Rokujouma no Shinryakusha!? - Volume 22 - Chapter 5

Companions

Wednesday, November 24th

The animal-loving soldier had said that the north side of the town was a gathering place for cats. Koutarou and the others assumed that was a coded way of saying Elfaria’s faction had a secret base there. Since the soldier would have to say he’d only met and dealt with a cat, using indirect hints like that was the safest course of action for him. Following his advice, Koutarou and the girls made their way to the north side of town.

“We managed to get here rather easily.”

Fortunately, they hadn’t run into any problems since the incident at the gate. Things were almost too easy compared to what they’d been through so far, which made Yurika somewhat uneasy.

“It’s not like soldiers are patrolling every block in town. You don’t see military police in the city in Japan very often, right? Forthorthe is the equivalent of a developed nation on Earth, so think of it in those terms.”

“Besides, most of the local forces were sent to investigate the forest.”

Theia was right. It was rather uncommon to see military police on duty in populated areas in developed nations. That was because of the ways of war had changed over the centuries. Back when battles were fought with swords and spears, it took a considerable percentage of a nation’s population to compose an army that was a force to be reckoned with. But as time passed and weapons changed, that percentage decreased significantly. Even in Forthorthe where knighthood and military service were well respected, the number of soldiers didn’t exceed 0.2 percent of the population. By extension, just taking into consideration how the general population outnumbered the military, it was unlikely to see soldiers in the middle of a populated town without good reason. Moreover, any excess troops the town had to spare had already been sent into the woods to look for the wanted princess and her cohorts. The chances of Theia and the others running into any more soldiers from here on out were extremely low.

“I get that, but how do we meet up with our allies?”

“You weren’t listening at all, were you, Yurika?”

“Heh... heh heh...”

“Don’t worry. I know how the representatives get in touch with one another.”

Since Elfaria’s faction was currently being treated as a group of dissidents, their network and their bases were being kept secret. They had to be extremely cautious about who they met and where, even if it was an ally. As just introducing themselves was dangerous, there was a protocol put into place for exactly that. Theia and the others had been informed of it beforehand, so getting into contact with someone shouldn’t be difficult.

“Koutarou, how does it look today?”

“It looks like today’s signs are signifiers and codes.”

Anyone wishing to get in touch with the faction would stand in a specified place at a specified time with a signifier—in this case, a certain belonging. In response, someone from the local branch would “accidentally” bump into them and say the designated passphrase. If they responded correctly in turn, a connection was established and both parties would know they were with an ally. That was the method of contact for today and today only. It changed on a daily basis to prevent any spies from discovering it and spoiling the whole operation.

The specifics of today’s method involved standing under the clock tower in the middle of the park at 1:40 PM with a bouquet of yellow flowers.

“I just hope everything works out...”

It was currently 1:35, and Koutarou was standing under the pillar on his own. He was dressed in local attire and holding the designated bouquet. Theia and Yurika were hiding nearby, and once Koutarou safely established contact, he’d call them over. He’d thought this was the safest way to protect Theia.

“It’s about time, huh?”

Even if they followed the proper procedure, after all, there was no guarantee they’d actually be able to meet with Elfaria’s people. This could be a false lead, or contact for the day might have been aborted if they suspected a leak or any other foul play. And in the worst case scenario, the local branch of Elfaria’s faction had already been wiped out. An imperial mole could be coming instead. While Koutarou figured that things would probably be okay, he couldn’t help but be nervous. That nervousness only increased as the seconds ticked by and the minute hand on the clock moved closer to the eight. Soon enough, it was the designated time.

Just about then, a ball rolled up to Koutarou’s feet. Its size and the material it was made from reminded Koutarou of a soccer ball. He casually picked it up with his free hand, and a girl wearing what appeared to be Forthorthian athleticwear came running up to him.

“Is this yours?” he asked.

“Thanks for catching it,” the girl said. “’And my, what a lovely bouquet! Are you going on a date?’”

That was it! The last part of what the girl had said was the initiating passphrase. That meant she had to be the contact for Elfaria’s faction, which surprised Koutarou. Such a young, sporty girl didn’t exactly look like a dissident to him. But when he stopped to think about it, it was rather clever. The Imperial Army would likely overlook a young girl playing with a ball in the park, even if they were scouring the town. Pulling himself together, Koutarou responded with the designated passphrase on his end.

“‘That was my intention, but it seems like I’ve been stood up. I’d be happy if you’d take these off my hands.’”

“Ahh... I wish someone would say that to me outside of work.”

“I would like to try saying it too.”

“Ahaha! Welcome to the Goltrack branch.”

After exchanging passphrases, the girl gave Koutarou a welcoming smile. Koutarou, however, was still on guard. He wanted to be absolutely sure this girl was on his side. Theia’s life was at stake, after all.

“I know this is sudden, but have my friends left a message for me?”

“Ah, yes. Just a moment...”

When Koutarou brought up the message, the girl pulled out a small piece of paper from her pocket. She then read it out loud to him.

“Um... ‘Atlas, Caucasus, Hercules. Kabutonga change up!’ That’s what it says, anyway... What does it mean?”

“It’s a sign that they’re safe.”

After hearing the girl read the note, Koutarou finally relaxed a little. The message she’d read was one of the codes that Koutarou and the girls had decided on beforehand. It was a sign that they were safe and that the person who’d come to get him was worthy of trust.

While it was most regrettable, not every member of Elfaria’s faction could inherently be trusted. There was always a chance that their family had been taken hostage and they were being forced to do things against their will, or even that they’d been taken out and replaced with an imperial mole. That’s why Koutarou and the girls had decided on signs to let each other know if the contact they came across was trustworthy or not. It was Kiriha’s idea to take a few extra precautions, just in case.

Since the girl who’d made contact with Koutarou knew both the faction passphrase and the unique code decided on by Koutarou and the other girls, she was most likely a genuine ally since it was rather unlikely that both had been leaked. Moreover, the contents of the unique code told Koutarou that Kiriha and the rest of the Ohime crew were safe and sound. That was what finally put Koutarou at ease.

After establishing contact with a representative from the local branch of Elfaria’s faction, Koutarou met up with Theia and Yurika and headed for the secret base. While it was a secret base on a technicality, it was located in the middle of town and wasn’t especially large. It wasn’t really much bigger than a typical office, and bore barely any resemblance to a base. There were fewer than ten people there, making it seem more like the local branch of a corporation than an underground political organization.

“I’m sorry it’s not much to look at. I wish I could have invited you somewhere more comfortable.”

The elderly man who served as the head of the branch was well aware their small base wasn’t very hospitable. Especially not for a princess of Forthorthe.

“Think nothing of it. We’re the ones who are imposing on you, after all. Besides, after crawling through the forest for days, just having a roof over our heads is most welcome.”

Theia, on the other hand, didn’t mind the modest conditions. If anything, she was quite pleased with them. Looking at her profile, Koutarou knew exactly what she was thinking about.

That face... She’s definitely comparing this to that movie we watched the other day...

Koutarou was thinking of a war movie he’d watched with Theia. It was about a resistance force that had a shabby base with exactly this kind of atmosphere. He knew that’s what Theia was thinking about. And Theia glancing around the place before smiling at Koutarou only confirmed it. She just couldn’t say it out loud because of the situation and her status.

“You flatter us, Your Highness.”

The branch chief took Theia’s words as a sign of her generosity and kindness, and cracked a relieved smile at the gesture. So far, everything was going smoothly.

If anything’s an issue...

Koutarou was far more concerned about Yurika than he was Theia. After the past few harrowing days and constantly using her magic, Yurika had reached her limit. Koutarou could tell, because as soon as she entered the base, she walked promptly over to the couch in the corner, flopped over on it, and passed right out.

Sleep well, Yurika. You did good...

Koutarou could easily imagine how draining the whole experience had been for her. He knew good and well how unfit she was for fighting, yet she’d done her job and protected Theia with magic until the end. There was a lot to praise, and nothing to complain about. That’s why Koutarou felt like Yurika had earned her right to sleep.

“Now then, let us move on to the topic at hand.”

“You’re right. There’s no time to spare.”

While Koutarou was admiring Yurika, Theia and the branch chief began discussing the real reason they’d come here.

“This is day five for us on Alaia, but we’ve been in the forest this entire time. I’d like to know what’s happened since we touched down.”

It had been five days since Koutarou and the others had been separated from Ohime and landed in the woods of Alaia. And the entire time, they’d not only been isolated from their allies, but from all of society. That’s why Theia wanted to be filled in on everything they’d missed. She felt that would be the first step in deciding how to proceed from here.

“Cutting straight to the chase... I’m afraid war has already broken out.”

The branch chief answered Theia in a very solemn tone. It was grave news indeed to hear that one’s country had gone to war—especially for a princess. Theia immediately stood up from her chair and slammed her hands on the table.

“What?! Tell me the details!”

“Well, technically...”

The branch chief began explaining at Theia’s behest, starting with what happened the day she and her allies landed on Alaia.

At first, Ohime was simply treated as a ship that had illegally entered the planet, despite Vandarion hearing from Elexis that Elfaria was onboard. He knew this was his chance to capture her, so he kept things quiet from his own allies for maximum maneuverability. Or, at least, that was the plan. Things changed when the army let Ohime escape, and Vandarion went public with the news that Elfaria had eluded the Imperial Army and returned home. He then demanded that Elfaria’s faction hand her over immediately.

Since Elfaria was a wanted criminal, already having been accused of embezzlement and murder, her faction should have no recourse but to hand her over to the army. Lord Pardomshiha, however, took a brave stand and refused to do so. He claimed that he couldn’t in good faith hand over the empress knowing that she would be framed with false evidence. In short, he was indirectly indicating that the real crimes had been committed by the military’s top brass.

This was divisive news to the general population. There were those who believed Elfaria was innocent, those who believed she was guilty, and those who believed the court should decide. Public opinion was split respectively in an almost even 4:4:2 ratio. Since the corrupt military would be seeing to Elfaria’s trial, however, that pitted the majority of public opinion against her.

The military used that to their advantage and branded Elfaria’s factions as a seditious terrorist organization for sheltering Elfaria and obstructing justice. That was bad enough as it was, but it also entitled Vandarion to begin taking military action against them. While the public wasn’t largely in favor of such extreme methods, Vandarion billed it as a necessary measure to see Elfaria brought to justice. Really, this was exactly what he’d wanted. Everything was going according to plan.

As the branch chief briefed Theia on what had happened, her expression gradually grew darker and darker. It was a perfectly natural reaction, all things considered. Her mother was being framed for crimes she hadn’t committed, she’d been chased off of her throne, and she was about to have her beloved country stolen from her by a treacherous villain. By the time the branch chief finished explaining all this, Theia was enraged.

“Curse you, Vandarion! I won’t let you get your way, you bastard!”

Having nothing else to take her anger out on, she slammed her fist into the desk. Though petite, the small princess packed quite a punch. The table jumped under her blow, almost as if it had been startled.

“P-Please calm down, Your Highness!”

“How could I be calm right now?!”

As enraged as she was, Theia lost sight of herself and continued shouting. She was hardly listening to the elderly branch chief’s reason. If anything, it fueled her fiery rage that threatened to burn down the whole building.

“Your Highness! Please stay your anger!”

“We’ve protected and loved this nation for generations only to be stabbed in the back! Just how do you think that feels?! And now―”

“Calm down, Theia!”

Thud!

The only thing that seemed to knock any sense into Theia’s head was Koutarou’s fist.

“Ow!”

The intense jolt momentarily quenched the flames of Theia’s rage.

“Don’t take it out on the branch chief! Who do you think the real enemy is?!”

“Shut up, shut up, shut up! You don’t know anything!”

However, the smoldering flames quickly flared back up. Half of them were now directed at Koutarou, primarily in the form of a right hook. Koutarou took the blow squarely to his cheek without trying to block it and without recoiling even a single step. He simply stared Theia dead in the eyes.

“...Are you seriously saying that to me, Theia?”

Those words shook her to the core, allowing her a chance to get a hold of herself.

“Ah...”

It was only after she cooled off a bit that she could feel and appreciate the warmth just past her fist—warmth coming from the heart of a man who meant a great deal to Forthorthe and vice versa. Of course he knew the agony Theia was going through. In fact, he might even feel it more acutely than she did.

“I’m sorry, Koutarou. Allow me to formally apologize for my language. I’m also sorry for hitting you in my outburst.”

Theia collected herself. She was embarrassed by how foolishly she’d behaved. It wasn’t something she could simply brush off with a smile.

“It’s fine. I know how you feel. Besides... this is really my fault for not settling things properly in the first place. You have every right to be mad at me.”

Koutarou flashed a bitter smile. He knew that the Magical Kingdom of Folsaria and the People of the Earth were a result of his inability to fully deal with Maxfern. And now that he’d stolen the power of both nations, Vandarion was running amok. That’s why Koutarou wasn’t angry with Theia; he was angry with himself too. He was responsible for all this after abandoning Forthorthe two thousand years ago.

“You idiot, this isn’t all about you! The Mastir family can’t rely on you forever!”

“...As you wish, my princess.”

“Grrr... You’re as stubborn as ever!”

As his friend, Theia was ready to butt heads with Koutarou and be scolded for her childishness. But Koutarou never forgot his position and continued to carry himself as a knight. As a girl, that frustrated Theia. But as a princess, it made her extremely happy. It was a confusing position to be in.

“Make sure you apologize to the branch chief.”

“I will!”

“Good.”

Once he was sure Theia was back to her normal self, Koutarou let her be and walked over to Yurika, who was the bigger problem right now. Watching him walk away with a dissatisfied expression, Theia took a deep breath and turned back to the branch chief.

“I apologize for losing my temper. This is all new territory for me...”

“Think nothing of it, Your Highness. You’re only human, and a heart is nothing to be ashamed of having.”

“I appreciate you saying that.”

“As a citizen, it’s rather reassuring to see you get so angry on behalf of the people.”

Fortunately, the branch chief wasn’t upset with Theia. He knew good and well that her anger was righteous. It was for the country, its people, and its rightful empress. So while her outburst had surprised him, it was indeed reassuring.

“More importantly, Your Highness, what house is that knight from?”

“You mean Koutarou? Is there something you wish to know about him?”

“Such knights are unusual in this day and age... Pardon any impropriety, but I don’t believe there are many who would dare to correct a princess anymore. I have to say it piqued my interest.”

As far as the branch chief knew, there were hardly any knights bold enough to scold royalty. There were maybe five, and even that was a generous estimate. Lord Pardomshiha was famous for it, and Lord Wenranka might stake his life on it if need be. A select few others came to mind, but they weren’t allies in the present situation. By that logic, this young knight was likely from Pardomshiha or Wenranka, but the crests on his swords and armor didn’t match either band. That’s what had made the branch chief curious about his identity.

“I know, right?!”

The branch chief’s inquiry made Theia’s eyes sparkle. She grinned ear to ear like she was the one being praised.

“He is a knight’s knight—to a fault! He’s fiercely loyal to the royal families and the very incarnation of chivalry! But because of that, there are times when he won’t listen to me! He’s a most troublesome knight!”

Theia began explaining what kind of man Koutarou was with large, exaggerated gestures. Again, it was almost like she was boasting about herself.

“That makes him even more interesting. If it’s not too much for me to ask, what house does he hail from?”

With the princess speaking so highly of the strange knight she’d brought with her, the branch chief grew more curious about him.

“Sadly, I cannot tell you that yet. He’s in a difficult position, so I can’t reveal his origins just yet. I will when the time is right, however.”

Revealing that Koutarou was the Blue Knight would rock all of Forthorthe. It wasn’t something that could be done lightly during a coup d’etat. In fact, revealing Koutarou’s identity now would only raise doubts about the legitimacy of such claims. Theia would prefer to wait until Vandarion was taken down and the coup d’etat put to an end.

“Is that so? Then I shall look forward to it.”

The branch chief was still interested in Koutarou’s identity, but since the princess said she couldn’t reveal it, he would press the issue no further. Besides, he’d already heard half of what he wanted to know.

“Heh, you’ll never believe it when you hear it.”

“Is it going to shock this old heart of mine?”

“You would do well to have a resuscitation kit on standby just in case.”

“Ahaha, I’ll do just that.”

The branch chief could tell—even without Theia saying anything—that Koutarou was a very special knight. He clearly had a close relationship with the princess. Moreover, the branch chief recognized the crests on Koutarou’s swords. He knew they were Alaia’s and Theia’s. He suspected that Koutarou was Theia’s lover, so if he patiently waited for their wedding, he would undoubtedly get to learn his true identity. All would be revealed in due time. There was no need to rush it.

Some time after Koutarou, Yurika, and Theia arrived at the branch base, they were finally able to get in touch with the rest of their friends. They were limited to electronic communication, however, as meeting face to face would require additional time and precautions. The real reunion would have to wait.

“Ruth, how have you been doing?”

“Your Highness! Master!”

The first one to appear was Ruth. She was both Theia’s loyal retainer and her close childhood friends. Their bond ran deep, and so did Ruth’s worry for her princess. Tears welled in her eyes the moment she saw she was safe.

“Is that really something you should be crying about?”

Theia smiled at the hologram of Ruth, which was detailed enough to show every single tear streaming down her cheeks.

“It is, Your Highness! You’re always so reckless!”

“I’m sorry for worrying you, Ruth.”

Theia had advanced knowledge that Ohime had reached Pardomshiha territory, so she wasn’t quite as overwhelmed to see Ruth. Nevertheless, seeing the face of her childhood friend safe and sound lifted a great weight off Theia’s shoulders. She could only imagine how worried Ruth must have been, and apologized sincerely for it.

“I’m just glad you’re safe, Your Highness.”

Once Ruth calmed down a bit, Theia could see her wipe away her tears through the hologram. Her focus then shifted off of Theia briefly.

“Come on... Come closer.”

“Oh?”

Realizing the significance of Ruth’s furtive glance, Theia grabbed Koutarou by the arm and dragged him in front of the communication device. Now Ruth should be able to see both of them in the hologram on her side.

“Go on. Say something.”

“Me?”

Theia knew Ruth had been worried about Koutarou too, so she wanted him to personally tell her that he was fine. Since they were still in an emergency situation as far as Koutarou was concerned, however, he was more than happy to stand back and leave all the talking to Theia. Needless to say, he was absolutely baffled when she dragged him in front of the communication device. He simply stared at her with a blank look that said, “Why are you doing this?”

“You idiot!”

Wham!

“Ouch!”

Irritated, Theia let Koutarou know how dense he was being with a swift punch.

“It’s not like I’m telling you to go have a casual conversation! Just show her your face tell her you’re okay!”

“Okay, okay. I get it. You don’t have to get so mad.”

Realizing that this was probably some sort of girl thing, Koutarou caved and did what he was told. He sat down in the chair Theia had been using and began talking to Ruth via the hologram.

“Well, you heard her... I’m safe too. Are all of you doing okay, Ruth-san?”

“Yes, Master. Never been better.”

“That has me worried for a different reason.”

“My... Teehee.”

A bright smile blossomed on Ruth’s lips. While she’d already heard that Koutarou was fine, it wasn’t until she saw his face that it truly sunk in. Only then was she able to rest easy.

“Good. That’s more like it.”

Theia embraced Koutarou from behind and rested her chin on his shoulder. She looked like Sanae always did. And speaking of Sanae... It was right about then that her voice came over the comms line from off screen.

“Koutarou, Koutarou, look! I caught a weird lizard!”

“Eek!”

Suddenly, a small, unfamiliar reptile appeared right in front of Ruth’s face. Startled, she jumped backward right as Sanae entered the hologram frame.

“Isn’t it cool?!”

“Whoa, that’s a big one. Where did you catch it?”

“In the forest outside. There were a bunch of weird animals, but I caught this one because it was the weirdest.”

“I want to see it when I get over there, so make sure you take good care of it until then.”

“Okay!”

“Gwarh!”

With an energetic reply from Sanae and the strange lizard, they both disappeared from the hologram as quickly as they’d come. In their place appeared Maki and Nana. The girls from the Ohime crew had decided to all say hi to Koutarou two at a time.

“Satomi-kun, how is Yurika?”

“She’s exhausted. She’s been on edge this entire time and using her magic pretty much nonstop. Right now she’s sleeping over there.”

“Satomi-san, could I see her if possible?”

As fellow magical girls, Maki and Nana were worried about Yurika. They knew she was safe, but they were anxious to see how she was holding up.

“Okay, um... Hang on...”

Koutarou knew how they must feel and was happy to oblige, but he was unfamiliar with how to work the communication device. That posed an interesting issue that stymied him for a good minute.

“Here. Something like this should do the trick.”

Sensing him struggle, Theia—her head still resting on his shoulder—reached out a hand and turned the camera so Maki and Nana could see the sleeping Yurika.

“Bwahaha, not so fast! This is my baked potato...”

Passed out on the couch, Yurika was lying there with her mouth half open. She’d kicked off the blanket and was sleeping in a cockamamie position, scratching her exposed stomach. She was even talking to herself. And while the communication device couldn’t pick up what she was saying, Maki and Nana had no trouble guessing.

“Oh... Oh my...”

“That’s just like Yurika-chan.”

Seeing Yurika like that, Maki and Nana both smiled wryly. They were concerned when they heard she’d passed out from exhaustion, but as far as they could tell, everything was perfectly normal—for Yurika, anyway. On one hand, it was a relief. But on the other, Maki and Nana were a little unsure how to feel about her acting this way under the circumstances.

“Well... I’m glad to see Yurika-chan is safe too.”

“Make sure all three of you make it here in tip-top shape.”

“Thanks, you two. I’ll let Yurika know you’re thinking of her.”

Maki and Nana disappeared with a conflicted expression on their faces that wasn’t quite a smile and wasn’t quite a frown. Koutarou and Theia understood why, and couldn’t help but feel a little responsible for it.

“Satomi-kun, Theiamillis-san.”

Following Maki and Nana was Harumi.

“Hey, Sakuraba-senpai. Long time no see.”

“I heard that you were stuck in the forest for days. Did you manage okay?”

“Well, Theia and I did, at least. If nothing else, we have confidence in our stamina.”

“Excuse me, Koutarou? I have confidence in more than just my stamina, I’ll have you know.”

“Chill, Theia. It’s just a saying. It doesn’t mean that you’re ugly or stupid or anything.”

“Then I’ll let it slide.”

“Ahaha... It’s wonderful to see you two in such high spirits.”

“What about you, Sakuraba-senpai? I’m sure things have been rough on your end too. I know you’re not used to living like this.”

In Koutarou’s mind, there was no one more ill suited for battle than sweet Harumi. In terms of aptitude, Yurika was actually probably worse off. But Harumi had no experience and no training, which made her Koutarou’s biggest worry.

“At times like these, Alaia-sama’s memories are a boon.”

“Oh, no wonder you seem so calm.”

Fortunately, Harumi had Alaia’s memories to rely on. While Harumi had never seen real battle before, Alaia had survived that and so much more. Her memories gave Harumi some perspective and helped her cope with the difficult situation at hand.

“Will you two get on with it already?”

“Hey, you don’t have to sound so spiteful!”

“Heehee.”

Harumi giggled once more at Koutarou and Theia’s banter before disappearing from the hologram. A seemingly ill-humored Clan appeared to take her place.

“...You just had to go and leave me behind again, didn’t you, Veltlion?”

“What now, all of a sudden?”

“Even though you said you needed me...”

“I didn’t have a choice in the matter.”

“I’m sure that’s what you’ll say next time and the time after that, too.”

Clan saw herself as Koutarou’s partner, so it was painful to get left behind. Koutarou could tell she was upset, because her hologram was downright glowering at him. Seeing her like that, however, Theia flashed an impish smile.

“Clan, you’re better off just admitting that you were worried. For your own sake.”

“I―”

“You were worried, weren’t you?”

“That’s not true at all!”

“I beg to differ,” interjected Kiriha as she suddenly appeared next to Clan in the hologram. “Clan-dono has been restlessly pacing back and forth around this communications device these past few days. Just like Koutarou did when Clan-dono was nowhere to be found.”

Kiriha cracked a mischievous grin that easily rivaled Theia’s as she revealed Clan’s heart in her stead.

“Kii?! Th-Th-That’s all a lie, Veltlion!” Clan protested, her face bright red.

“Is it really, Clan-dono?”

“W-Well, you spent the entire time staring at that card!”

“So you’re not denying it?”

“Ugh...”

Despite Clan’s vehement shouting and attempted counterattack, Kiriha was unfazed. If anything, she seemed to be enjoying pushing Clan’s buttons.

“I didn’t think so. Koutarou, why don’t you say something?”

“That girl...”

For better or for worse, Koutarou understood how Clan felt and reluctantly intervened.

“Clan, I’m sorry for worrying you, but we’re all fine over here. I’ll make sure to bring you with me next time, so cut me some slack this once.”

“...That’s a promise.”

Clan wore a stern frown as she exited the hologram frame, but she wasn’t nearly as unhappy as she appeared to be. She’d only fussed at Koutarou because she was worried. Kiriha saw right through her and saw her off with a smile before turning her mischievous grin on Koutarou.

“Now, don’t you have anything to say to me too?”

In the past, Kiriha had said that she would spend the rest of her life with Koutarou, so she was also rather unhappy that he’d left her behind. However, Koutarou knew that Kiriha’s mischievousness was insincere when things were this serious. It was just her way of saying she was happy that he and the others were safe. So instead of caving to her teasing, he held his ground and smiled back at her.

“You want me to say that here and now?”

“No, let’s save it when it’s just the two of us.”

“Sounds good.”

“Yeah.”

It seemed Koutarou had played the right card, because Kiriha then passed the comms device on to the next person without much of a fuss. Koutarou knew what that really meant, however. Kiriha would only acquiesce like that when she was planning on giving him hell later. He shuddered a little at the thought.

“Listen to this, Theia-chan, Satomi-kun!”

The next to appear was Shizuka, who looked like she was on the verge of tears.

“Hey, Landlord-san. What’s up?”

“Tell us what happened.”

“When I was helping out by carrying some of the luggage, I stepped right through a floorboard!”

It came as no surprise that Shizuka’s weight was the source of her tears. Alunaya had used up so much mana during reentry that she now weighed over 150 kilograms. Since she was away from the scale in her apartment, it didn’t bother her as much as normal... until tragedy struck. A floorboard in the base had given way under the combined weight of her and all the luggage she was carrying, sending her crashing down to the floor below.

“And now everyone just thinks I’m heavy!”

No one else carrying luggage had the same problem. Shizuka was the only one who’d fallen, and she’d been difficult to help back up through the hole she’d made. Thanks to that, rumors began to spread about the girl who weighed a hundred times heavier than she looked. Was her weight the only thing heavy, or was her personality equally so? Whatever the reason, this was a living nightmare to Shizuka.

“I’ll never get married now! Waaah!”

“Now, now... Calm down, Landlord-san. It’s not like you’re really that heavy.”

“But no one here knows that! Augh, I could just die!”

“Listen, everyone’s got their own image of what an ideal weight is.”

“I told her the same thing, but she’s been absolutely inconsolable...”

“I don’t care if dragons think I’m skinny!”

“Ah... haha...”

Koutarou found himself unable to respond with anything other than a forced laugh. Over the past year, he’d learned that women could be dangerous creatures in situations like this. He didn’t dare make the wrong move.

“Now that it’s come to this, you’ll just have to marry me, Satomi-kun!”

“Don’t you worry. Everything will be fine when we return to Earth, Landlord-san.”

“Really?”

“Yeah.”

“And you’ll take care of me if it’s not?”

“If you’re fine with that.”

“Okay, then it’s a promise.”

“You bet.”

With Koutarou’s reassurance, Shizuka was finally able to regain her cool. Meanwhile, Koutarou let out a sigh of relief. He wanted the worldly Shizuka to always be bright and cheerful.

“Then this is goodbye for now. Make sure you get over here quick, okay? Everyone’s waiting.”

“Yeah. See you soon.”

“See you.”

Shizuka’s hologram disappeared with a smile on her face. After seeing her off, Theia silently stared at Koutarou.

“...What?”

“It’s nothing.”

If Shizuka intentionally kept herself from getting a boyfriend when they returned to Earth, just what would happen? Theia realized the significance of the casual promise Koutarou had made to Shizuka, but she chose not to say anything about it.

“Theia, Layous-sama.”

Finally, the last to appear in hologram form was Theia’s mother, Elfaria. In her case, however, she wasn’t just interested in saying hello and seeing how they were doing. She wanted to discuss plans with them.

“Mother! It’s been so long!”

“Yeah, it’s good to see you safe, Elle. If you don’t mind cutting to the chase... how are things?”

Bypassing greetings and pleasantries, Koutarou got straight down to business. The bright expression he’d had on his face while talking to the other girls was instantly gone and he now looked quite serious. Indeed, he no longer looked like Koutarou, but the legendary Blue Knight.

I tried my best to keep him from having to make that face, but in that case...

If Koutarou was getting serious, Elfaria would too. Her cheeky smile faded into a regal, commanding look. This was Empress Elfaria, and she began explaining the situation at Koutarou’s behest. There was a lot of ground to cover, much of which was urgent.

“Sadly, I can’t say things are going well. Public opinion is split on me, but the hold-outs trying to remain neutral on the matter are indirectly giving the military the support they need.”

Koutarou had learned as much from the branch chief. Public opinion was divided on Elfaria’s innocence, but there was a considerable part of the population that believed the court should decide whether or not she was guilty. Asking for a trial, however, meant they were unwittingly playing right into the military’s hands.

“If this goes to court, the military’s going to bury you with lies and fabricated evidence. But then again, if you evade the justice system, the military will just use that as an excuse to come after you.”

“I’m afraid they already are. Skirmishes are breaking out all over.”

The military had only taken action after forging sufficient evidence against Elfaria. Assured they’d be victorious in a trial, they’d grown much bolder and even began attacking. They were mostly making their move in rural Forthorthe—that is, primarily out of the Forthorthian solar system—but they were even starting to stick their claws into more populated areas. Alaia had actually seen the least of it so far because of the resistance it was putting up to the military’s presence.

“But didn’t you say you had an ace up your sleeve if we made it here to Alaia, Elle?”

“Yes. I was talking about the fake evidence the military has concocted to try and bring me to trial. I have a lead on that, and if it all works out, we can bring their whole operation to light.”

“But won’t they be on guard for that?”

“They should be. They’ll probably initiate a large-scale offensive to try and pin us down and keep us from doing much other than defending ourselves. In order to prevent that, we’ll need to appeal to the citizenry and win their support so we can keep the military in check.”

Things had been utter chaos when Elfaria was first detained by the military and kept on house arrest under the false pretense of illness. Elfaria had played her cards wisely and used that time to gather as much information as she could on what was happening. That included tidbits about the evidence that had been fabricated against her, and by chasing down the clues she had, she was slowly getting closer and closer to the truth. She was sure, however, the military would go on the offense before they let her get to the bottom of everything and expose them.

In order to counteract that, Elfaria needed to return home to Planet Forthorthe. If she could appeal to the citizens directly, she was sure she could win over enough support to at least stall the military. That would give her time to gather more evidence about the military’s deceit and gather more allies should worst come to worst. That was something that Elfaria wouldn’t be able to do from Earth.

“I’ll probably hold a press conference to address the citizens before long. We’re currently making preparations for that.”

“Things sure are complicated... Thinking back on it, the fight against Maxfern was simple by comparison. He was an easy to understand villain.”

Koutarou crossed his arms and began pondering the situation. Two thousand years ago, Maxfern had staged a rather straightforward coup d’etat. All they’d needed to do to stop it was defeat Maxfern. But things were different this time... Vandarion’s coup was silently making progress under the surface, and the citizens didn’t even realize yet that he was the mastermind behind it. Taking him out right now might not even make a difference.

“Layous-sama only needed to be a hero, after all.”

“This time I’m only a stagehand... Leave Theia to me. I’ll make sure she gets to you in one piece.”

“Please do.”

Elfaria’s Achilles heel was her daughter, Theia. Elfaria had so far taken the challenge of the coup by the horns with indomitable resolve, but she didn’t know if she could keep it up if her daughter’s life was in danger. Whether or not Koutarou would be able to protect Theia or not would greatly affect the outcome of things.

“And what happens after we get there?”

“Most likely, we’re in for a showdown with Imperial Army troops sent by Lord Vandarion.”

Vandarion’s best shot at victory would be suppressing Elfaria before she had a chance to appeal to the people of Forthorthe. Even if she got to make a speech or two, it would still take some time before the public opinion shifted in her favor and she began winning the support of knights. As long as Vandarion finished the job before then, victory would be his. And to make sure that happened, he would undoubtedly be going on the offensive.

“...Okay. Have everyone over there start preparing as well.”

Those words weighed heavily on Koutarou as he spoke them. He was telling the people he wanted to keep as far away from battle as possible to get ready to fight. Ultimately, it was the best way to secure the peace for everyone, but Koutarou wasn’t about to use that as an excuse. He knew that he was asking the girls to risk their lives, and he was prepared to take responsibility for that when this was all over.

“Koutarou.”

That was when Theia, still clinging to Koutarou from behind, put a little more strength into her arms and whispered into his ear...

“Mother and I will share that responsibility. You don’t need to carry it alone.”

Theia’s whisper conveyed an adamant will and deep kindness. Win or lose, they would be together. That was her resolution.

“...Yeah, you’re right.”

And so Koutarou resolved himself as well. He would win this battle alongside Theia, Elfaria, and their many friends.

From there, things progressed on a very practical level. And in that regard, Theia and the branch chief were more useful than Koutarou. They discussed how to safely transport Theia and other logistics. Apart from his combat knowledge and general battlefield tactics, Koutarou was fairly oblivious as to life in modern Forthorthe. Because of that, he decided to take a step back and let the major players handle things while he listened in and took care of the exhausted Yurika.

“Blurrrgh...”

“Jeez, come on. You’re accompanying a princess, so could you keep it together?”

Koutarou wiped Yurika’s the drool off of Yurika’s face with a handkerchief. She seemed to be having a dream about food, which historically speaking meant that she’d demand something to eat when she woke up. In anticipation of that, Koutarou had brought some bottled water and a simple meal to leave by her bedside. It was a small kindness only Koutarou—who’d been her roommate for over a year now—would have thought of.

“Mother, we’re already resupplied, so wouldn’t it be best to begin heading your way on our own? If we take too large a guard, it will only weaken the forces here.”

“Theia, I know how you feel... but it will be dangerous if Vandarion finds out that you’re travelling on your own. You three alone will be an easy target.”

“At the very least, Your Highness, please use one of our vehicles.”

“Very well... That will do.”

The branch head suggested that Theia and her party use one of the faction’s vehicles to reach the main base in the heart of Pardomshiha territory. Koutarou’s armor and Theia’s Combat Dress had been restored and resupplied, so they were now perfectly capable of travelling on their own. But from a practical standpoint, it would be safer for them to use transportation. It seemed even simple tasks like getting around became an ordeal in times of war.

“Mmph... Hrm? Sha... Shatomi-shan?”

“Oh, you awake now, Yurika?”

“Huh? Where am I...?”

As the transportation discussion was reaching an end, Yurika at last woke up. She’d been asleep every since they reached the branch office, so she had absolutely no idea what was currently happening.

“This is one of the bases Elfaria’s supporters are running, remember? You collapsed as soon as we got here.”

“Huh... Yeah, that does sort of ring a bell.”

Koutarou’s words helped clear up Yurika’s foggy memories and got her mind running again. She only just barely remembered making it to the base, but more importantly, she remembered something very pressing that had been bothering her.

“Satomi-san, is everyone okay?!”

“Relax. We managed to get in touch with them and they’re all fine.”

“Really?”

“Look over there. See? Theia’s talking to her mom right now.”

“Oh thank god...”

It was her friends that were on her mind, and they were the first thing that Yurika thought of again once she was fully awake. Just hearing Koutarou say they were fine wasn’t enough to fully convince her, but seeing Theia talking to Elfaria over the communication device put her anxious heart at ease. Thanks to that, she let out a sigh of relief and her usual smile appeared on her face.

Rrrumble!

It was then that Yurika’s second most pressing concern reared its head.

“Eh... heh heh...”

“You know, it’s sort of comforting that you never change, Yurika. Go on. Eat up.”

“Haha, don’t mind if I do...”

Even the shameless Yurika was embarrassed by her stomach growling at such a time, so she tried to laugh it off as Koutarou handed her something to eat. She seemed to get over it quickly, however, and dug right in.

“Thank you for the food! Hom...”

But just as Yurika took a bite of the Forthorthian-style sandwich, the door to the secret base swung open with a bang.

“Grandpa!”

It was the girl that had guided Koutarou and the others here. Her sudden entrance, however, had startled Yurika so badly that she began choking on her sandwich.

“Hmgh?! Mnmnm!”

“Here. Drink this.”

But Koutarou was used to this. He had a hunch that she was going to choke on her food after a surprise like that, so he already had a drink in his hand ready to go.

“Gulp, gulp... Ahhh! I thought I was gonna die there.”

Thanks to Koutarou’s insight and resourcefulness, Yurika would live to see another day. She then promptly went back to eating her sandwich as she looked back over at the girl who’d burst in. Koutarou did the same.

“Bad news, grandpa!”

“Settle down and mind your manners, young lady. You are in the audience of Her Majesty and Her Highness.”

“B-But it’s really important!”

“I take no offense. What is it?”

Normally, it was customary to greet royalty before all else when in their presence—and the young girl certainly knew that as the granddaughter of a local leader of Elfaria’s faction. That meant that whatever was going on, it was serious enough that she’d forgotten her manners. Sensing that, Theia skipped past the usual formalities and bade her speak.

“The Imperial Army... I-I mean the coup d’etat forces are transporting weapons this way in some kind of trailer! They’re apparently weapons for fighting us—they just haven’t been assembled yet! We got word from another branch that we should take out the trailer immediately!”

The urgent news the young girl had brought concerned the coup d’etat army’s new weapon—a secretly developed mobile weapon that was built in components so that it could be easily transported and assembled on site. That made it especially useful for surprise attacks, and that’s exactly what the faction members who’d spotted it were sure they were up to. It was a lucky discovery. If they hadn’t caught it, the base would have been in for a nasty surprise.

“Theia!”

“It’s possible! If we don’t make the first move, something terrible will happen!”

Elexis was the first person to pop up in Koutarou’s and Theia’s minds when they heard the words new weapon.

If it’s Warlord and improved Motor Knights... The unprepared faction fighters will be totally destroyed!

The mobile weapons Elexis made had put Koutarou through the wringer more than once before. Just having those on the battlefield was dangerous, but Elexis now had access to magic and spiritual energy technology. Who knew what kind of improvements and upgrades he’d given them? Just thinking about it sent a chill down everyone’s spine.

“Mother, that trailer contains new DKI weapons! If we don’t strike first, we’ll pay the price later!”

“DKI...? I understand. Let’s send a squad.”

“Koutarou and I will go with them!”

“No, Theia. Continue as planned and make your way here.”

“But—”

“If the weapons are still disassembled, then there’s no reason for the two of you to sortie. In fact, this might even be a trap to lure you out.”

“But we’re going up against―”

“Please calm down, Princess Theiamillis. I believe Her Majesty is right.”

“Koutarou...”

Hearing Koutarou speak so formally brought Theia to her senses. She couldn’t just ignore him when he addressed her as the Blue Knight. He then walked over to her and explained his reasoning calmly and concisely.

“This timing is too coincidental. Information about the weapon transport was likely leaked on purpose when the army realized we’d eluded their grasp.”

Koutarou and Elfaria both feared that this was a trap to capture the rebel group that had landed in the woods of Alaia. It was uncertain that Vandarion knew Theia was among them, but at the very least, he knew that they were important allies of Elfaria’s. In other words, they were strong bargaining chips. Vandarion was probably dying to get his hands on them to use them against Elfaria, and taking that into consideration, there was a not insignificant chance the news of the weapon transport was a trap. Elfaria’s allies, whoever they were, were likely strong enough that they might show up themselves to deal with the problem.

“A long range attack will suffice if our only goal is to take out a trailer. If they block it, then that means they were prepared for us and it’s a trap. Give the order to retreat immediately.”

Their goal wasn’t to attack the military; they were simply eliminating a single trailer disguised as a civilian vehicle. Cannons, missiles, or unmanned crafts should be more than enough for the job. That is, unless the convoy with the trailer had countermeasures ready and waiting. That would be a sufficient sign that they were prepared for an attack and the whole operation was a setup. In that case, the faction forces would retreat. It would be a simple in-and-out operation either way, so Koutarou saw no reason for him and Theia to go. If anything, the two of them showing their faces would only make the job more dangerous.

“Yeah... You’re probably right, Koutarou. We should prioritize rendezvousing with the others.”

Koutarou’s line of thinking was perfectly reasonable, so Theia decided to relent and continue on their previous plan to meet up with Elfaria and the rest of the Ohime crew. Giving her a slight smile, Koutarou put his hand on Theia’s shoulder and whispered so only she could hear him.

“I understand how you feel. You don’t want to put your soldiers—your citizens—at risk, do you?”

“I really don’t...”

“Then let’s hurry up and go take care of Elle. If we don’t, Vandarion’s just going to keep playing tricks like this.”

If they continued to be get distracted by the smaller events unfolding around them, the body count in the long run would only be higher. If they really wanted to protect the people of Forthorthe, they should get a move on and put a stop to the fighting as soon as possible.

“I’m sorry. I’m just a foolish princess who can only see what’s right in front of her.”

Having finally recollected herself thanks to Koutarou, Theia flashed a smile. It was an embarrassed and self-deprecating one, but Koutarou nodded approvingly. After that, his expression returned to that of the Blue Knight.

“It must be in your blood. The people of the Mastir family have been like that since long ago.”

Alaia, Charl, Elfaria, Theia... As far as Koutarou knew, all of them had fought desperately to protect their people and shed bitter tears for the lives they couldn’t save.

“And that’s precisely why we knights take such pride in serving the Mastirs. I’m sure the citizens feel the exact same way.”

Because the leaders of the Mastir family cared deeply for the lives of each and every one of their people, both the knights and citizens alike felt there was meaning in staking their lives to protect them. It was exactly why they’d risen up two thousand years ago, and Koutarou believed they would do the same today.

“Thank you, Koutarou.”

“You should tell your citizens that once this is over.”

“You’re right.”

Theia’s smile truly blossomed. It was as beautiful as any flower, and all the faction members who beheld it swore their loyalty to Theia anew.

Just who is this boy? Just what has he been through to forge him into such a splendid knight?

Meanwhile, they all wondered about the identity of the knight who stood fast by Theia’s side.