Rokujouma no Shinryakusha!? - Volume 17 - Chapter 2

A Mother and Daughter’s Wish

Saturday, August 14th

Koutarou was kind to everyone, but he also kept people at a distance. That tendency was the consequence of a tragic loss in his childhood. While he’d never said so directly, Theia had put things together by now.

“...And that’s why Ruth and I want to do something about Koutarou. But we can’t seem to find a way to help him immediately, so we’re forced to take things one step at a time.”

After realizing what Koutarou was going through, Theia couldn’t leave him be. She wanted to do something, but there was no clear and obvious solution. Koutarou had once promised to make sure the girls all lived happy lives, but there didn’t seem to be a way to return the favor.

“I see... The death of Layous-sama’s mother is why he pushes other people away...” said Elfaria after hearing everything Theia said.

After witnessing the death of his own mother, Koutarou was incapable of overlooking misfortune in front of him. But at the same time, he’d never recovered from her loss. He knew all too well that no relationship lasted forever, and in his heartbreak, he’d given up even trying. That was why he would make promises with other people, but never expected them to be returned.

“Mother, how can Ruth and I save Koutarou?”

Afflicted by that question, Theia had come to Elfaria aboard Blue Knight for answers. She and Ruth were only teenage girls, so they lacked a certain amount of life experience. She was hoping her mother might see a solution she didn’t.

“Well...”

Elfaria stopped to think. Despite being over thirty, she had a very youthful appearance. Playfully tilting her head to the side only highlighted it.

“...”

“...”

Theia held her breath as she waited for her mother’s answer. Ruth, who was preparing some Rubustori tea for them, also had her ear trained on Elfaria.

“First of all... I think rushing things is a bad idea. Layous-sama is essentially afraid of getting too close to others. So you especially need to be careful, Theia, since you’re so hasty.”

“I know that! That’s why I came to ask you before I do anything reckless!”

“So, Your Majesty, what should we do?”

“Heehee...”

Seeing Theia and Ruth instinctively lean forward as they waited to hear her answer, Elfaria smiled. Puzzled by that reaction, the two girls looked at each other in confusion.

“It pays to go on a journey. My darling Theia, who used to be so quick to make enemies, is now frantic to save others. And the very serious Ruth now looks so passionate. I never would’ve imagined these results two years ago. You’re both growing up splendidly.”

Having been apart from the two girls for so long, the changes they’d undergone were obvious to Elfaria.

Theia had never had a father, and her mother was often absent because of her role as empress. That was why she’d always been so desperate to be of help to her. And her only ally in it all had been her childhood friend Ruth. Ruth was the only person devoted to her. The only one she knew would never betray her. As a princess, Theia was always surrounded by people. And people brought intrigue. She made enemy after enemy with no reprieve. And the worse it got, the harder it became to trust people at all. Yet now, that very same Theia was surrounded by friends. Moreover, she was going out on a limb to try and save one of them.

Ruth was in a similar situation. She’d always had a very serious personality and, as a guardian knight, she often suppressed her own feelings. She never said anything selfish and always worked hard for Theia. While there were times when Ruth would share her opinion with Theia, it was always for Theia’s sake. She never acted for her own gain. That was why, when Elfaria heard about the beetle incident and Ruth breaking off her arranged engagement, she realized Theia wasn’t the only one who’d changed. Before she knew it, Ruth had gone from being a mere attendant to a valuable retainer. She could now balance her personal feelings and her official title. She was an asset to Theia, and always there to support her. She had become the ideal childhood friend and ally.

Elfaria found the changes in both girls to be most welcome. She could say with confidence that Theia was now a viable successor to the throne. And Ruth as she was now was easily her chief retainer. Since this all far exceeded what Elfaria had expected to come of Theia’s trial, Elfaria couldn’t be happier they’d embarked on their journey to the other side of the universe.

“Ruth and I may have grown up, but that won’t save our knight. Just what should we do?”

“Please tell us, Your Majesty. Please guide us immature girls down the right path.”

To them, this was as big a problem as being chased out of Forthorthe. But seeing the two of them so desperate, Elfaria laughed.

“You two being the way you are right now is the answer. Ah, hahaha, how funny...”

“The way we are...”

“...Right now?”

Theia and Ruth looked at each other once more upon hearing Elfaria’s cryptic answer. Once she was done laughing, Elfaria explained what she meant.

“Just make Layous-sama grow up the same way you two did. He’s changed too, hasn’t he?”

“Yes, though only a little at a time...”

“I believe so as well.”

The two girls nodded in unison. Elfaria was right.

“Then Layous-sama likely already allows you closer than he did before. Just by being the way you are right now, you’ll be able to mend his heart as long as you stay by his side. This’ll take time of course, so it might be difficult for my hasty Theia...”

Elfaria smiled as she took a sip of the tea that Ruth had poured up for her. Ruth was rather talented, and the exact flavor she had expected spread through her mouth.

“So we haven’t been useless to him...”

“I feel a little relieved.”

“What you need to do right now is to be Layous-sama’s family. I believe that is the most important thing.”

“Then we should be fine, mother. I have confidence in that.”

Theia put her hand on her chest and gave Elfaria a determined nod.

During the underground battle a while back, the Sun Rangers had asked Theia what kind of relationship she and the others had with Koutarou. She’d boldly answered that they were family, and she didn’t doubt that answer in the slightest. She had absolute confidence that the residents of room 106 were so close that they could be called family.

“And in the end, I am sure that Layous-sama will have to come face to face with his own heart. When he does, help him.”

In Elfaria’s mind, what people needed to fully recover was time and healing. If Theia and the girls stayed by his side, that shouldn’t be a problem. And once the hole in his heart shrank to a manageable size, he’d have to confront it for himself. That would mean finally coming to terms with the tragic death of his mother, which wouldn’t be easy or pleasant. When that time came, Koutarou would surely need help.

“Listen up, Theia, Ruth. Be prepared to spend as much time with Layous-sama as you have in the past, and then, when he’s ready, lend Layous-sama your strength. That is almost certainly the only way for you two to save him.”

“I understand, mother! I will do just that!”

“Thank you very much, Your Majesty. I will carve your words into my heart.”

Theia and Ruth held hands and nodded. They were prepared to walk down the path that Elfaria had shown them together.

After saying goodbye to Elfaria, the two girls headed back to room 106. It wasn’t their actual home, but their talk with Elfaria had affirmed for them more than ever that it was where they belonged.

“We’re back.”

“Indeed, we’ve returned.”

“Welcome back, Theia, Ruth-san.”

Koutarou readily welcomed them. He had no reason to since they were still just invaders, but his warm voice told them that he didn’t mind so much anymore. They were truly welcome here.

This is probably what it means to be a family...

Theia thought back to the conversation she’d just had with her mother. These normal, everyday reassurances would eventually save Koutarou. Thinking that, she was overcome with a refreshing hope.

“Master, what are you doing?”

“I’m doing my summer vacation homework. I’ve been ignoring it for a while now, so I figured I should get to it while I can.”

“I see. By the way, Master, how about some barley tea?”

“That’d be great.”

“Then I’ll prepare it right away.”

A smiling Ruth vanished into the kitchen, leaving only Koutarou and Theia in the inner room. Realizing they were alone, Theia cocked her head to the side.

“By the way, Koutarou, I don’t see anyone else.”

Room 106 was normally bustling. As of late, it had become the norm for all ten friends to be stuffed in there at once. But Koutarou seemed to be home alone right now, piquing Theia’s curiosity as to where the other seven girls were.

“They all left to go shopping. I stayed behind to get started on this homework.”

Between going to his part-time job and goofing off with Kenji, Koutarou often wasn’t home. As a result, he’d fallen behind the other residents of room 106 in his homework. They’d agreed to leave him behind so he could make some progress on it.

“You could just copy from one of the others.”

“No can do. That’d be a bad influence for Sanae and Yurika.”

“You could just do it in secret.”

“I said no can do and that’s final.”

“Heh, you’re stubborn as always.”

Theia acted like she was surprised by what he was saying, but she was smiling all the while. Even when it came to schoolwork, he behaved himself like a model knight. She’d be more than happy to praise him for it.

“Then I’ll borrow your back for a while.”

“Okay.”

Theia sat down back-to-back with Koutarou. It was convenient, each of them serving as a backrest for the other. Sitting together like that, Theia started playing a game as Koutarou continued his homework. Just her leaning on him wasn’t enough to disrupt his concentration. It had been over a year since Theia and had first come to room 106, and Koutarou was more than used to noise and distractions.

“Say, Koutarou.”

“Hmm?”

“When you take a break from homework, play with me.”

“When I take a break.”

“Yeah.”

Koutarou and Theia carried on like that for a while. Though they were each doing different things, it didn’t feel like it for some reason.

Koutarou’s goal was to get through ten pages of his homework assignment. He was already on his ninth page by the time Theia and Ruth returned, and within an hour, he’d completed all the problems. Once he was finished, as promised, he started playing games with Theia and Ruth.

“Theia, shouldn’t we go back for now?”

“We’ll be fine a little longer. We can overcome with technique.”

Koutarou and Theia were playing a two-player action RPG. They were deep inside of a jungle and about to run out of healing items. Without any means to recover their health, a single slip would spell a game over.

“If we push our luck, we’ll just have to do this all over again.”

“It would be a disgrace to the Mastir family if I were to retreat over something so silly.”

“What disgrace is there to be had in an old video game?”

“But...”

“You’re supposed to be Theia-chan right now, not Princess Theiamillis, anyway.”

“Is that what Koutarou-chan really thinks?”

“Yeah.”

“Then fine. Let’s go back.”

“That’s more like it. You should be more receptive to people’s warnings.”

Theia wanted to continue exploring, but Koutarou convinced her to return to town. After making it back and stocking up for their next adventure, Koutarou and Theia paused the game and took a short break.

“Good work, Your Highness, Master.”

Ruth put down two icy glasses of barley tea in front of them.

“Thank you, Ruth.”

“You’re a lifesaver.”

Thirsty from concentrating so hard on the game, the two of them gladly picked up their glasses. The cool barley tea felt great in their dry mouths. After kicking back and sipping on their tea for a bit, Theia turned and looked at Koutarou, glass still in hand.

“Say, Koutarou-chan...”

“Hmm?”

Koutarou lowered his drink and looked over at Theia. The two of them were now facing each other with Ruth watching on from the side.

“There’s something I want to ask you.”

“I don’t mind... but stop it with the ‘Koutarou-chan.’”

Theia sometimes added on “-chan” to distinguish between private and public matters, but Koutarou thought it was going a little too far.

“Does it embarrass you?” Theia asked after blinking twice.

“Yeah.”

Koutarou didn’t avert his eyes, but his blunt voice made it obvious he was indeed embarrassed. Seeing that, a smile appeared on Theia’s lips.

“Heh, then I’ll keep calling you Koutarou-chan for a while.”

“Hey!”

“In return, I’ll allow you to call me Theia-chan.”

“In that case, please call me Ruth-chan as well.”

“Hey now, you two...”

The two girls teamed up to tease Koutarou. Realizing he was outnumbered, his shoulders fell.

“More importantly, back to what I wanted to ask...”

“What do you mean ‘more importantly’?”

“Shush, Koutarou-chan.”

Theia changed the topic, cutting off any hope Koutarou had for a rebuttal. She was smiling both because it was fun to get the better of Koutarou and because she had something fun to bring up.

“The thing is, I want to let mother and the citizens get some air.”

Currently aboard Blue Knight were Elfaria and the citizens of Forthorthe that supported her. They’d been on the ship for some time now, and while there were no physical complications, they were surely feeling cooped-up by now. So Theia wanted to take Elfaria and the others down to the surface for some fresh air and a change of scenery.

“That’s a good idea.”

Koutarou nodded in agreement, but Ruth quickly followed up.

“There are a great deal of citizens on board, however, and they have virtually no knowledge of Earth. Her Highness and I aren’t enough to manage them all, so we were hoping you might be generous enough to help, Mashter.”

“That’s touching and I’d love to help, but there’s one big problem.”

“What’s that?”

“Seriously, cut it out with the nicknames. Especially you, Ruth-san.”

Koutarou clutched his head in pain.

“It seems like he likes it.”

“It was worth the effort to say it, then.”

But the two girls paid him no mind. They had no intention of listening to him.

“You guys...”

“Give it up. Ruth and I love you, Koutarou-chan.”

“But if you say that you hate us, we’ll stop right away, Mashter.”

“Seriously... you two have been playing dirty lately...”

When they first met, they’d clashed nearly every day. But now that they got along, it seemed the girls were finally getting serious as invaders. They’d made such a straightforward attack that Koutarou could hardly defend himself. All he could do was grin and bear it.

After consulting the other girls of room 106 regarding the Forthorthians visiting Earth, they all agreed to help. Theia and Kiriha would be in charge of the excursion. Theia taking charge was obvious, and Kiriha was given a leadership position because she’d also be taking a large part in the operation.

One of the underground dwellers’ base would be needed to temporarily receive the Forthorthian citizens from Blue Knight. It would be nigh impossible to transport hundreds of people through room 106. After some deliberation, they decided that one of the former radical faction bases would work, so they got Kiriha on board for the project.

The incident with the radical faction had only recently come to an end. Their military forces had been disbanded, leaving their bases empty. But since they’d only recently been abandoned, they were still in good working order. They just weren’t occupied. That made them an ideal location for receiving the crowd of Forthorthian citizens.

The radical faction actually had several bases on the surface, but the one Theia and the others decided to use was just outside Kisshouharukaze City. It was nestled in the mountains away from prying eyes, which made it especially convenient.

Several large tour buses were now departing the former base—each one full of Forthorthian citizens. They’d all been transported down to Earth yesterday morning and were given lectures on things to keep an eye out for while on the planet. Then that afternoon, they were allowed outside to get a taste for the hills and surrounding area. Since Forthorthians looked like foreigners in Japan and would get a great deal of attention if they all travelled together, they were split up into groups and sent out on different buses. The People of the Earth who’d already adjusted to living on the surface—Kiriha’s subordinates—would be acting as their guides for the day.

“How many is that, Ruth?”

“That makes seventeen, Your Highness.”

“So the next bus is the last.”

In total there were eighteen buses in the group. With around forty people aboard each one, they had over seven hundred people going out on the town. There were also a few dozen more citizens staying back at the base—those who preferred nature over sightseeing, those with health issues, and a handful of capable people just in case something happened.

“Still, Kiriha, I’m impressed you managed to gather so many buses in such a short amount of time. You have my thanks.”

“We People of the Earth have already spread our roots far and wide. It wasn’t too hard to come up with a few buses. Besides, I’m still in your debt for helping us. I should be the one thanking you, so don’t worry about it.”

Theia and Kiriha stood shoulder to shoulder as they saw off the seventeenth bus. The children inside were all smiling and waving at Theia. She smiled and waved back as they pulled out.

“Then let me say thank you for being my friend.”

“That’s a good idea. Allow me to do the same.”

Theia and Kiriha smiled at each other, too. Their bond had deepened after the incident with the radical faction. And it wasn’t just them, either. The same was true for everyone in room 106.

“Your Highness, Kiriha-sama. Master has returned.”

“I’m back, everyone.”

“Good work out there.”

“Welcome back, Koutarou.”

“The seventeenth bus just departed safely.”

Koutarou’s job was to guide the Forthorthian citizens from the base to the buses. Once that was done, he’d returned to Theia and Kiriha to check in.

“Kiriha-san, there’s only one more, right?”

“That’s right. The next bus is the last.”

“All right.”

Koutarou nodded and looked towards the base. When he did, another group of Forthorthians exited the building. They were the last group of people to depart, and were being guided by Sanae and Shizuka.

“Oh? It seems like Her Majesty Elfaria is coming too.”

That was when Ruth spotted Elfaria at the end of the line. She was coming out along with the other Forthorthe citizens. Besides her were Harumi and Clan, who were serving as Elfaria’s guards.

“Theia, is Elle— Er, Elfaria getting on the last bus too?”

“No, that’s not on the schedule...”

If Elfaria was going to get on the bus, there would need to be extra guards on it, so Theia should have been informed ahead of time. But she hadn’t heard a word about it, so she shook her head in response to Koutarou’s question.

“I suppose she’s just going to see them off then.”

“Then she would’ve done so at the start to see everyone off...”

“I’m sure she has some other reason. We’ll all be off duty after the last bus leaves.”

Koutarou and the others had all had jobs picked out for them for the day—including Yurika and Maki who weren’t currently present. They were essentially working as traffic control and were likely in the middle of guiding the last bus inside the base from the gate. But once that bus came in, Koutarou and the others would all be free to do as they pleased. Koutarou suspected Elfaria’s arrival was related.

“Consider that this is Her Majesty we’re talking about. She might want to do something on Earth herself,” remarked Ruth.

Everyone nodded in agreement. Koutarou especially so. Knowing Elfaria’s personality, he couldn’t imagine that she wasn’t up to something.

What surprised the citizens of Forthorthe the most was the relationship between Empress Elfaria, Princess Theiamillis, Princess Clariossa, and the boy that had become known as the Blue Knight.

“He hit her! That knight just hit Her Majesty!”

“What’s more is that neither Her Majesty nor the two princesses are reprimanding him!”

“As expected of the Blue Knight!”

“He must be the real Blue Knight after all!”

The Blue Knight and the three royals all had a very close relationship. They were like brawling siblings or a rough-and-tumble family where expressions of love and affection sometimes got physical.

“Her Majesty leaned her head forward herself!”

“She probably said something to make the Blue Knight angry on purpose.”

“Her Majesty has a childish side, after all.”

“Amazing... Despite disrespecting three royals, he’s not being punished at all... Can he really be the Blue Knight?”

“That’s why I said it has to be him! Adults are so suspicious. It’s not my fault if Blue Knight gets angry.”

Violence against royalty was a grave crime, regardless of the reason. Yet no one had so much as scolded Koutarou. If anything, it looked like the empress and the princesses were enjoying their odd relationship with him.

“Regardless of whether or not he’s the real Blue Knight, it’s clear he’s no normal knight.”

“I guess he can’t be the real Blue Knight if he’s an alien...”

“So he’s someone special to them, huh?”

The young Blue Knight once again captured the attention of the Forthorthian citizens. They didn’t know why he was allowed to be so unruly. If he were indeed the Blue Knight like they assumed, surely that would be a serious problem. And if he weren’t, it would only be a bigger problem. But nevertheless, one thing was clear—the royals were making an exception for him.

“That knight destroyed DKI’s latest weapons with ease and used a single ship to repel the enemy fleet.”

“There’s also the red dragon and the silver-haired girl with him.”

“It might be foolish to even question whether he’s the real Blue Knight or not...”

If he really was the Blue Knight, all that had changed was who was making exceptions for him—it had gone from Princess Alaia of two thousand years ago to the three royals at present. Either way, it was quite clear he had a special relationship with the royal families. And that gave new hope to the Forthorthians chased out of their motherland.

Elfaria had come out to ask Koutarou if she could go sightseeing too. Her answer came in the form of a loud thud.

“Ow!”

“Of course you can’t! Elle, have you forgotten who you are?!”

“After being chased out of my country by a coup d’etat, I’m now an unemployed shut-in, Layous-sama.”

“You pain in the ass, have you forgotten about your duty?!”

“I haven’t forgotten. I am continuing my information gathering to be able to retake the country. However, it is without a doubt the truth that I am unemployed.”

“The hundreds of people in your care would be completely lost if anything were to happen to you.”

Koutarou vehemently objected to Elfaria going sightseeing. The threat of Elexis still hadn’t passed, so it was entirely possible that she might get attacked if she went out walking around the city. Theia was less at risk since she was just one of several princesses, but Koutarou couldn’t let the empress—the most important person in all Forthorthe—walk around the city freely.

“That’s why I’m asking you to be my bodyguard, Layous-sama.”

“Koutarou, I’m asking you too. Mother is tired after being confined to the spaceship for so long. Her suffering mentally would be just as bad as being attacked, wouldn’t it?”

“Ugh...”

After Theia’s intervention, Koutarou began changing his mind. She had a point, after all. It was important for them to make sure Elfaria stayed healthy.

“That’s right, Layous-sama! If I collapse, everything will be for nothing!”

However, when Koutarou saw the way Elfaria’s eyes were sparkling, he began having third thoughts. It might be best to keep her in check. Twenty years had passed, but she was still dangerously carefree.

“Let’s go sightseeing on Earth so I don’t collapse!”

“Hey, Elle, stop using yourself as a hostage to threaten me.”

“I would never threaten you. It’s just important that I stay healthy.”

“You’re the same as you were back then...”

“I’m still a teenager in mind and body.”

“Good grief...”

Koutarou held his head. Elfaria had been quick to jump on Theia’s bandwagon, but she wasn’t wrong. Nevertheless, it was still a risky proposition. Koutarou was reluctant to take her anywhere too crowded. He was stuck weighing the pros and cons when Clan lent him a helping hand.

“Hahh... Veltlion, why don’t you change your way of thinking for a moment?”

“What do you mean?”

“Rather than you alone, all ten of us can protect Elfaria-san. That will significantly increase the odds of keeping her safe.”

Sanae’s psychic powers, Yurika and Maki’s magic, Kiriha’s wits and spiritual energy technology, Shizuka’s draconic might, Harumi’s Signaltin, plus Theia, Ruth, and Clan’s advanced technology. With all of their powers combined, even if Elfaria was attacked, they should be able to defend her and get her to safety. It was also hard to imagine that Elexis and Maya would attack someone so heavily guarded. Koutarou understood Clan’s point. Just increasing their defenses would help protect Elfaria.

“I guess that’s the only way...”

After thinking over it carefully, Koutarou reluctantly agreed to let Elfaria go out. Sanae, Clan, and Ruth could detect any approaching enemies, and Yurika could teleport Elfaria to a safe place using a spell she’d prepared beforehand while everyone else dealt with the attackers. And if they left command of things to Kiriha, they would be able to guard Elfaria with even more certainty. That was the plan that formed in Koutarou’s mind.

“Then let’s go, Layous-sama! To explore an unknown planet!”

“Elle, you’re not gonna meet a pretty end...”

“You’ll kill me yourself, Layous-sama?!” Elfaria exclaimed with a bright smile.

“You jerk... You’re saying that knowing I can’t, aren’t you...?”

As Koutarou held his head in pain, Clan began laughing for some reason.

“Ohohohohoho!”

“Wh-What now all of a sudden?”

“Serves you right! That’s how you always make me feel! Ohohoho!”

She felt like he was getting his just deserts, and took a very special pleasure in seeing someone else get the better of him.

Koutarou and the others were all together to escort Elfaria, but they looked less like bodyguards and more like a group of friends going out. Elfaria had traded in her royal gown for Earth-style street clothes to better fit in. At first glance, she just looked like a foreign tourist being shown around town.

“Mother, these are called takoyaki.”

“Takoyaki? How round and peculiar they are. They appear to be some sort of food.”

“Ruth, I’ll leave the detailed explanation to you.”

“Very well, Your Highness. Your Majesty, takoyaki is a common snack the people of this country like to enjoy. It’s a very popular dish.”

“So it’s similar to lakron back home?”

“The appearance is approximate, but it’s closer to normal food.”

“Why not have her try some before you explain? That’d be more fun.”

“Shizuka is right. Here, mother, try one.”

“Heehee, okay... Oh, hot! Hot!”

Elfaria timidly put the takoyaki in her mouth and her eyes nearly bulged out of her head. Both the taste and temperature of the takoyaki far exceeded her expectations. Seeing Elfaria react just like they’d hoped, the girls around her smiled.

“Takoyaki, huh...?”

“Maki-chan, do you like takoyaki?”

“I’ve never really had them, so I don’t know.”

“Then give them a taste. Satomi-san!”

Yurika escaped from the circle of girls and ran over to Koutarou, who was keeping an eye on their surroundings from a short distance away. She presented both of her hands to him with a wide grin on her face.

“I want to treat Maki-chan to some takoyaki, so please give me money!”

Yurika was poor and careless, so she had no spare money. That’s why she decided to request support from Koutarou. She was sure he’d help her out.

“You’ve finally started to straight up ask for money, huh?”

“Is that a no?”

Yurika cocked her head to the side with a forlorn expression.

“Hang on a sec...”

Koutarou reluctantly opened his wallet and pulled out a thousand yen note. He would have turned her down if she were asking for something selfish, but he couldn’t refuse if this was for Maki, who rarely asked for anything for herself. As careless as Yurika was, she cared deeply for Maki.

“Here.”

“Thank you very much! Maki-chan, let’s go buy takoyaki!”

“A-All right... Thank you, Satomi-kun!”

Maki didn’t forget to thank Koutarou as she was being dragged off by an excited Yurika. Seeing that, Koutarou felt like he’d made the right call.

“Koutarou, haven’t you been spoiling Yurika too much lately?”

That was when Sanae appeared and gave Koutarou a light tackle. Her cheeks were puffed out like she was pouting.

“What could I do? She said it was for Maki.”

“That’s not what I’m talking about.”

“Then what are you talking about?”

“Here, pat me on the head! Spoil me with all of your love!”

Sanae leaned in toward Koutarou. She was actually sulking because she wanted his attention too.

“Okay, okay.”

“When you pat me on the head, you should tell me how much you love me!”

“Thank you for everything you do, Lady Sanae.”

“That’s a good start!”

Satisfied with Koutarou doting on her, Sanae returned to the group of girls. Once there, she got some takoyaki from Maki. Sanae didn’t really feel any ill will towards her or Yurika; she just wanted some of Koutarou’s attention too.

“I think this kind of accessory would look great on you, Clan-san.”

“If I wore something like that, Veltlion would laugh at me!”

“Really? While he might say all kinds of things, I’m sure he would think it looks nice.”

“Mother, what do you think of the takoyaki?”

“With this cute look and superb seasoning, I think I might get addicted.”

“Master loves the takoyaki from this place too.”

“Yurika, why don’t you get a takoyaki from Maki?”

“But I can’t. I bought those takoyaki for her.”

The growling sound from Yurika’s stomach argued with her.

“Just have some already... I can’t bear seeing you drool like that.”

“Are you sure, Maki-chan?! I knew you were a good person from the first day we met!”

“That’s definitely a lie. You get so carried away, Yurika-chan... Heehee.”

Elfaria and the girls continued cheerfully chatting away. The bright atmosphere between them was a match for even the summer sun shining overhead.

After the battle we just went through, I suppose I can let all of this slide...

Koutarou was worried about everyone letting their guard down, but he was also happy that Elfaria and the girls were having fun. That’s why he was keeping an extra vigilant watch in their place. Elfaria wasn’t the only one that he had to protect, after all.

After Elfaria got a taste for the city around the train station, the group began heading towards Kisshouharukaze High School. Elfaria wanted to see the school where her daughter was studying. While she couldn’t enter as it was the middle of summer vacation, she looked around at the schoolhouse and the schoolyard with great interest. Seeing her like this, Koutarou got the feeling Elfaria really was a good mother.

After stopping by the school, the group walked up the hill to see the ruins where Koutarou worked for his part-time job. Elfaria was interested in them as she was an archeologist herself, but she also wanted to see where the legendary Blue Knight worked.

“Elle, everything inside this building are things excavated from the ruins. According to the dig leader, it’s only about a tenth of what’s here.”

Koutarou first took Elfaria to an exhibition hall that was built up next to the excavation site. It was really just a prefab shed, but as the excavation had dragged on, it was filled with a surprising amount of artifacts that were on display.

“So these are remnants of an ancient civilization on Earth... Layous-sama, how old are these?”

“Supposedly ten thousand years. They dated the carbon or something on the earthenware. That’s all over my head.”

“You must mean radiocarbon dating. If that’s the case, then their estimate should be roughly correct.”

Elfaria looked at each of the artifacts on display in turn. To Koutarou they were just fragments of jars and arrowheads, but Elfaria was goggling at them like they were diamonds. She’d been a passionate archeologist before she became empress, and this place was like heaven to her. As evidence of an ancient civilization on an alien planet, it was all especially fascinating.

“But... this is strange. If this level of civilization existed ten thousand years ago, then Earth’s civilization should be even more advanced by now. The timeline doesn’t add up.”

Elfaria cocked her head to the side in puzzlement. Comparing these artifacts to similar ones found in Forthorthe, Earth should be far more advanced than it was right now. Elfaria found it strange.

“Was there a large-scale disaster? Or were they wiped out by war...?”

“I’m surprised you can tell, Elle. The higher-ups on the dig are currently arguing about that. I mean, about why all this stuff wasn’t passed down.”

“I thought so... Well, have they reached a conclusion?”

“Not really. There are supposedly no signs of calamitous natural disaster or war, so they think it had to have been an isolated society that was wiped out by an epidemic or something. At least, that’s what they’re discussing now.”

“What interesting ruins. I kind of want to excavate them myself.”

“Hey now...”

“Heehee... By the way, Layous-sama, what is this?”

“Oh, that’s...”

Elfaria and Koutarou continued their lively discussion as they made their way through the exhibit. Elfaria seemed especially spirited since the discussion concerned one of her favorite subjects. There was no one around that could keep up with her when she talked about archeology. Koutarou, who had worked onsite, stood the best chance. Even he didn’t know everything, however, but that only got Elfaria all the more fired up.

The other girls watched Koutarou and Elfaria carry on from afar. Since they didn’t know much about archeology themselves, it was hard to join in on the conversation. Moreover, there seemed to be a particular mood between them no one wanted to ruin.

“Say, Theia-chan, Satomi-kun and Her Majesty met when he was returning from the past, right?” asked Shizuka.

“Yes. Supposedly he came across my mother when he and Clan were procuring parts they needed for the ship.”

“But I feel like that doesn’t explain the mood between them...”

Several of the other girls shared Shizuka’s doubts. Koutarou and Elfaria had met twenty years ago and had only reunited very recently. But they weren’t acting like it. The atmosphere between them was completely different than it was between Koutarou and Kiriha, who had a similar experience, for example.

“Clan-sama would know better than anyone, but...”

As Ruth said that, all the girls turned and looked at Clan, who simply shook her head.

“No comment.”

“What? Don’t be such a cheapskate! Tell us already.”

“Her Majesty lives a life we can’t imagine. I can’t tell you what she’s feeling, but I can tell you she hasn’t been able to live as she pleases. So just let her have her fun while she can.”

Clan knew that Elfaria had fallen for Koutarou twenty years ago, but she didn’t know if she still felt that way now. Even if she did, things wouldn’t be any easier for her than they’d been in the past. Both as empress and as Theia’s mother, she could never be with him. And so, as Elfaria’s friend, Clan was asking the others not to pry.

“Hmm... You’re pretty cool right now, Glasses.”

Sensing how sincere Clan was, Sanae smiled. She didn’t understand the circumstances, but she could vaguely understand what Clan was saying. There was a time while she was a ghost that she was worried she couldn’t be together with Koutarou. So if Elfaria really did love him, Sanae could imagine how she felt. Because of that, she decided to let it go and leave Elfaria be.

“Mother’s feelings, huh...”

That was something Theia hadn’t considered. It wasn’t hard to imagine that her mother had a strong interest in the Blue Knight, being an archeologist and all. And depending on what had happened when they met twenty years ago, she might have actually fallen in love with him. But Theia was too young to be able to understand how Elfaria must have felt when she sent her daughter to be by his side, or how she felt upon seeing him again after all this time.

“Regardless, I don’t think it’s a bad idea to give them some time alone. They haven’t been able to talk to each other like this in twenty years.”

There, Harumi wrapped up the conversation. She might have felt the way she did because of Alaia’s feelings inside of her.

“I think so too. Besides, a good woman doesn’t pry too much about other women’s feelings.”

Maki agreed with Harumi. She was the only one to say it out loud, but many of the other girls felt the same way. Elfaria couldn’t spend every day with Koutarou like they did, so the least they could do was let her act as she pleased on days like this.

Koutarou and Elfaria were going down the line of artifacts on display, but she suddenly stopped in front of one of them.

This is...

There was something in the exhibit that had caught her eye. It was a slab a dozen or so centimeters long on all sides with some kind of pattern carved into the surface. Elfaria felt like she’d seen the pattern somewhere before.

It looks similar to one of Forthorthe’s family crests... But which one was it? Hmm...

It was really the design of the pattern that caught her eye, because it was reminisce of a Forthorthian family crest. It wasn’t completely in a Forthorthian style, however. It looked like the design had more or less collapsed, so she couldn’t quite tell which family crest it reminded her of.

“What is it?”

“Oh... It’s nothing. Just my imagination, I think.”

In the end, Elfaria decided she was just imagining things. The slab was excavated on Earth and was ten thousand years old. Any resemblance had to be coincidence.

“Heh...”

Koutarou laughed a little at Elfaria. Confused, she looked up at him and tilted her head to the side. She’d already completely forgotten about the slab.

“What’s wrong?”

“It’s just that when you’re thinking, you really do look like an empress, Elle.”

While Koutarou’s answer surprised Elfaria for a moment, she soon smiled.

“That’s not how I want you to see me, Layous-sama.”

“You might be onto something. Being empress doesn’t really suit you and Theia.”

“If you’re aware of that, then I feel like you could become a fine emperor.”

It was seeing Elfaria’s smile that Koutarou thought being empress didn’t suit either her or Theia. They were kind people, and sometimes being a ruler was an extremely cruel job.

“Don’t push that kind of responsibility onto me.”

“No? I became empress when I was around your age, you know. Teehee.”

But at the same time, Koutarou knew what he was thinking wasn’t quite right. A good empress needed qualities that weren’t exactly empress-like. Whenever they were forced to make decisions that would end up hurting people, the deep love within Elfaria and Theia would surely minimize that hurt.

Koutarou had been keeping a vigilant eye out for the group most of the day, but the girls volunteered to keep watch in his stead so he could take a break. They had plenty of people and he would be less effective in the job if he didn’t take a break every now and then, so there was really no reason for him to object.

“All right, I wanna do that next!”

“Shooting, huh? You’re ten years too early to challenge me to that!”

“Ha, I know how to shoot! There’s no way I’ll lose!”

“Ohoho, we’ll see about that!”

Koutarou and Theia headed for the shooting stall. The group was currently taking a tour through a festival going on at Kisshou Shrine. Elfaria had requested to come see it because she wanted to get to experience more of the local culture. It just so happened that Koutarou and Theia were on break from taking watch at the same time, so they were wandering around and browsing the stalls together.

“If you want, I can give you a handicap.”

“I don’t need it! Allow me to show you the power of your master!”

They pressed their shoulders into each other as they took aim and fired. The guns for the shooting game used air pressure to fire corks, but they were old and poorly made. The barrels were all distorted, making it so the corks never flew where they were supposed to.

“The first one to master the quirks of their firearm will win... In that case, my victory is certain!”

After firing her first shot, Theia was convinced of her victory. While there was no major difference between her and Koutarou’s overall combat abilities, Theia had an overwhelming advantage when it came to marksmanship. In truth, she’d already started to get a hang of the gun after a single shot.

“You’re too naive, Theia! Shooting isn’t just about skill!”

“What?!”

Koutarou leaned forward over the stall counter. Since there was only a few meters’ distance between them and the targets, leaning forward just a little made a noticeable difference in accuracy. In other words, Koutarou was using his stature to make up for his lack of skill.

“All right, that’s some chocolate for me!”

“Curse you and your mammoth body, Koutarou!”

On the other hand, even if the petite Theia leaned forward, she wouldn’t get the same kind of clearance Koutarou did. She would have to make up for his advantage with pure skill.

“All right!”

“You’re pretty good, Theia!”

“Defeat is not an option for a princess of Forthorthe!”

Koutarou and Theia fired heated shot after heated shot. Right now, the only thing that mattered to either of them was beating the other. All their other worries were far, far away.

Elfaria and Ruth watched over the two of them as they shouted at each other.

“As my vassal, Koutarou, you should show me some more love!”

“Apples and oranges, Theia! I’m not the type to hold back in games!”

While there was a strong bond between them, they still clashed quite often. Especially so when it came to games. They were both competitive and stubborn, to the point their conflicts sometimes deteriorated into fistfights.

“Theia really loves Layous-sama, doesn’t she?”

But despite their heated shouting, Elfaria was smiling as she watched them. She knew that this intense clashing was a sign of their affection for each other.

“Yes. Master is special, and Her Highness is not afraid to shower him with love.”

“I’m sure meeting someone like that is a wonderful thing.”

“I believe you’re exactly right, Your Majesty.”

Ruth and Elfaria were of the same mind on the matter. They also knew it to be true based on their own experiences. Koutarou was someone they both loved and wanted to be loved by.

“I think Theia might be the only one who can pull off such a brutal love.”

“In my case, getting a light flick on the forehead is my limit.”

Ruth wanted a relationship with Koutarou like Theia’s, but because of her personality, Koutarou treated her differently. That wasn’t to say he treated them unequally, however. He treasured both of them in his own way.

“Yet I’m sure Theia wants him to treat her the way he does you, Ruth.”

“That is what she always says.”

“Heehee, I thought as much.”

Elfaria giggled and smiled as she continued to watch Theia and Koutarou. A deep love for Theia was shining in her eyes. Seeing it, Ruth could tell just how much she adored her daughter. But that wasn’t all there was to it.

“Your Majesty, you really trust Master, don’t you?”

“Of course. Layous-sama is the legendary savior of Forthorthe.”

“No, that’s not what I meant. Both Her Highness and I would trust our lives to Master even if he weren’t the Blue Knight.”

“Ruth...”

Elfaria’s eyes opened wide for an instant before she nodded at Ruth with a smile.

“You’re right. I probably would have entrusted Theia to Layous-sama even if he weren’t the Blue Knight. To that strong and kind, yet timid and cowardly knight...”

Elfaria recalled the way Koutarou suffered trying to escape from the fate laid out for him, and how he desperately tried to protect people in spite of it. That was why she trusted him. She knew his strong and proud heart had been forged through that suffering. Whether Koutarou was the legendary Blue Knight or not wasn’t all that relevant.

Is Her Majesty’s trust for Master because he’s a knight, or is it because he’s Master...?

Getting a sense of Elfaria’s implicit trust in Koutarou, a certain question arose in Ruth’s mind. Maybe she too had fallen for him twenty years ago. She had a sneaking suspicion, and decided she wanted to confirm it.

“Your Majesty, I am aware that this is impolite, bu―”

“Mother, Ruth, come over here!”

However, before Ruth could ask, Theia suddenly appeared and dragged them off.

“That Koutarou! Despite going up against me, he won’t hold back! So I need both of you to help me!”

“Oh my.”

“Understood, Your Highness. I shall help in any way I can.”

Theia brought the two of them to a stall where she and Koutarou were having a match. Since Ruth wanted a chance to compete against Koutarou like Theia did, she temporarily put her question for Elfaria out of her mind and focused on the task at hand.

“Oh, so you’ve brought backup.”

“Say whatever you like. Thinking about it, I have a huge handicap both in physique and experience.”

“I will lend you my aid, Your Highness.”

“Now that I’m here, we can’t just let Layous-sama have his way. Understood, Theia, Ruth?”

“Yes, mother!”

“As you wish, Your Majesty!”

And so Koutarou began playing with all three of them. They looked like they were having a lot of fun, less like royals and their knights and more like a mother with her daughter and friends. As a result, the festival goers that day thought they were cute but noisy foreigners and nothing more.

The match between Koutarou and Theia started off with Koutarou having the upper hand. At the shooting stall, he made use of his height to win. And while they were playing the goldfish scooping game, he showed off his honed techniques against the inexperienced Theia. But his winning streak wouldn’t continue. Theia brought in Elfaria and Ruth as reinforcements for an incredible comeback. Ruth dominated when it came to carving shapes out of candy. And with Elfaria’s excellent bargaining skills, she snagged two extra prizes at the yo-yo balloon game. With momentum on her side, Theia won the ring toss, ending their five-round match in a 3:2 victory for Theia’s team.

“Ohohoho! Koutarou, I wish for some ramune! Buy three so Ruth and mother can have some as well!”

“Tsk, getting so full yourself...”

“Koutarou, I will let you have half of mine, so don’t sulk.”

“Guess I have to... I’m off, then.”

“Yes, very good.”

While reluctant at first, hearing that Theia would share hers with him, Koutarou decided to oblige her request and go buy them all ramune. Ultimately, he realized that the situation would have been the same regardless of who had won. Besides, all of the money he’d spent today was money Theia had paid him as part of his salary. In the end, their “match” was nothing more than an excuse to have some fun. There was nothing at stake.

“Master, the fireworks will start soon, so meet us on the observation deck when you return.”

“Got it.”

“See you soon, Layous-sama.”

“Don’t take any detours.”

“Why would I?!”

“Come on now. If you don’t hurry, the fireworks will start without you.”

“Whoops, okay. I’m off.”

“See you soon.”

Theia waved as Koutarou walked off, leaving her, Ruth, and Elfaria alone. The other girls were around here and there too, but they’d been keeping their distance so as not to get in Theia and Elfaria’s way. Once Koutarou was gone, they all began climbing up the road that led to the observation deck.

After walking up the road from the shrine, Theia and the others reached the observation deck. They had a nice open and commanding view of Kisshouharukaze City. It was an ideal spot to watch the fireworks, but because there was no public transit to reach it and it wasn’t well lit, the locals didn’t use it. But to the girls of room 106, neither of those were a problem. They’d made their way to the deck regardless, and found themselves the only ones there.

“Mother, this country’s technology is far behind that of our own, but their fireworks are something else. The shows they put on with them are superior to those in Forthorthe, so please enjoy yourself.”

Theia made large gestures with her hands as she pointed overhead. She loved the large flowers of fire that bloomed in the night sky and absolutely wanted her mother to see them for herself.

“Heehee, Theia, you really have grown up.”

“Mother?”

But Elfaria seemed more interested in Theia than anything else. This puzzled her, and she looked up at her mother quizzically.

“The Theia I knew before you left only would have said this planet’s technology was inferior. You never would have admitted that the fireworks were better than the ones in Forthorthe.”

“That might be true.”

Theia was aware of what Elfaria was pointing out, and she as embarrassed to think back on how she was when she first met to Koutarou. If they could meet face to face, she’d lecture her past self.

“Thanks to Koutarou and everyone else, I’ve become a little more of an adult.”

However, Theia was who she was today precisely because of that embarrassment. So though she would lecture her past self, she also wouldn’t want her to do anything differently. Theia’s feelings were complex.

“It’s not easy to admit your own imperfections and become tolerant of others. You’ve made some great friends, Theia.”

“Yes! Everyone here is a precious friend!”

Theia looked over at the girls keeping their distance. They all smiled and blushed a little. It was an honor to be complemented by a leader of a foreign country, and they felt even more warm and fuzzy to hear their friend’s mother complimenting them.

“But your number one is Layous-sama, isn’t it?”

“Ah, um... yes...”

Theia’s face gradually turned red. It was embarrassing that her mother knew about the boy she liked. Her voice also grew quieter. The girls could no longer hear her. She put her hands together and began fiddling with her fingers as she revealed her feelings to Elfaria.

“Thanks to him, I’ve... learned how to love...”

“I understand how you feel. What a wonderful love you’ve found.”

“Mother...”

Elfaria gently smiled as she listened, causing Theia to let out a sigh of relief. But as that relief washed over her, she picked up on something strange in what her mother had said.

If she understands how I feel... then that means...

A serious expression returned to Theia’s face as she stared straight at Elfaria. Though since Elfaria was much taller, she ended up looking up at her.

“Mother, could it be that you fell in love with Koutarou twenty years ago when you first met him?”

Elfaria shrank back for a second when confronted with Theia’s straightforward eyes and words. Her rich golden hair rustled ever so slightly, but she then smiled again and shook her head.

“Of course. He is the legendary Blue Knight after all.”

“That’s not what I meant... I mean as a man.”

Despite her mother’s answer, Theia wasn’t backing down. She was already half-convinced. Elfaria had said, “I understand how you feel,” and that wasn’t for no reason. She was sure of it.

“There’s no way. He’s twenty years younger than me... Even if he’s a legendary knight, he’s not someone I could be in love with.”

“I don’t believe you! You are just forced to say that because of your position!”

“Theia...”

“Please tell me the truth! Mother, you’re still in love with Koutarou, aren’t you?!”

“That’s...”

Elfaria stumbled for words and was unable to answer right away. A good half a minute passed before she could say anything at all.

“...Theia, you have nothing to worry about. My meeting with Layous-sama is a thing of the past. There is nothing between us now.”

“Mother...”

In the end, Elfaria still avoided the question. But Theia took her long silence as a sign of the complex feelings she concealed within.

“Theia, you really are a kind girl...”

Elfaria gently embraced Theia, who was lost deep in thought. She was happy that her daughter was so considerate of her feelings. So much so that it brought a tear to her eye.

“It’s only obvious for a daughter to wish for her mother’s happiness.”

“You’re right... And I’m taking that all in right now.”

“Mother...”

Theia embraced Elfaria right back. Hugging her mother like that was the natural thing to do, but it was oh-so wonderful. After maturing some, Theia knew just how special this moment was. And so, at least for the time being, she chose to ignore that Elfaria had avoided her question.

After getting some ramune and running up the path, Koutarou came to a stop when he reached the observation deck. There he saw Theia and Elfaria hugging each other.

“She is her mother after all, isn’t she...?”

He had seen Elfaria and Theia together countless times, but this was the first time he’d ever seen Elfaria do something so motherly.

“Master, you’re here.”

Noticing Koutarou come to a stop, Ruth walked over to him. She also didn’t want to get in the way of Elfaria and Theia’s mother-daughter moment, so she took the opportunity to give them their space when Koutarou arrived.

“...”

However, despite Ruth walking right up to him, Koutarou stood stock still and said nothing.

“Master?”

Confused, Ruth called out to him again. He finally seemed to notice her this time.

“Ah, Ruth-san.”

“Is something the matter?”

“Well, it’s nothing really... I was just surprised over something pretty obvious, thinking that Elle really has become a mother...”

Koutarou flashed a bittersweet smile as he handed Ruth one of the bottles of ramune. Graciously taking it from him, she took a good, long look at his face. She couldn’t imagine that all he was feeling was surprise.

“Master, you’re missing your late mother, aren’t you?”

“It’s hard to admit that as a man... but I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t at least a little.”

Koutarou acknowledged Ruth’s suspicion honestly. Their relationship wasn’t shallow enough that he’d lie to her about his mother.

“Honestly, I’m a bit jealous of Theia.”

“I think that’s normal. There are times I too miss my parents on Forthorthe.”

“But it’s not cool, so would you mind not telling the others?”

“Of course not.”

Just as Ruth responded with a small smile and a nod, a sparkling flower blossomed in the sky with a loud bang. It only lasted for a couple of seconds before vanishing. While it might not have been the biggest, it was a comparatively large firework.

“Mother, it’s started!”

“My... the fireworks in this country really do look like flowers.”

With the night’s show beginning, Theia and Elfaria finally let go of each other and leaned on the handrail of the observation deck together to watch it unfold.

“Hey, Theia, Elle! I’ve brought your ramune!”

“You sure kept us waiting, Koutarou.”

“Sorry for the trouble, Layous-sama.”

Koutarou ran over to Theia and Elfaria. He’d given them their space while they were hugging, but the moment had passed now.

“You should be grateful, you two.”

“Yes, of course. I should be the only one in history to have the Blue Knight run errands for her.”

“What’s with that weird expression of gratitude?”

“I am always thankful for you, Layous-sama.”

“There’s definitely something behind that gratitude of yours.”

“Oh my.”

And just like that, Ruth watched as Koutarou began chatting away with Theia and Elfaria again. If everything went as Ruth wished, Koutarou and Theia would eventually marry and sights like this would become a daily occurrence. If that happened, Elfaria would become Koutarou’s―

“Ah...”

That was when Ruth realized something.

“Could Her Majesty be...”

And that something was Elfaria’s true goal. Ruth suspected that perhaps Elfaria was trying to do something that none of the other girls around Koutarou could, and that she might have been trying to get Theia and Koutarou together for that sake. For if Theia and Koutarou were to marry, her relationship with him would change. She would become something to him that no one else could—a mother. That might be the best possible way to heal Koutarou’s heart. And only she had the ability to become someone special to Koutarou without becoming his lover or wife.

“But... to think...”

There was no definitive proof, but Ruth was convinced that it was something Elfaria might try. She certainly had the motive to.