. Holding her swords in front of her still, her body sank towards the ground. It was a low stance, just as low as it could go. Like a leopard. There was no doubt that she was planning to lunge from there. In that case, what Suimei should be vigilant about was her speed and charging power. 

However, there was the matter of her two blades. Seeing how neither was a short sword, they should be hard to handle. Under normal circumstances, it would be something to tease one about as an amateur swordsman, but... 

No, just like her charging power and speed, this point exceeded Suimei’s expectations. In his head, he pictured the beginning of the battle with a blue flash followed by a double cross. He imagined that her speed was far beyond his initial estimates. While he was pondering this, her swords drew a curve through the air. 

“Wai—?!” 

Suimei hurriedly stepped back and stuck out his sword to defend. When the silver light from her slash vanished, Suimei leaped backward outside of her range. And then, once more looking at his own sword, he doubted his own eyes. The blade he’d blocked with in a hurry was only half of what it had been before. On top of that, the section where it was cut off looked like a warm spoon scooped out some pudding, leaving behind a completely smooth cross section. 

“H-Hey! Wait a sec! What kinda technique was that?!” 

“My sword techniques are unlike that of other swordsmen in that mine is a wicked sword style. Normally, no one would be able to cut a blade without a straightforward strike, but my blades can cut anything even if they curve in the air.” 

Her long swords once more let off an audible wind as Titania declared this, and Suimei’s back shuddered once more. Really, it should have been physically impossible, but Suimei knew better than anyone that there were exceptions to everything. It was very likely that this girl who was called a princess inhabited that territory. Suimei didn’t spend even two seconds thinking about such things, but even in that small window, Titania had already closed the distance on him. 

“Too fast, damn it!” 

Complaining, Suimei leaped to the side. However, because his evasive action was completely sensible and predictable, Titania’s gaze didn’t stray from him for even an instant. She immediately took a horizontal swing to try and catch him. Suimei used his now shortened sword to ward off the attack, but he was at an obvious disadvantage. No matter how much he struggled, he was unable to avoid his future situation getting gradually worse and worse. 

Suddenly, Titania brandished her right sword. Sensing a strike from overhead, Suimei reacted instinctively without thinking about it. The sword came down on him from above as if to knock him down entirely. 

“That move is too naive.” 

She let out a declaration like the cold touch of a blade. The move she mentioned, Suimei’s sudden reaction, was a single cheap strike that wouldn’t even stop Suimei. As he began grumbling about how he was being reeled in perfectly, both her swords promptly joined their trajectories together. He wouldn’t be able to block it. But worse, his knees suddenly gave in. 

“What—?!” 

His legs were swept out from under him. It was too late by the time he noticed. Suimei was unable to maintain his posture and clumsily fell onto his butt. What caught his eye next was the piercing silver light reflecting off her blade. He was able to react, but he was in the worst possible position. That silver light was darting right at his neck. 

“You weren’t even able to put up a brave fight. So, with this, it is decided. Suimei, I will proclaim your loss here.” 

As expected, a cold verdict descended upon him. Titania’s fighting spirit was telling him to just give in and accept her conditions as she pressed her blade against his neck. However... 

“Sorry, but I can’t really allow that.” 

“The victor has already been decided, I’m afraid.” 

Though Titania once more declared her verdict, Suimei adamantly shook his head. 

“Why? Why are you so obstinate on this matter?” 

“I have a promise in that world that I must return to and fulfill no matter what. Besides, I have things here that I need to accomplish as well.” 

Suimei spoke as he looked up at Titania. He had to return; there was no other option. He now also had Liliana and Lefille on his hands. He couldn’t readily accept defeat here. 

“Is that so...? Then, it is regrettable, but I will have to put you through a painful experience.” 

“A painful experience? And just what do you plan to do?” 

“If you’re injured, you will be unable to continue your search yourself. You’ll be forced to leave it to White Flame-dono.” 

“You really are violent...” 

“I will not apologize. This is the duty that I must bear, after all.” 

The light in Titania’s eyes turned cold. It was intimidating, but perhaps due to that change, she blinked. In that brief moment that was not even a second long, Suimei suddenly disappeared from her sight. 

“Wha—?! Where?!” 

Suimei vanished the instant she cooled her spirit. Looking for the missing boy, Titania turned to her left and right. Still, however, he was nowhere to be found. Only his voice reverberated in the air. 

“You’ve misread the situation, little princess. Was it not a little early to declare the outcome?” 

“Where are you?!” 

“Right here.” 

Compared to before, his voice was now filled with determination as it rang through the air loud and clear. As it did, multiple explosions burst forth from beneath the earth around Titania, strong enough to overturn the ground. While maintaining her stance, Titania leaped forward and landed behind Suimei. He was now wearing a black suit that she wasn’t familiar with. For some reason, his right arm was extended like he’d just finished snapping his fingers. 

Looking at Titania’s face, which was seized by shock, Suimei quietly took a breath as he resigned himself... The bad aftertaste of using magicka on a friend who wasn’t even a magician lingered in his mouth. It was as if he was holding that feeling deep in his heart so he would never forget. Unless something terrible happened, it was something he’d already decided he would never do. But he had to step up to the plate here in order to take responsibility for the people he’d taken into his care. He couldn’t quit here. And so, he flipped up his coattails. 

“So be it. I will also name myself before you, little princess. I am a fellow of the Magician’s Society, the magician Yakagi Suimei.” 

And with a thunderous roar, their surroundings were swallowed by his powerful mana. 

Now that Titania thought back on it, this young man’s actions were always full of mystery. 

Due to an accident with the hero summoning ritual, he was one of two people summoned other than the hero. Not only that, he was the one who refused to accompany his friends on their journey. He said that he wanted no part in any such dangerous undertakings—a completely selfish and willful statement. He said time and time again he had no reason to bend to arbitrary requests. Normally, it should not have been strange for his friends to condemn him for this, but unexpectedly, Reiji and Mizuki’s trust in him had never wavered. Titania had never once heard them speak ill of him. 

But even this she could understand. Though he’d been abrasive, they were very familiar with Suimei’s disposition. They were his friends, after all, and wouldn’t hold something like that against him. However, Felmenia—who was such a menacing and serious person—had ended up getting involved with him at some point when Titania wasn’t looking too. Even her father, King Almadious, who Suimei had once slandered, had put his trust in the strange boy from another world. On top of all that, he’d chosen to leave the safety of the royal castle and Metel. Along the way, he was caught in Hadorious’s schemes, yet had managed to escape. 

And now in a foreign country—not to mention it was a foreign world for him in the first place—he’d managed to set up a base. He was even sheltering a young girl who was being pursued by the imperial army. Each and every new thing she learned about him was completely mysterious. But even then, he seemed to gain the trust of everyone he met. 

Perhaps that fact was one of the threads guiding Titania, but she could not understand just what was happening in front of her eyes. The green hills and blue sky that extended out all the way to the horizon were now shrouded in a storm of thick mana. And then, in an event that she had never witnessed before, an outrageous power manifested. 

The power, which was interfering with their surroundings, was terrifyingly strong. The only way she could think to describe it was as if the world itself had changed. The refreshing wind was now howling and whipping around wildly due to the influence of the intense mana. Perhaps because they’d sensed the danger in this place, the birds that were resting in the trees in the distance all flew off at once. Even the small animals and insects on the ground defenselessly revealed themselves in order to flee the area. 

And the cause of all this was the young man in front of her eyes: Suimei Yakagi. He was not letting out his fighting spirit like a warrior, he was exuding the incredible pressure of extraordinary mana. The power of the mages she had met up until now... No, even if they somehow all combined their power, it would surely fall short of what she was experiencing now. For someone who had just started to learn magic, this was impossible. 

“Yesterday, you said that you had just begun to learn magic from White Flame-dono... Was that a lie?” 

“Not exactly, you know? I had Menia teach me quite a bit about the spells of this world, after all. It’s just that I failed to mention that I was able to use magicka from the very beginning.” 

“But I heard that there was no magic in your world...” 

“That was a conversation within Reiji’s realm of knowledge. Because of the development of science, it went underground and just doesn’t make itself known to the world at large. But let me assure you, it does exist. That’s what you’re seeing and feeling now.” 

Suimei indifferently confessed his secret. But he had not called himself a mage. No, he called himself a magician. 

“You’re a magician...? I-It couldn’t be... You’re the man in black that Rajas was talking about?!” 

“Now that you mention it, Menia did say that blockhead let that slip in the end... But yeah, that’s right. I beat down every last one of that lot.” 

“E-Every last one... An army ten thousand strong, all by your hand?” 

“Seems so. I didn’t have the leisure to stop and count at the time. I was also surprised when I heard the number afterwards, honestly. Heh heh...” 

The man before her eyes began to brag as he let out a strange laugh. It was not the fearless laughter of one who’d kicked aside a bunch of small fry; it was like he was ridiculing his own thoughtlessness at the time. He was laughing at himself. 

“...If you hold that much power, why did you refuse to accompany Reiji-sama?” 

“I can say the same thing right back at you, right? With that much strength, I don’t believe you even need a hero, I gotta say.” 

“You did not answer my question.” 

As she flatly pressed Suimei for an answer, he let out a snort like he was not amused in the least. 

“I said so before, didn’t I? I want to return to my own world. To go out and try and defeat your Demon Lord would be moving in the complete opposite direction from my goal. Get it? So I had no choice but to split up from you guys and move on my own.” 

“Reiji-sama is your best friend, is he not?” 

“That’s right. But even though we’re friends, there are still things I will and will not do for him. Just like Reiji, I have my own desires and ambitions too. There are people that I must protect. So when it came down to choosing Reiji’s way or my way, I just chose to follow my own path.” 

“That—” 

As Titania was about to speak, Suimei pointed a sharp gaze at her like the tip of a steel blade. 

“‘That kind of reason cannot stand on its own?’ Don’t you dare spout bullshit like that. Reiji heard your stupid story and decided to take on the Demon Lord for you. I don’t know whether he actually scrutinized the details or not, but it was something he chose for himself. At the time, he didn’t even consider my opinion or how I normally reacted in such situations. So if I stepped in and handled it for him, it would only be meddlesome.” 

His words were certainly true. At that time, Reiji had not once asked for Suimei’s opinion. He’d decided to take part in the demon subjugation all on his own. In terms of who’d turned away from the other first, the real answer would be Reiji. But even then, Reiji had never demanded that Suimei provide his assistance unreasonably. In that case, it seemed like a very reasonable resolution that their paths split. Suimei grabbed the lapel under his coat and put his appearance in order. His polished black shoes flattened the grass before him as he stepped forward. 

“Let’s start over. If you’ll come at me with your sword skills, then this time I will have you allow me to use my magicka.” 

Immediately following his declaration, his mana erupted. A violent squall was born. It was as if the air around them formed an invisible wall that was pushing forward. 

He’s coming— 

The moment that thought crossed Titania’s mind, her body reacted before she even realized it and she began running. Fighting against the wall that was impeding her movement, she darted forward on the diagonal as if to slice through it. She was aiming for Suimei’s flank. She was running at full speed. The moment she decided her goal was to go around and cut in, she held both her swords in a backhand grip and kicked off the grass. As she crossed her swords before her and leaped towards Suimei, who was standing there defenselessly, he calmly held out his left hand wrapped in bandages. 

“Primum moenia, expansio localis!” 

[First rampart, local expansion!] 

The moment Suimei chanted his spell, a golden magic circle drew itself in the air before his left hand. The point of both of her blades collided with it shortly after. When they did, they stopped short like they’d hit a shield, and sparks flew every which way like they were rubbing against one. Titania wondered if the circle drawn using the light of mana in that empty space was defensive magic. Even though there should be nothing there, the point of her swords could not advance even a single micron. 

“Urgh!” 

Due to her leap at full power, she was now in a bad position where she was completely stalled on the magic circle. In this state, she would be unable to change her stance. At this rate, if he used that power from beneath the earth again, she would be unable to defend against while she landed. It was possible for her to regain her posture from here, but Suimei’s right hand was already on the move and didn’t seem like it would grant her that. 

“Permutato, coagulato, vis existito!” 

[Transform, coagulate, become power!] 

He chanted another spell just as Titania landed on the ground. The silver liquid pouring out of the vial in his right hand transformed into a blade. Anticipating this change as it swung back, he grasped the newly-formed sword unerringly. As the magic circle vanished, a sharp wind assaulted Titania from the side. She didn’t really think that he was switching to using a sword. And meeting her expectations, Suimei unleashed a delightful snap from his left thumb and forefinger. The ground between Suimei and Titania then exploded. This was the technique he’d used to blow up the ground earlier. There was no chant at all; it was a fiendish magic. 

“Illustre carmen ad operationem maximam! Armat ad centum et juctim diducit—invocato Augoeides! Carpet Bombing!” 

[Illustrious spell at maximum operation! Arm from one to a hundred and deploy serially—invoke Augoeides! Carpet Bombing!] 

“—?!” 

Suimei’s voice put a surprised expression on Titania’s face. Her next move and all her plans were thoroughly and utterly blown away. In the empty sky above Suimei, a magic circle had spread out like it was watching over him. One after the other, Titania saw circles and figures inside them drawn by mana appearing. 

The blue scenery beyond Suimei was completely painted over by the brilliant magic circles. Titania could find no other words to describe it. Before this scene that sent shivers down her spine, she was barely able to breathe, much less speak. Escaping outside of the range of such a spell was not an option. She had no idea how far that would even be, or how quickly it would fire, for that matter. The magic circles spread out all over. They easily numbered around a hundred. Even if she just ran, with but a few seconds to spare, she would never be able to cover enough ground. 

There was only one thing she could do. Judging by the glimmer in the sky, she had to sense the moment the light would plunge down, predict its path based on the presence of its mana, and then evade on the spot... 

And in that rain caused by the mana’s brilliance, just how long would she be forced to dance? After who knew how long, she realized that, together with the end of the violent music being played by that magic, the magic itself had also come to a stop. 

“Ah, as expected, you’re quite skilled. Or would it be more accurate to praise your footwork? To see through all of that and dodge it all perfectly isn’t human. Frankly speaking, I really have no idea why you even summoned someone like Reiji.” 

The face of the man before her as he boasted was cold and biting. He seemed to be praising her for dodging all of his magic, but thinking about the fatal opening she’d left before, she couldn’t feel happy about it. 

This was bad. The battle instincts that she’d built up over the years were ringing alarm bells in her head without end. Suimei’s magic ability and the spells he used were incomparable to the magic of this world. Its destructive power needn’t even be mentioned, but the speed of its use and its versatility were far beyond what she knew to be possible. Perhaps because Suimei saw the color of Titania’s face while she was thinking such things, he issued an odd warning. 

“I said this to Menia once as well, but the magicka of my world and the magic of this world simply have different purposes. You’re better off not lumping them together when you think about it, you hear?” 

The man who called himself a magician closed a single eye as he said this. After a moment, he opened it again. What appeared in the reflection of his red hot eyes filled with a strong will... was desire. When they spoke the previous day, he’d said that he saved Lefille. There was also talk of him saving Liliana. Felmenia said that she admired him and his way of life. Just what compelled this man who possessed such preposterous amounts of mana that he could subdue all creation... Just what was it that made him say he must return to his own world no matter what? Just what was awaiting him there? 

Titania took a good look at the man standing before her. He was always cynical, playing the comedian, and had a bland appearance, but right now... Right now, he radiated wisdom. If he’d carried himself this way when he first arrived, Titania would have believed that he was the hero beyond a shadow of doubt. Right now, that’s what Suimei looked like to her. 

“We summoned someone who had yet to become a hero, and someone who was already a hero...” 

Titania was unsure if her flustered, muttering voice reached his ears or not. But Suimei Yakagi scoffed at her in dissatisfaction, as if he was saying he never had any intentions of being such a thing. His eyes looked like they could pierce through any and all conviction without ever wavering. 

“I am who I am. Someone you can find anywhere. Just a magician.” 

His words were the signal for the third round of their fight, though to Titania, it sounded like he was completely bored. 

After firing off his magicka and refraining from continuing the attack, Suimei’s fight with Titania was now picking up again. The girl before him readjusted her stance, and once more unleashed the fighting spirit she’d demonstrated at the beginning of the fight. Despite witnessing Suimei’s magicka and overpowering pressure, the fighting spirit reflected in her eyes hadn’t weakened at all. 

Just as he’d surmised before, her swords were very likely made of corroded silver. It was a material created by using alchemy to treat silver via decomposition, purification, and sublimation. In other words, it was melted and reduced using alkahest, had its molecular arrangement modified, and then was transformed into a material with much stronger molecular bonds than before. It seemed that this world indeed had alchemy, though Suimei was doubtful as to whether or not this world was actually capable of understanding and using a technique like alkahest. 

But from what he could see, its inherent mana and its sturdiness were quite comparable. He could say with relative certainty that even if it wasn’t the real deal, there was an eight or nine chance out of ten that it was just as good. 

However, the swords weren’t what made her frightening. It was her technique while she was wielding them. Her ability to manipulate two long swords was impressive, but what he really admired was her arcing strikes. Her swords’ absurd trajectories traced curves in the air. He wasn’t sure what kind of technique could do that, but it was able to cut earth and stone like butter. It was truly terrifying. 

But even then, if they only had tremendous cutting power, that would be one thing. The difficulty in receiving her strikes was what made her swordsmanship truly awe-inspiring. When he tried to take her first strike, he’d foolishly thought he would be able to flick it away. But Titania’s sword struck on a diagonal and couldn’t be stopped. Without exception. He was unable to parry, making his style of leaving the sword to its own natural flow worthless against her. 

The moment Suimei misread what would happen immediately after taking a blow, his loss would be decided. If he blocked all her strikes using the rampart, it would be a different matter, but in his current physical condition, that would be quite difficult. Deploying his rampart in all directions would take far too much time. Even if he got by using a single rampart in one direction, he would still be open to attacks in the gap between the ground and his circle, as well as from the sides and behind. A swift swordsman was basically the natural enemy of any magician. The instant one stopped attacking or defending, they would unerringly cut them down. 

But Suimei still had a reason he couldn’t lose. His body wasn’t in perfect shape, but for someone like him who wouldn’t spare his own life for a worthy cause, that wouldn’t stop him. 

Titania skillfully rotated her grip on the sword in her hand. When it stopped, she immediately closed the distance and lashed out with the silver blade. It happened so fast that he couldn’t even perceive her exhaling. It was quite a high level technique, and was always accompanied by the sound of rushing wind. 

Suimei greeted the attack with his strike magicka. In the middle of striking out, the air in front of her eyes exploded. But it did not hit her. In the brief instant right before it exploded, she must have perceived the air warping against her skin. Ignoring the shock wave, she leaped forward and once more let loose her swift, arcing sword technique. 

“Hah!” 

The point of her left sword came around on him. If he fell back, it would be far enough for him to evade. Or perhaps not. The sword in her left hand was the longer of the two. Counting on evading by a hair’s breadth would be simply foolish. More than just breaking his posture, he’d have to throw himself to the ground. 

“Tch.” 

Clicking his tongue, Suimei indeed evaded the blade aimed right above his eyelids by the skin of his teeth and rolled to the ground in the aftermath. After a single rotation, Titania was already greeting him with the next attack. For an instant, he could see a somewhat dissatisfied expression on her face. It was as though she was wordlessly telling him that if her strike had met its target, the fight would have ended with blood pouring into Suimei’s eyes. 

Suimei sensed her pursuit as the sword in her hand rotated and whirled around. Once more, she slashed at him as she jumped forward. That was fine. While evading, he had trouble judging whether it was an overhand or underhand strike, such was its speed. 

“Ugh—!” 

Striking the ground with all her strength, her body rose up from the force. With speed that could be mistaken for instantaneous movement, Titania appeared before his eyes. She then spread out the swords she’d mostly held crossed in front of her. When she did, a flash of silver light drew a straight, wide horizontal line in the air before Suimei’s eyes. It was accompanied by a short whistle from the slash. His only way out was to judge her range from the length of her swords and the length of her arms. If she held the same principles as the sword masters from his world, this was where Suimei would have died. 

“Then how about this?!” 

With a shout to raise her spirits, Titania practically transformed into a gale running along the ground. The figure of her fluttering overcoat vanished from Suimei’s sight. By the time he grasped her position and trained his eyes on her once more, she was headed straight towards him. Before he could finish turning his body, he could see Titania’s blade tearing up the ground. 

Titania was running while gouging the ground below with one sword. Leaving behind a trail of dirt and grass, she was running towards him without losing any momentum. By holding one sword in the ground and holding back the other, she was gathering her strength for a strike. In other words, she was using one sword as something of an anchor. The moment she lifted it out of the ground, at several times the speed of a normal sword strike, a slashing attack came towards Suimei. 

Without any hesitation, Suimei dropped the mercury katana in his hand and built up his golden rampart. However, Titania suddenly deviated from her frontal attack and was now moving as if to strike him from the side. She was coming from the right. Suimei had given up on determining her precise location, and he blindly pointed his rampart to the right. Sparks went flying. He had blocked the attack, but for some reason, he could feel fierce chills running down his spine. 

Promptly obeying his instincts and leaping backwards, the point of Titania’s sword tore through the air and grazed Suimei’s cheek. Not an instant later, the next stab came flying in, and she repeated the combination over and over. The rapid onslaught of interweaving thrusts from her two swords was relentless. If it had been the work of rapiers, there would be feints mixed in with the thrusts, but each and every one Titania’s strikes was intended to kill. 

Without overlooking the target of those thrusts, Suimei evaded one attack after another. And then the thrusts stopped coming. At this distance, it would be best for him to put up his rampart, get some distance, and begin using magicka, but... No. Judging that putting up any more defenses would be a stupid plan, Suimei moved forward. At his sudden advance, Titania’s face twisted with suspicion. But after seeing him pick up his mercury katana, her expression changed to one of surprise. But... 

“You dare make light of me, Suimei?” 

As Titania huffed out those words, the joy of victory flashed on her face. Faster than Suimei could even prepare his blade, she lunged at him. Her aim was his abdomen. She was surely planning on striking the narrow gap between his internal organs. 

He had no time to dodge this swift thrust, and he was defenseless. It would definitely hit. Comparing their abilities and speed with their blades, Titania was the clear superior. However, that was something that Suimei was fully aware of. If she wasn’t that good, it would pose a problem for him. And sure enough, Titania’s blade plunged into Suimei’s body and penetrated right through it. 

“With this, it’s over, Sui—Wha?!” 

In the middle of declaring her victory, Suimei’s body suddenly melted away like water. Without giving her any time to recover from her surprise, Suimei wrapped the pitch black, coal tar-like liquid he’d transformed into around her body and hardened it. With this, he stole her freedom of movement. Titania tottered, tumbling onto the grass. After enduring the shock of the fall, she looked up to see Suimei standing over her. 

“That’s my win.” 

“To think you could even transform your own body... You really got me.” 

Titania admitted that much in a vexed voice only after literally losing the ability to use her hands and legs. Suimei judged that it was safe to release the magicka around her body based on her tone and the fact that she was no longer radiating her fighting spirit. 

“So?” 

“...I understand. I will graciously accept my defeat.” 

“So you don’t care if I act freely now, right?” 

“With that level of ability, I do not have any reason to complain.” 

And so it was settled. As Titania went to pick her swords back up, she looked at Suimei with a somewhat puzzled expression. 

“Suimei, why do you hide your power?” 

“In my world, it’s the natural thing to do. Old habits die hard.” 

“Is that really how it is...?” 

Titania made a disagreeable face as though she wasn’t really convinced. It only lasted a moment, however. Her attitude then took a strange turn. 

“I have something that I would like to request of you, Suimei.” 

“What?” 

“I would like you not to speak of what happened here with Reiji-sama. Even though it is a selfish request from the one who challenged you, might I trust your silence on the matter?” 

Certainly, she’d fought him in an attempt to force him to do what she told him to do. Suimei wasn’t going to say it, but the princess had herself—she was being selfish. Even now. But Suimei had no reason to refuse. 

“Yeah, sure. I feel the same way, so it’s fine with me. I won’t mention our little skirmish.” 

However, that wasn’t exactly what Titania was talking about. 

“No, not that, precisely. It mean about the fact that I use a sword. Um... I said I don’t want to talk about it, but... How do I put it...?” 

“Hmm? Reiji and the others don’t know how strong you are? Why haven’t you told them?” 

“Th-That is, um... I have a reason for not wanting them to know.” 

“What could possibly make you want to keep that from them?” 

As Suimei asked her that, Titania’s face suddenly flushed red. 

“B-Because, because...! If Reiji-sama considers me to be some tomboy, he would dislike me, would he not?!” 

At her sudden shouting, Suimei stiffened up with a dumbfounded stare. He couldn’t properly parse the details of what she’d just said. But finally, he managed to give voice to how he felt. 

“Huh...?” 

“‘Huh?!’ What is with that idiotic face?!” 

“Don’t make fun of me! But seriously... I don’t think he would really care about that kinda thing?” 

“But that’s just conjecture, no? I must keep it a secret! Surely you can understand, can’t you?!” 

Titania’s face, which was pressing ever closer, was dead serious. Was she really so afraid of Reiji disliking her that she’d go to such lengths? He felt like she was missing the mark, but setting that aside... 

“Well, I don’t mind. I don’t really mean to drag out our previous conversation, but how can you give me crap about hiding my power after this?” 

“Shut your mouth! I just said I have a proper reason not to tell them!” 

Titania was glaring daggers into Suimei as she yelled in response. In a cool flash, however, her anger turned into something of a perplexed attitude. 

“A-Anyway, Suimei, I have one more thing I would like to tell you.” 

“What is this all of a sudden?” 

“That magic that you used to defeat me... It is not magic you should use against a lady.” 

“...Huh?” 

“‘Huh’ again?! That’s it?! Think about it carefully!” 

Titania was piping mad again. Suimei had no idea why she had to get so angry over it, either. The magicka he’d used was an attack to deliberately mislead his opponent. After liquefying, he coiled around his target and hardened. It restricted his opponent’s movements— 

After liquefying, he coiled around his target and... 

Suimei arrived at his answer, and while turning bright red, voiced his objection. 

“I-It really isn’t anything perverted, damn it!” 

“Even if you think so, the person having it done to them will not! First it’s squishy, then it suddenly hardens... It’s an extremely weird feeling, you pervert!” 

“Don’t say it in such a weird way, you damn tomboy princess!” 

As a blushing Titania pointed her sword at him, Suimei quipped back at her magnificently. 

After his fight with Titania, by the time that Suimei returned to the imperial capital, the day was over and it was completely dark. Right after getting back, Suimei locked himself in a room that was declared off-limits to anyone else. After finishing his work there, he emerged and headed towards the living room. 

It was there that he found Reiji relaxing. But since Suimei was looking for someone else, Reiji pointed him outside. Suimei opened the door and stepped out. Standing in the square between the surrounding buildings, he stared up at the starry sky. But once his gaze fell back down to earth, it didn’t take Suimei long to find what he was looking for. 

“Hey, Mizuki. What’re you doing out here?” 

“Oh, just enjoying the night breeze and a little alone time.” 

Mizuki was sitting in one of the chairs left outside watching the moon. Suimei rustled around in his bag and produced the reason he’d come to see her. 

“Here, your shoes.” 

“My shoes, as in... Why do you have those?” 

“Obviously, to sniff them like this...” 

“Suimei-kun, that’s perverted...” 

When Suimei pantomimed that her shoes stunk, Mizuki reeled back. 

“It’s a joke, just a joke. Actually, I’ve been hearing that a lot today... Anyways, these are brand new, you know?” 

“Huh? Oh, you’re right. Did you buy these?” 

“Well, yeah. Why don’t you try them on?” 

Sitting down in the chair beside her, he looked up at the starry sky again. After he pushed the shoes on her, Mizuki began to put them on. 

“Oh? These are...” 

After getting them on and seeing how they felt, Mizuki began to cutely jump up and down in place. She took a moment to inspect the shoes, and then turned a surprised face to Suimei. 

“I bought new ones and adjusted them.” 

“What? Is your house a cobbler’s shop and I just didn’t realize it?” 

“Not at all. I just have skillful hands... Well, I used some magic I learned. I think those should be somewhat better and quite comfortable to wear, right?” 

Suimei flashed an impish smile. The shoes he’d just given her were ones he’d worked on in the off-limits room: his magicka laboratory. After he’d heard that Mizuki was down because she’d worn out her good shoes, he’d hastily used magicka to improve some ready-made shoes so that they’d be more comfortable to wear and last longer. Mizuki threw both her arms in the air in admiration. 

“Amazing! Suimei can already handle magic so well!” 

“‘So well,’ you say... Can’t you also do all sorts of things like this?” 

“I can’t use that kinda handy magic. I prioritized learning magic that was useful in battle, after all... But that’s not the case for you, Suimei-kun, right?” 

“Heh, in order to live comfortably, I don’t hold back on principle.” 

As Suimei joked around, Mizuki sat back down in her chair and revealed a gentle smile that suited her perfectly. 

“That’s just like you, Suimei-kun. Oh, and thanks for these.” 

“It’s nothing.” 

Suimei replied as he raised his hand lightly. With this, her journey should be at least a little easier. 

“Um, actually, Suimei-kun...” 

Then Mizuki turned to him with something of a gloomy expression. She was looking down an alley where there was nothing at all. Suimei realized the change that had come over her mood, but simply listened patiently like he always did. 

“What is it?” 

“You’ve already fought with monsters and demons right?” 

“Yeah.” 

“When you did, were you scared?” 

“I pissed myself.” 

As Suimei declared this, Mizuki stood up. 

“You liar! Jeez... You’re just a filthy liar. Would someone who’s had a yakuza’s pistol pointed at him and looked bored when it happened really do that?” 

“What, you still remember that?” 

“Of course I do. ’Cause that, back in our world... Those were the most dangerous days of my life, you know?” 

She certainly had a point. In the past, when Mizuki was still suffering from chuunibyou, she’d picked up a weapon dropped by a dangerous man and it became quite the disturbance. In the end, Suimei and Reiji came to her rescue. Reiji had attacked, full of righteousness and zeal, but was secretly being supported by Suimei’s magicka all the while. 

“Somehow, Suimei-kun, even if a monster was right in front of you, I feel like you’d just be completely calm. You’ve sorta been like that since way back, you know?” 

“Well...” 

Suimei gave a vague reply, but she was right on point. When they’d first met, Mizuki had noticed that unflinching aura about him—it was part of his immaturity as a magician. Thanks to that, they’d ended up becoming friends, however. And looking closely at his friend now, he could see that her expression had become quite serious. 

“But you know... I was scared. That was also the case with the normal demons, but before the stronger demon, I couldn’t move at all.” 

“Well, yeah. Wasn’t that guy a demon general?” 

A girl who until recently was just a normal student couldn’t possibly stand against Rajas. Even Suimei who had a fair amount of experience with fighting faltered when he first faced the demon general. But Mizuki shook her head. She couldn’t accept that answer. 

“Just a little more, if only just a little more... If I’d been able to use my magic, the fighting may have ended right there. Though Reiji-kun defeated him right after...” 

“That’s being a little selfish. You stood against a demon general, didn’t you? That’s more than enough.” 

“But when it was all over, they got angry at me.” 

“They may have been angry at the time, but I think that deep down, they all thought you were amazing.” 

“...Really?” 

“Really. That’s why you have nothing to worry about.” 

Suimei laughed off Mizuki’s worries, telling her it was just needless anxiety. She then looked wistfully up into the night sky. 

“Suimei-kun, just what is courage?” 

“Hmm...? Wait, no, no, no, no! What is this?” 

“Jeez! I’m being serious here!” 

“Aaah, okay. I totally thought you’d relapsed or something...” 

“You know that’s not what it was! Jeez... This is a fantasy world. A world where you really need courage to get by. That’s why I’m asking. Is that so hard to understand?” 

“...Yeah, okay. But let me pose a counter-question: how am I supposed to answer something like that? Why don’t you go ask a real-life manga protagonist? Like Reiji, or, you know, Reiji.” 

“Because I felt like asking you. You’ve had to go through dangerous things since coming here too, right? That’s why I thought you’d know something about it.” 

“You sure say some incredible things. But really, I’m mostly acting out of manly pride, you know?” 

“What’s with that?” 

“A woman wouldn’t understand.” 

“Ugh, you... Why do you only reply with those mean answers?” 

As Mizuki was pouting and puffing out her cheeks, Suimei let out a laugh and then a sigh. He then turned to look at her. 

“You... Do you want courage?” 

“Yeah, I do.” 

“It’s not something you can acquire easily, you know?” 

“Then how do I acquire it?” 

“Dunno.” 

As Suimei indifferently asserted that, Mizuki slumped her shoulders and sank into silence. Suimei got a little uncomfortable, took in a breath, and then began speaking again. 

“There’s something I’ve heard before. This’ll sound like something you’d say, but people talk about a fire that burns in your heart, right?” 

“That’s the hot-blooded type chuunibyou. I’m the cool, evil-eyed chuunibyou type.” 

“What’s with that? There’s categories now?” 

“That’s right. It’ll be on the test, so you’d better study up,” Mizuki declared in a proud, playful tone. 

But the gloom quickly returned. It was from one extreme to another with her. The way she worried too much about things hadn’t changed at all. She must have been thinking about all this the entire way to the imperial capital. 

“Mizuki, I don’t really know anything about what you call courage. But, you know, humans have all sorts of emotions. When those emotions become so grand that you’d never lose to what stands in your way, I think that you’ll be able to take a step forward for sure.” 

“But I don’t have any grand emotions...” 

“You said you’d become Reiji’s strength at the castle, didn’t you? And when you faced Rajas, wasn’t it because of your emotions that you rushed in? Am I wrong?” 

“That’s...” 

“It’s fine. You already have courage. I don’t know where you keep things you can’t see with your eyes, so it can be a little troublesome... But there’s at least one time in everyone’s life, without exception, where they’re forced to do nothing but grind their teeth. When that time comes, surely you’ll be able to take a step forward.” 

As Suimei said all this, Mizuki made a curious face. 

“...Talking from experience?” 

“Because I learned that far too late, I lost my father.” 

“What?” 

“Kidding. I told you he died in a traffic accident, right? I was just joking.” 

“That’s... unusually dark for you.” 

Suimei slapped Mizuki’s slumped shoulders in an attempt to encourage her. 

“Well, don’t worry about it so much. You stood up against a monster. Moving forward from there will come soon enough.” 

Mizuki hung her head down like she was biting on her words. And when she raised her head again, her gloomy expression from before was just a little bit brighter. 

“Yeah. Thanks. I think it may be a little easier now.” 

Suimei flashed his usual sly smile in her direction. 

While the two of them were talking, it seemed that there was a party of people peeping on them from the second floor window. Four of them, to be exact. Careful not to be heard by Suimei and Mizuki below, Titania whispered to Reiji. 

“Suimei is a lot more dependable than I thought he was.” 

“To Mizuki, Suimei was her first good friend, after all. He’s special. Honestly, I’m a little jealous of the fact that she can rely on him for things like that.” 

Reiji smiled bitterly at the thought that he wasn’t dependable. And when Felmenia looked at him, her eyes lit up like she’d just figured something out. 

“I see. Is this that thing where you don’t want to show your weakness to the person you love?” 

“Huh? What are you talking about, Sensei? Who’s this person she loves?” 

He was deaf. No, rather than his ears being bad, it was more correct to say his intuition was bad. Titania, Felmenia, and Lefille all let out a worried groan. 

“No, no. You’re supposed to sense it from context, Reiji-dono...” said a somewhat exasperated Felmenia. 

“That’s Reiji-kun for you...” Lefille replied, equally exasperated. 

Reiji, meanwhile, still had no idea what was going on. He was sitting there with a stumped look on his face and his head cocked to the side. In the middle of the four of them peeping on their two friends below, the front door swung wide open. The one who emerged from the house was Liliana. 

“Hngh... Suimei, are you there?” 

She was in her pajamas, and rather than being tied up in its usual twintails, her reddish-violet hair fell freely behind her. She was hugging a pillow and looked around with sleepy eyes. Even her voice was sleepy. Her steps were a little shaky. She must have wandered outside while still half asleep. Seeing this, Suimei spoke up. 

“What’s wrong, Liliana?” 

“I got lonely.” 

“What happened to Lefi and Menia?” 

Liliana shook her head. 

“The two of them... aren’t there.” 

“Aren’t there...?” 

Hearing that, Suimei was seized with suspicion. What did she mean? This was the only exit to the house, there’s no way they weren’t inside. Then something set in on him. When he looked up, he could see shadows moving in the upper window. 

“So that’s how it is...” 

He realized they must have been spying on him. Seeing all their heads dive below the windowsill as he looked up, he let out a sigh and stood up from his chair. 

“Then shall we go back?” 

Liliana let out a big yawn and, still in a sleepy daze, gave him a single big nod. 

“She’s quite attached to you, huh, Suimei-kun?” 

“Hmm, it’d be nice if that was the case.” 

“What do you mean, ‘if?’ That’s definitely the case. Seriously, that part of you is just like someone I know...” 

While talking of such things, the three of them returned to the house. 

Several days had passed since Suimei’s fight with Titania and his talk with Mizuki. In order to gather information on the tall shadow, Suimei was doing his rounds about the city. Perhaps because the lingering heat on them had cooled down, or perhaps because they never had any intent on coming after them in the first place, the authorities hadn’t shown any interest in them. As such, Suimei and Felmenia were no longer afraid to show their faces outside. 

Their current objective was naturally the capture of the mastermind behind the scenes, the tall shadow. For the time being, Suimei had an idea as to who this was, but for the sake of being able to drive them into a corner, he needed to get a hold of more materials. 

Both he and Felmenia split up for the purpose of covering more ground in their search for information. Suimei was on his way back to the base when he’d met up with Reiji, and the two of them were now headed back to the house together. As Suimei walked along languidly, he admired the odd sight of Reiji in his school uniform with a sword at his waist. 

“To think you’ve already memorized the layout of the imperial capital...” 

“Yeah? If you just walk around normally, I think it’s something that comes pretty naturally...” 

Reiji replied like it was completely trivial. He’d spent the day strolling the city alone to memorize its layout. As Suimei lightly nudged him with a fist, Reiji put on a cheerful smile. But then in a drastic one-eighty, his expression turned rather serious. 

“Come to think of it, Suimei... If I remember right, you said you were looking for a way back to our world, didn’t you?” 

“Yeah, I want to return no matter what. Ah, of course once I find it, I’ll let you guys know.” 

“You will, huh? That sure you’re going to find it?” 

“Don’t underestimate me, you hear? Who the hell do you think I am?” 

As Suimei beat his fist against his own chest, Reiji suddenly burst out in laughter. 

“That part of you is so very odd...” 

“Which?” 

“Even though you said you didn’t want anything to do with danger, aren’t you just jumping into danger on your own now?” 

“I got enough of that sermon last time... If I don’t brave these dangers, I won’t be able to grasp what I want.” 

“Do you want to go back that badly?” 

“What, is that weird?” 

“No, it’s just that I thought you would find it easier here since this world doesn’t have any shackles for you like ours did.” 

As Reiji stared at the sky, Suimei retorted jokingly. 

“It’s more relaxing over there, you know? There are plenty of delicious things to eat, too.” 

“You’re working hard because you want to relax?” 

“That’s just how humans are,” Suimei declared in a self-deprecating manner. He then let out a troubled sigh. “Besides, there are tons of things I left behind.” 

“That’s true...” 

Reiji cast his gaze downward when he heard those words. There were also things he’d left behind that weighed heavily on his mind. Since Suimei had no living relatives anymore, if anything, it should have been easier for him. One of Reiji’s biggest worries was his family. He thought about them constantly. But rather than never seeing them again, Reiji was more concerned about how they were doing. That was the reason he was so downcast. 

“Well, once I find the means and get it to work, I’ll contact you right away, so look forward to it.” 

“Heh, thanks.” 

While walking back to the house with a lonely atmosphere lingering around them, the boys approached the entry to the alley. There, Suimei spotted a familiar face. It was a beautiful, blond, blue-eyed young man casually loitering about as he took in the surroundings. And as this good-looking young man turned to Suimei... 

“How unusual. You’re with a man today?” 

The boy who noticed Suimei and let out that sarcastic remark was the hero from the Holy State, Elliot Austin. Seeing as this was Reiji’s first time meeting him, he asked Suimei for an introduction. 

“Suimei, this is...?” 

“This pretty boy seems to be the great hero that was summoned by the Holy State El Meide.” 

“So that’s...” 

Cutting short his surprise at their sudden encounter, Reiji stepped before Elliot. 

“I am Reiji Shana. It’s nice to meet you.” 

“Reiji? Could you be the hero summoned by Astel...?” 

It seemed Elliot had heard the name before. And when he asked about Reiji’s identity, he confirmed it. When he did, Elliot gave him a courteous bow and dressed up his greeting. 

“I am Elliot Austin. I have heard rumors about you. It seems you defeated a demon general, correct?” 

“No, in truth, I didn’t really do that...” 

“...?” 

Before the bewildered Elliot, Reiji let out a troubled sigh and explained what happened at the time. It took a while, but Reiji gave Elliot a rundown of the truth. Elliot made a slightly irritated face as he let out a sigh. 

“I see... You got swallowed into politics. How unfortunate.” 

“That’s why those rumors floating around aren’t true.” 

Reiji’s expression as he explained everything was tinged with disappointment and woe. It seemed he incredibly disliked these rumors being thrown about. It all made him quite anxious. He was a very serious character, however, so that much was only normal. His ordinarily bright, light brown eyes now reflected a darkness in them. It was enough that Elliot perceived it. Using a considerate tone free of all severity, he gave Reiji some advice. 

“Allow me to say this: it is better if you do not let people like that do as they please. All influential people want to make use of those who possess strong power, after all.” 

“Are you familiar with this yourself?” 

“Well, to an extent.” 

Elliot let out a small sigh. Judging from his behavior, he may just have experienced such hardships in his own world. 

“That’s amazing. Back in my world, I was only a student without any sort of power. I’m always late at being able to cope with these kinds of situations.” 

As Reiji said this, Elliot looked surprised. 

“...Is that so? I must say your movements look awfully well balanced to me.” 

“Really? I’d be pleased if that were true.” 

With that, Reiji flashed his usual, natural smile. Elliot, who had never witnessed it before, winced. 

“—?!” 

“What’s wrong?” 

Paying Reiji’s question no mind, Elliot turned to Suimei and whispered to him with his hand held up like a partition to keep Reiji from hearing. 

“That... It really has a destructive impact, does it not?” 

“Don’t turn red, damn it.” 

Looking at Elliot’s expression, Suimei let out a sigh. He was tired of hearing this, but he couldn’t laugh off the fact that Reiji’s smile worked on men too. Reiji, who was completely oblivious to all this, was still indeed Reiji. 

“At any rate, Austin-san, thank you.” 

“Please. In my current situation, I’m not really one to talk. Also, I do not mind if you just call me Elliot.” 

Elliot shrugged his shoulders casually like he was trying to be friendly with Reiji. Watching the two of them from the sidelines, Suimei drew in a breath in admiration. 

“Somehow... you two really seem to get along, huh?” 

“Far more than with you.” 

“Shut it.” 

As Suimei bluntly replied to Elliot’s cynical gaze, Elliot seemed to have realized something and was now looking at both Suimei and Reiji’s faces. 

“Now that I think about it, do you two know each other? I cannot possibly imagine the connection, though.” 

“Well, I have a bit of a bond with this guy.” 

“A bond, you say...? But never mind that. Is it not rude to refer to a hero as ‘this guy?’” 

“...Is it? Are you saying you want me to speak respectfully to you, in a roundabout way?” 

“Would you stop that? If you starting talking to me respectfully, I would have goosebumps running down my body for the rest of my life.” 

“Understood. Then, though it may be presumptuous of me... My, my, if it is not the valiant hero Elliot-sama. Would you kindly hurry along and enjoy your goosebumps?” 

“Urgh...” 

Elliot dramatically grabbed his shoulders as Suimei spoke to him politely, albeit sarcastically. Unexpectedly, he seemed to have a decent sense of humor and could roll with the mood. 

“...So, I also have something I want to ask, but why are you here?” 

“It’s nothing. I just came because I heard you were in the area. I came to see just what kind of place you were living in.” 

“You sure are a whimsical guy,” Suimei said in an exasperated voice. Then he remembered something. “But you did pull your weight last time, didn’t you?” 

“Are you being sarcastic?” 

“Nope, not particularly.” 

As the two of them started talking about things only known between them, Reiji was being left behind. He decided to ask Elliot for details. 

“Did something happen?” 

“I confronted the culprit behind the coma incidents that have been raising a fuss in the imperial capital. However, unfortunately, they once more got away.” 

“Oh? You didn’t actually fight them?” 

“No, there was no quarrel. Just like last time, he escaped like he’s playing around with us.” 

Elliot let out a vexed sigh. During his investigations today, Suimei heard that Elliot managed to corner the tall shadow. The citizens of the imperial capital were praising him. But it seemed that was all a bit off the mark. 

“This time, Her Imperial Highness was also present, however. It did not end quite so easily as before.” 

“I see. In other words, they’re quite the master, huh?” 

“...” 

Suimei then noticed that Elliot had shifted his attention to him. It felt like he was being scanned. 

“What’s wrong?” 

“...It is nothing. Do you think you would be able to defeat them?” 

“I don’t know why you’re asking me that kind of thing but... As long as I don’t know that guy’s actual capabilities are, I can’t really say anything.” 

As Suimei wouldn’t put up with that kind of guesswork, he unnaturally acted like he had given up. If both Graziella and Elliot had failed at apprehending the tall shadow, he couldn’t be careless about it. While they were in the middle of this conversation, Suimei sensed someone else’s presence. As he narrowed his eyes and glared off in the direction he sensed it, the presence that realized they’d been found out looked back at him. They drew closer, their presences thinned. After confirming the three people before them, they quietly came out of the shadows. 

“My, to think there would be two heroes gathered together.” 

“Colonel Rogue?” 

Just as Elliot had said, the man who emerged from the shadows was the man with swept-back black hair with a bit of gray mixed into it—the imperial soldier Rogue Zandyke. As per his usual, he donned a dark military uniform and a sword hung ostentatiously from his waist. His stern look should have impressed on Suimei that he was dangerous, but for some reason, what stood out to Suimei was the shadow stretching out behind him. 

The reason Rogue seemed so small was perhaps because of how large his shadow cast by the setting sun appeared to be. It was like Suimei couldn’t tell whether or not it was actually attached to his feet. Rogue stepped forward with a strange gait. His reddish-brown eyes were thin and sharp as he narrowed them to their limit, making his severe face appear even more severe. Reiji quickly drew closer to Suimei to talk to him in secret. 

“Suimei, isn’t Rogue...” 

“Yeah...” 

Suimei had shared what he knew about this man with Reiji and the others. As Reiji tensed up, Rogue faced Elliot and gave him a light bow. 

“Elliot-dono, Her Imperial Highness Graziella is calling for you. Hurry up and come to the plaza, she says.” 

Did he come all this way just to relay that message? Hearing Graziella’s name, Elliot let out a grand sigh. 

“My goodness, that imperial princess really treats her subordinates roughly, huh?” 

“I can sympathize with that.” 

“If you sympathize with it, then I would like you to trade places with me.” 

“Shoo, shoo! Go away.” 

Suimei waved his hand to drive him away, but Elliot didn’t really seem to mind at all. As he combed back his blonde hair glistening in the evening sun, he seemed somewhat coquettish to Suimei. He did turn to go, but Reiji called out to him as he did. 

“Well, Elliot, I’ll see you again if fate permits.” 

“Likewise. I’ll be in your care then, hero from Astel.” 

After Elliot responded in kind to Reiji’s refreshing parting words, he left the area. After seeing him off, Rogue turned his thin eyes on Suimei. 

“Suimei Yakagi, right?” 

“It has been a while.” 

“Before the search for Liliana began, you seemed to have met with her, right?” 

“...That’s right.” 

Suimei was still watching Elliot go and didn’t meet Rogue’s gaze. Rogue then turned and faced Suimei properly. 

“I have a fairly obvious question for you, but do you know where Liliana is right now?” 

“I haven’t a clue.” 

“Is that true?” 

“Yes.” 

Suimei turned to face Rogue and nodded. 

“Is it alright for me to ask something in return?” 

“What is it?” 

“You seem to be looking for that girl, but if you do find her, what do you plan on doing?” 

Rogue looked at Suimei, his eyes full of unrelenting will. After staring for a while, Rogue replied while maintaining his stiff expression. 

“I don’t think there is any reason for me to tell you that.” 

“As one of the people searching for the culprit behind the coma incidents, I would like to hear your answer.” 

“...It should be obvious. I will have her take responsibility for her actions. That is all.” 

“Even if her reason for doing so was to protect you?” 

“Of course.” 

Rogue silently turned away. His words were exactly like his temperament, simply stiff. He was surely the same way when he cornered that little girl. And if that were the case, there may be nothing Suimei could do to topple his will. But even so, Suimei had to say it or he knew he wouldn’t be satisfied. 

“It may be none of my business, but...” 

“Suimei?” 

Both Reiji and Rogue turned to face Suimei. 

“You are that girl’s father, aren’t you? Even if you aren’t connected by blood, as long as you decided to be her father, you should act like it. At the very least, to the bitter end.” 

“...” 

“Isn’t that right? If you’re her family, then you should be the one who believes in her, right?” 

Suimei told Rogue exactly what was on his mind. But as expected, Rogue’s stiff expression never cracked. But once Suimei got that off his chest, he cooled down some and his voice was now quieter than before. 

“A parent’s responsibilities... Hearing of such things from someone who isn’t a parent may certainly seem impertinent. But if we’re talking about responsibility...” 

“No. I draw the line at calling her my relative. This is my responsibility as her superior officer.” 

As Rogue left him those words, he went his way without even so much as a glance back. It was as if his figure was relaying his resoluteness to Suimei. But even if he was set in his ways, Suimei still wanted to tell him of the things that girl held in her heart. Yet in the end, all he could do was watch as he walked away. Reiji wore an unusually serious expression as he turned away from Rogue’s vanishing figure and brought his face closer to Suimei. 

“Suimei... From what I’ve heard, I think that man is awfully suspicious.” 

“If this is about the culprit, there’s no way that guy is the mastermind.” 

“Is that so?” 

“Yeah. No doubt about it. As for the real offender, I do have a clue who it might be.” 

While Suimei and Reiji were having this exchange, they suddenly became aware of the sound of footsteps rapidly approaching. After belatedly realizing whoever it was was headed straight for them, they heard someone call out to them as well. 

“Suimei-dono! Reiji-dono! It’s terrible!” 

As they turned around, Felmenia was running towards them as she gasped for breath between her shouts. 

Within a single room inside Suimei’s base was a magicka circle he installed letting out a mystical light. On top of it was Lefille, who was down on one knee in prayer. Her still figure looked just like a devout follower earnestly praying to a god while waiting for a blessing. Or rather, seeing how she was indeed a follower of the Goddess Alshuna’s teaching and believed in the Goddess’s existence, it wasn’t just that the scene looked like it. That’s precisely what it was. The pure blue beam of light illuminated all the furniture in the gloomy room in a wondrous manner. The beauty of the light was so pristine that it would have been easy to believe no one could invade it. 

A knock reverberated in the room. As Lefille opened her thin eyes and turned towards the door, she heard Suimei’s voice from the other side. 

“Lefi, how is it?” 

“Oh, considerably good. Thanks to the circle you made, I feel like I’m getting back into my stride quite well.” 

“That’s good.” 

Hearing her cheerful voice, Suimei took in a small breath of relief. 

“Is something the matter?” 

“Yeah, seems like something happened. We’re going to all talk about it together, so I came to get you.” 

“...What could it be? I have a bad feeling.” 

“Me too.” 

Hearing his agreement, she could practically see him shrugging through the door. Lefille then stood up and headed to the living room with Suimei. When they arrived, Felmenia and Reiji’s group, including their knight escorts had already gathered. Everyone crowded around the table and took their seats. Felmenia then cut to the chase. 

“I was outside gathering information in the streets just now, but I heard something that worried me.” 

Felmenia had a grim expression on like her blood was curdling as she said this, and Suimei cut in to urge her on. 

“What’s wrong?” 

“I was eavesdropping on the soldiers who were talking in the plaza, and they were saying that they have ascertained Liliana’s location.” 

“Sensei, then...” 

“So they found this place out...” 

Suimei inhaled sharply. The hour had finally arrived. He knew it was only a matter of time, but he was hoping it wouldn’t be so soon. 

“White Flame-dono, is that for certain?” 

“Yes, Your Highness. Using magicka... Using magic, I got the information from deep within the headquarters in the southern plaza. I do not believe there is any mistaking it.” After replying to Titania’s question, Felmenia continued her report. “But that is not all. I heard a few times that for the purpose of rounding up all those involved with Liliana, they were going to take action this evening.” 

“In other words, the Empire... Princess Graziella intends to capture all of us.” 

Lefille let out an ill-humored groan. Certainly if they’d determined her location, it was perfectly expected that they’d also want to take into custody the people who’d been sheltering her. However... 

“So the reason that hero was loitering around the area was for this...” 

“Elliot?” 

“That’s probably it.” 

Suimei nodded at Reiji. Elliot’s appearance and now this... The timing was too much of a coincidence. No matter how he looked at it, Elliot had absolutely no reason to be in Suimei’s neighborhood. It was unthinkable that his curiosity had gotten the better of him. However, if the strategy was going to take place this evening, him coming to do some preliminary scouting made perfect sense. As for where they managed to get the information on Liliana’s location... Suimei had a guess. 

Next, Lefille turned to Felmenia. 

“Lady Felmenia, will Princess Graziella be coming?” 

“Pardon? I believe so. She would probably come herself, right?” 

“Huh... Yes, of course...” 

Suimei thought it was appropriate. Considering her temperament, there was no way she wouldn’t come. However, Lefille was quite fixated on this point for quite some time. In her smaller form, her expressions were quite cute, but for an instant, Suimei saw something reckless and dangerous in her face. 

“Suimei-kun, what do we do?” 

Before Suimei could answer Mizuki, Liliana’s trembling voice spoke up. 

“Like I thought... I should surrender.” 

“I won’t let you do that kinda crap. Besides, it’s too late even if you leave now.” 

“But...! At this rate, I’ll cause... everyone trouble.” 

“Don’t worry about it. If I stopped to think about everything that troubled me, I couldn’t possibly live in this damn world, you know?” 

Saying that, Suimei showed Liliana a fearless smile as she hung her head down in gratitude. Lefille turned to Suimei, seeming to share the sentiment. 

“I agree completely about Liliana, Suimei-kun. So what will we do from here?” 

“We go catch the culprit.” 

As Suimei announced his plan, the room became noisy for a spell. 

“In truth, I’d like to gather more information before making contact. But that won’t fly anymore.” 

“Suimei, you said before that you had a clue as to who the mastermind was, right? Do you have any proof that whoever it is is really the culprit?” 

“There’s an eight or nine out of ten chance, I’d say. I can’t imagine it being anyone else.” 

Suimei answered Reiji confidently, but Titania followed up with more questions. 

“It is fine to go and catch them, but if we do that, will everything be put in order cleanly?” 

“Perfectly cleanly would be quite difficult. But we could always skip town in the middle of the night.” 

Suimei laughed like he didn’t think anything of it, but Felmenia and Lefille both sighed and shook their heads. But Titania wasn’t done yet. 

“And so, Suimei, will we all be going to where the culprit is?” 

Suimei was slightly taken aback at this rather strange question from her. 

“Whazzat?” 

“Why are you making that kind of idiotic face? I am asking if you have some sort of plan, I’ll have you know.” 

“So... you’re going to cooperate with me?” 

As Suimei looked at her in surprise, Titania gave him a look like she couldn’t believe he was seriously asking her that. Reiji was the one who spoke up next, in something of an astonished voice. 

“That’s completely an ‘after all this time’ kind of thing, Suimei. Isn’t it obvious?” 

“Yeah, yeah. When we’re in trouble, you’re the same, right?” 

“But if you do this, things might become quite difficult for you guys from now on...” 

“It’s fine. Besides, the one who always used to cause the trouble was me. I would say something selfish, and Suimei would follow along. That’s the usual flow, right? So I can just think of this as returning the favor.” 

After Reiji said that cheerfully, his expression changed. It became resolute and serious. 

“Besides, I can’t just turn a blind eye to this.” 

Reiji’s voice resonated throughout the room. Those words he fired off were extremely promising. But they made Suimei scratch his head like he was resigning himself. 

“Aaand there’s the famous Reiji-ism.” 

“He won’t back down no matter what now, Suimei-kun.” 

“Yeah... I know.” 

Strung along by Mizuki’s smiling face, Suimei also put on a smile before continuing. 

“Then... yeah. If you all plan on cooperating, then I’ll take you up on that.” 

Everyone present gave Suimei an acknowledging nod. Liliana then stood up from her chair in a fluster. 

“Suimei, if you’re going to catch the culprit, please take me with you.” 

“I don’t want to let you fight though.” 

“But...” 

As Liliana clung to him, Suimei could only remain silent. If their opponent was the mastermind behind this case, it would without a doubt be the same person who manipulated Liliana. Suimei didn’t really want them coming in contact with each other. However, an earnest light shone in the eyes of the girl in front of him. It was strong, and told him that even if she couldn’t bring this to an end herself, she at least wanted to see it through. And seeing that resolve, as one would expect, Suimei had no choice but to give in. 

“But I won’t let you use magic, alright?” 

“I know.” 

“You might go through something terrible, you know?” 

“I’ve made up my mind. I do not wish... to run away.” 

“And you’re really okay with this?” 

“Yes.” 

“...Alright then.” 

With that, Suimei then moved on to talk about his plans for the evening’s battle. 

After finishing their meeting, Suimei called to Felmenia. She was currently headed to the off-limits room he used as his laboratory. He’d called her over without any explanation, and up until now, her brow had been quite wrinkled. Using a special spell to open the door, the one who’d summoned her was deep inside the room arranging some of his research tools. 

“Suimei-dono, it is Felmenia Stingray. I have come as requested.” 

“Oh, you’re here. Just sit wherever you want.” 

Without even looking over at her, Suimei ushered her in with a wave. Doing just as he said, Felmenia sat down in a vacant chair. As she did, Suimei finished organizing his tools and drew closer to her. 

“Sorry ‘bout that.” 

“No, I do not mind. So, just what is the matter, Suimei-dono? You only called for me...” 

“Aah, well, there’s something I specifically wanted to share with you. Also, I thought we should talk about tonight’s battle.” 

“Just with me?” 

Suimei nodded back at Felmenia’s puzzled question. Based on the preparations they’d just made, it was decided that they would split up into a group to defeat the mastermind, a group to confront Graziella, Elliot, and the imperial forces they lead, and a group to stall the chase. 

“Just as I said before, I have no choice but to go with Liliana. That’s why I want you to handle something else for me.” 

“Eh, and so...” 

Perhaps because she wasn’t expecting him to say that, Felmenia was making a slightly less dignified expression than normal. Suimei then articulated his thoughts for her. 

“That’s right. Dealing with Graziella is an important part of this, so I was thinking of leaving that to you, Menia.” 

“M-Me?! Are you talking about me?!” 

“The only one who could face off against that dangerous woman is probably Tia. But we can’t really play that hand. And Lefi still can’t fight. So all in all, it has to be you.” 

“B-B-B-B-But...! For me to take on Her Imperial Highness Graziella, are my abilities not a little...?” 

“You can’t do it?” 

“It is obvious! It is unreasonable! She is the strongest mage in all the Empire, you know?!” 

Felmenia was shaking her head with all her might. 

“But didn’t they say that you were the strongest mage in Astel or something?” 

“Since the Magic Institute is located in the Empire, their magical studies are at the pinnacle of the entire continent!” 

Felmenia was flabbergasted. Even after she finished her sentences, her mouth continued to gape in stammering disbelief. It seemed she was quite shaken by the idea of challenging someone who outranked her. Suimei looked at her in slight exasperation and slight disbelief. 

“...Didn’t you stylishly talk her down and run away last time?” 

“Th-That was what we call spur of the moment! And we’re all sold out now, so there will be no second time in that department!” 

After vigorously protesting, Felmenia’s voice deteriorated into a nervous whine. Her anxieties were getting the better of her. 

“Are you still anxious?” 

“...Yes.” 

“It’ll be fine. Last time it was definitely quite risky, but now you’ve studied all sorts of magicka, haven’t you? If you move around just as I said and give orders to Reiji and the others, don’t worry. You should be able to defeat her, no problem.” 

“I-Is that true?” 

“Yeah.” 

Suimei returned a cheerful nod to her before continuing. 

“Let’s put off the talk about tonight’s battle for later. First I’ll have you study an important law of magicka theory, mystical entropy.” 

“M-Mystical en-tro-py...? It seems like quite the amazing name.” 

After hearing something new about magicka theory was involved, Felmenia’s withering figure took a sudden shift as she leaned forward in excitement. It was like the anxiety from her heavy responsibilities had disappeared into the ether. It really showed how much interest she had in the mysteries of magicka. 

“That’s true, but before we start on that topic, first let’s do a review. Just what is the thing we call magicka? And what are the necessary actions to use it? Give me the answer. And I don’t mind if you’re brief this time.” 

“Very well. Magicka is, so to speak, a phenomenon. Just as lightning will lead to the rise of a storm as long as the climate meets the requirements, in short, magicka occurs as long as the laws produced by a magician fulfill its conditions. It is the lightning and the storm.” 

“That’s right.” 

“And then, regarding the use of magicka, what is necessary for a phenomenon produced by a magician to manifest itself includes: the construction of the spell, the necessary commitment of mana, any associated gestures, the drawing of a magicka circle, the chanting of the spell, the use of any relevant magicka items, and finally, the invocation of another plane. With combinations of those actions depending on the spell being used, magicka will be invoked.” 

Felmenia answered confidently from start to finish, and Suimei nodded in approval. To create lightning using magicka, say the invocation of the magicka required chanting the spell and a magicka circle. In this case, the magicka circle would be the thundercloud, and the chant would be the trigger for the electrical discharge. It was something that responded to actions. They authored the manipulation and alteration of matter. Just as Suimei’s nod indicated, Felmenia had answered correctly. However... 

“There is something else that is necessary other than all that. What is it?” 

“For a single magicka using those actions, it is necessary to follow the determined processes and dedicate the determined amount of time.” 

“Exactly... Mm, in terms of the use of magicka, there are no problems.” 

As Suimei gave another satisfied nod, he began pacing like he was pondering something. 

“Next is... something for reference. The act of using magicka, in general, is by definition something far detached from common sense.” 

“What? The use of magicka is... something that is detached from common sense?” 

“That’s right. Well, the people of this world wouldn’t really agree, but please think of it in that way.” 

“I see...” 

Hearing this, Felmenia knit her brow furiously. In Suimei’s world, it was something completely ordinary, but it was quite understandable that Felmenia was not so convinced. 

Because the amount of knowledge the people of this world accumulated was still quite shallow, they had yet to properly distinguish between physical laws and magickal laws. That’s why a law like “an apple released from one’s hand will fall to the floor” and one like “if one performs a chant, magic will occur” were taken at the same face value here—common sense, as it were. But for what he was about to say, being able to perfectly understand that distinction was absolutely necessary. 

“Now then, it’s about time we move on to the main topic of mystical entropy. From now on, I’ll just abbreviate it to entropy. It is something that, in a determined place, mixes together ‘the components that establish mystical laws’ and ‘the components that establish physical laws,’ and renders them into a jumbled state. Well, that’s the standard definition with regards to magickal theory.” 

“O-Oh...” 

It didn’t seem that Felmenia quite understood. But regardless, Suimei continued his explanation. 

“First, let’s touch upon the ‘the components which establish physical laws.’ Since you do not know of science, an easy way to put it for you to understand would be the cause of any phenomenon other than phenomena caused by magicka. It is a force that cannot be directly observed with your eyes.” 

“Something that cannot be seen, you say?” 

“That’s right. It may be best to imagine what this world generally calls the Elements. Next are ‘the components which establish mystical laws.’ This one is just as it sounds. In complete opposition to what I just explained to you, they are what cause mystical phenomenon brought about by magicka. It is also something that you cannot observe by seeing it.” 

“Aah! Like the Elements! In short, they help in causing things to happen for anything other than magicka, right?” 

“That’s not quite right... Well, you aren’t that far off either...” 

Felmenia tilted her head at Suimei’s troubled way of speaking. However, Suimei still kept going. 

“Think about the entire world, with the exclusion of exceptional locations, as being largely filled with ‘the components which establish physical laws.’ Because of that, mystical phenomena do not occur so easily... But the physical do. In a simple example, things fall to the ground easily and rubbing two things together makes heat easily. Those things fill the world.” 

“If the world is largely composed of those components, then just where are ‘the components that establish mystical laws?’” 

“In certain regions. In short, places where phenomena occur that cannot be clarified by physical laws are called mystical locations. They can also be called places where magicians caused mystical actions. In other words, if one were to use magicka, a space filled with ‘the components that establish physical laws’ will give birth to ‘the components that establish mystical laws’.” 

“I see.” 

“And so with the use of magicka, the amount of ‘the components that establish mystical laws’ in the space increases. Then, in a single space, two different types of components will exist. But this thing called ‘the components that establish mystical laws’ really hates the other thing called ‘the components that establish physical laws,’ and like it was born to, it immediately starts fighting with them.” 

“A fight between components...?” 

“If it’s difficult to picture, try imagining those two invisible components as tiny people caught in a melee. This is what I meant earlier by a jumbled state.” 

“Tiny people... I can somewhat picture it thinking of it like that... But when those tiny people fight, what happens?” 

“When the tiny people known as components begin to fight, to put it roughly, all phenomena except for magicka cease to occur properly.” 

“Are you saying that the phenomenon where objects fall to the ground will have difficulty occurring?” 

“Rather than it having difficulty occurring, it would be more correct to say that other effects become easier to produce. And in general, that would manifest in the form of the failure of the original phenomenon.” 

“So, does that mean the object would cease to fall, and it would be possible to have it fly off in another direction?” 

“Speaking very roughly, yes. In practice, as long as it isn’t something big, the effect of simple physical laws wouldn’t appear, but more advanced physical laws would freely affect it though...” 

Suimei hesitated to say it. To Felmenia who did not understand science, explaining advanced physics would take quite some time and it didn’t have much relevance to what they were talking about. 

“One way or another, I think I understand. To summarize, just from using magicka, it causes a disturbance that makes it easier to produce the desired result, right?” 

“Yes. Also, the larger the fight, the larger the entropy becomes. Well, it’s an indicator of the scale of the fight.” 

Suimei nodded at Felmenia’s reply. However, for some reason, she wrinkled her brow immediately and tilted her head far to the side. 

“But if it is like that, would it not remain in a disturbed state all the time? Do the tiny people stop fighting?” 

“No, it isn’t like that. Because mystical entropy is irreversible, the tiny people will fight forever without making up. However, because there are so many of ‘the components which establish physical laws’ in the surroundings of the tiny people, though there’s a time delay, reinforcements eventually pour in. The ratio of ‘the components that establish physical laws’ will become greater and the physical laws will stabilize.” 

Suimei took a short breather there, and then continued his explanation. 

“When one uses magicka, both components will mix together and the entropy in that place will increase. The amount it increases is in proportion to the scale of the result brought on by the magicka. When the result brought on by magicka is great, the amount of ‘the components that establish mystical laws’ born from it will be quite large, after all.” 

“So magicka that causes a great effect desires more components.” 

“Yeah. Whether the result brought on by magicka is great or small is decided by just how hard it is to make the same result occur without using magicka. Creating fire is not particularly difficult, but breaking a large rock into very small pieces cannot be done so easily. It is that kind of difference.” 

“Certainly for more difficult magicka, there are more processes to follow.” 

“That’s right. And with that, entropy will increase. And so the magicka I use compiled from modern magicka theory is the type that increases entropy greatly.” 

“Modern magicka theory does? Why? You said before, Suimei-dono, that compiling modern magicka theory has fewer processes when compared to magicka from other systems, did you not?” 

“Magicka compiled by modern magicka theory, instead of looking to produce the same result as other magicka, looks to speed up its use, reduce the processes involved, and increase the power. The time taken from invocation to activation is shorter than with other magicka. Shortening the required amount of time makes it more difficult, right? Producing the same result in a shorter period of time means that the desired result is greater.” 

“Ah, I see.” 

As Felmenia now seemed to understand, Suimei spoke as if summarizing everything he’d said. 

“Well, I explained it in fine detail, but it’s fine to just remember that when you use magicka, entropy increases. And so, the main topic of today’s lesson starts from here...”