Rokujouma no Shinryakusha!? - Volume 24 - Chapter 3

Everyone’s Intentions

Monday, November 29th

As the battle for the spaceport of Alaia was broadcast, the entirety of Forthorthe fell into a great uproar. The vastly outnumbered Reborn Forthorthian Army had seized complete victory with practically no casualties on either side. Not only that, but the one to settle the battle was the knight in blue armor. And this time he didn’t use his sword, but rather words to persuade an Imperial Army commander to surrender.

The people of Forthorthe weren’t just seeking strength from the man wearing blue armor. They wanted to see a keen intellect and a true spirit of benevolence, and he had proven both in this battle. The knight in blue armor who was with the Reborn Forthorthian Army was strong, clever, and kind. More and more people began to believe that the person they had been wishing for all along had returned to them.

What fostered this belief even more was that a silver-haired girl who could use strange techniques was now known to be accompanying him. According to one theory, the Silver Princess was able to use a strange power after undoing the seal of the sword. It was no coincidence that this young girl’s appearance and abilities called the legend to mind. But this boost in the reputation of the knight in blue armor—that is, Koutarou—also served to improve the public standing of Elfaria and Theia as the leaders of the Reborn Forthorthian Army. And since Koutarou had been introduced to Forthorthe as a companion of Theia’s, the media was reporting new finds on “the Golden Princess and the Blue Knight” every day.

And with this rise in popularity, the applicants for the Reborn Forthorthian Army continued to increase and the bands of knights that had been watching over the situation came to offer their cooperation one after another. While there were still relatively few bands of knights directly involved (as each band of knights needed to come to an agreement on the matter and work out countermeasures for spies in order to participate in the resistance), Koutarou and the others didn’t look at the situation with pessimism. Instead, they thought of it as a good start for their counterattack.

“But man... When you get serious, it’s not even a fight, is it, Kiriha-san?” Koutarou said as he headed towards Kiriha’s desk carrying a tray loaded with tea and snacks.

Kiriha herself was in the middle of staring into the computer screen in the staff officer’s room she had been assigned. After displaying her sharp mind in the defensive battle for the spaceport, all manner of people had sought counsel from her. She ended up so busy that she didn’t even have the time to prepare her own tea. Koutarou, on the other hand, was the exact opposite. He found himself with time to spare. When they weren’t in battle, he had nothing to do, and if he walked around freely, he’d attract unwanted attention. As a result, he ended up serving as Kiriha’s assistant.

“You make it sound like you would have preferred having a real battle.”

“That’s not it. It’s just still surprising how skilled you really are.”

“You’re mistaken. Lord Galbauda and his men are really the ones who won. I simply put my money on them being reasonable.”

The plan Kiriha had devised had many variations. Her exact movements would change depending on how the Imperial Army moved, and not all outcomes predicted low casualties. But after gathering information on Lord Galbauda and taking into account his relationship with the people of his territory, it seemed chances were high that he would pick a strategy to end the battle as quickly as possible. A swift resolution was his only option if he valued human life and the surrounding urban area. His plan would also go over well with the top brass who wanted to use their new magical weapons in a surprise attack.

And sure enough, from the start of the battle, Lord Galbauda acted strategically to safeguard both his men and civilians, keeping losses to a minimum for everyone. The men under his command were loyal and followed his orders to a T. Not only were they disciplined, they shared Lord Galbauda’s morals. The real reason casualties were so low was because they believed in their commander and acted accordingly. Had that not been the case, the outcome of the battle certainly would have been more grim for both sides.

“So this could be called a victory for Theia and Elle—or, really, for the Mastir family,” Koutarou commented as he set the tea and snacks down in front of Kiriha.

Today’s menu was black tea he had gotten from Elfaria and baked confections that Ruth had prepared. Both were Forthorthian specialties, so they were popular with the people from Earth.

“Indeed. In fact, the planet is so well-managed that it was practically expected that Lord Galbauda and his people would be perfectly reasonable. One might even contribute the victory to the Mastir family’s traditions and prestige.”

Kiriha stopped what she was doing at the computer for a moment and picked up the teacup. Having been working non-stop since morning, she decided it was time for a quick breather. After pausing to take a whiff of the black tea, she placed her soft lips to the rim of the cup. Seeing that she had decided to take a break, Koutarou thought it might be a good time to ask her something that had been bothering him.

“About that Lord Galbauda guy... He’s in a precarious situation now, isn’t he?”

Because of the Reborn Forthorthian Army’s landslide victory, Lord Galbauda’s reputation had plummeted. It was to be expected, but since Lord Galbauda had proven to be an honorable man, Koutarou was worried about his future.

“So he is. If we let him go now, he will most likely face a court martial. Considering the outcome of the battle, it probably looks like he simply surrendered without putting up a fight.”

Normally, the Reborn Forthorthian Army didn’t take prisoners because that would mean detaining citizens who had been forced to arms. But if they stayed true to their principles and released Lord Galbauda, a harsh future awaited him and his family name. That troubled Koutarou.

“Claiming that the spaceport just vanished wouldn’t fly with a court martial, huh?”

“Indeed. While Elexis might be supplying Vandarion with weapons that rely on magic and spiritual energy, he is probably keeping the technology and principles behind them secret. As he will be trying to replace them later, he’d never reveal the whole truth. With that in mind, the trial would proceed to Lord Galbauda’s disadvantage.”

Lord Galbauda and the two battalions under his command were completely stumped by Kiriha’s strategy and had surrendered without much of a fight. They genuinely believed that the spaceport had vanished. And without knowing about magic, they couldn’t mount a decent response. But at the same time, the members of the court martial—who didn’t know about magic either—would suspect that Lord Galbauda had simply been negligent, cowardly, or worst of all, perhaps secretly working with the Reborn Forthorthian Army. Whatever they decided it was, it was clear that their verdict would be a bad one for Lord Galbauda.

“So I was wondering... isn’t there anything we can do?” Koutarou asked.

He put down the tray on a nearby desk and looked to Kiriha for an answer. He believed it would be a mistake to release Lord Galbauda knowing that he would suffer for it, even if Lord Galbauda was fine with that himself. But since the Reborn Forthorthian Army made it a point not to take captives, he couldn’t see an immediate solution. That’s why he’d come to Kiriha.

“We don’t take prisoners, but it’s dangerous to let him go. If we handle things like normal, he’s going to be in a bad way,” Koutarou clarified his concerns.

“Hmm... Lord Galbauda knows some classified information, so we won’t release him for a while to keep him from leaking it. How about that?”

“Classified information? Like magic?”

“You.”

“Me?”

“The knowledge that the Blue Knight of legend himself is here is the highest level of classified information that the Reborn Forthorthian Army has. Isn’t it only obvious we would want to keep that information secret?”

“I see... So it doesn’t have to be me, just something to that effect, right?”

Kiriha had given Koutarou a clear solution to his problem. Not returning an enemy officer due to fear of an information leak was realistic and plausible, so just keeping him in custody until the information was outdated was a good middle ground.

“I think information on you is fine though.”

“Kiriha-san, you’re just having fun by toying with me, aren’t you?”

“Of course that’s part of it, but information on you could potentially be leaked rather easily since it’s not officially acknowledged or protected. That means we can share it with Lord Galbauda with little worry.”

“Ugh...”

Using Koutarou’s identity was a good idea. It was the truth, but it was nearly unbelievable. It would sound like mere propaganda if it were disclosed to the public now, so it was hard to officially confirm. Moreover, many citizens were already seeing a connection between Koutarou and the Blue Knight. Leaking the information now wouldn’t change much. But nevertheless, classified information was classified information. Even if they intended to tell the public after the war, it was a good enough reason to detain Lord Galbauda for now.

“You can protect Lord Galbauda just by introducing yourself to him. Surely that won’t be too hard.”

“...This is really amusing to you, isn’t it, Kiriha-san?”

“Yes. I just admitted that was part of it, didn’t I?”

The only real hang-up was how Koutarou felt about the situation. While it might feel right for Kiriha or Theia, that wasn’t the case for him. Since it had just kind of happened, he had a hard time calling himself the Blue Knight.

“Jeez, if there’s really no other way, I’ll do it.”

“That would be nice.”

Kiriha smiled at the troubled Koutarou as she reached out for the snacks. Her grin and her gestures made her look almost childish. It was a relaxed appearance that she rarely showed anyone but Koutarou. It seemed like the tea and conversation with Koutarou were working wonders as a respite from her work.

And now that his problem was solved and Kiriha had managed to get a little break herself, Koutarou decided it was time to get back to it. Being Kiriha’s assistant was actually a good deal of work.

“Kiriha-san, do you need anything other than some tea and snacks?” he asked.

“You.”

“Hey now.”

“I’m not saying that as a joke.”

“...What do you mean?”

“Sadly, I have to calculate how many lives will be lost in order to win. That’s why I need you.”

“I see... So what should I do?”

“You can just continue helping like you are now. I just want you to be at my side. At least until these heartbreaking calculations are over with...”

Kiriha was certainly mature, and her mind was sharper than anyone else’s. But that meant certain things had a more profound effect on her than the other girls, and that included people dying. She had been able to avoid casualties until now, but chances were incredibly high that it wouldn’t stay that way in the near future. Having to take the cost of human life into account when making plans put a great deal of strain on her still young mind. That’s why she needed Koutarou right now.

“I got it. I’ll always be with you. And... you can ask me for any selfish thing until it’s over, okay?”

“Okay. Thank you.”

It was probably also why Kiriha’s smile, which showed both relief and reliance, reminded Koutarou of the much younger Kii.

While Kiriha began formulating plans in her mind, Theia was facing a difficult problem herself. She was currently having another press conference together with Elfaria. It was a question-and-answer session regarding the battle for the spaceport. Like their previous conference, journalists from all over were communicating with them through the network, and Theia and Elfaria went into the session with every intention of being honest with their citizens.

“Is that correct, Your Majesty?” a journalist asked.

“That is the case. While I can’t go into details about personnel and technology for safety reasons, the Satomi Knights contributed in many parts of this battle, including its planning and execution,” Elfaria answered.

“Which means that Sir Satomi’s existence played a big role in all this as well. Your Highness, can you really not reveal who he is?” the journalist asked, turning the question to Theia.

“Um... All I can say right now is that I met him during my travels,” she responded somewhat nervously.

Even during this conference, Theia was stuck on the defensive. As Elfaria wasn’t declaring anything major on behalf of the Reborn Forthorthian Army, most of the conference was focused on their defending of the spaceport. It was unavoidable that the person to carry out the strategy would eventually come up. In fact, the people were especially interested in the matter after learning the battle had come to a largely diplomatic end with very little fighting. And what the people wanted to know, the journalists wanted to know. They bombarded Theia with questions about Koutarou one after the other. But to their disappointment, Theia didn’t have proper answers for them.

“But Your Highness, the citizens can’t accept that! Such keen insight, the ingenuity to lead the Imperial Army by the nose, the nobility to settle things peacefully after everything... and that blue armor he wears! Please tell us, Your Highness! Just who is this man?!”

“I can’t say! I’ve already said that he is a man in a complicated situation!”

The amount of citizens that thought Koutarou had some connection with the Blue Knight was increasing every day, but there was no real reason to believe that they’d fully be able to understand Koutarou’s circumstances—including the part about time travel. And it was impossible to say how trying to explain that would reflect on the army and her mother. That’s why Theia couldn’t answer. In that regard, it would have been a much simpler affair if Koutarou had been the Blue Knight’s descendant. That was really probably what the citizens and the journalists were hoping to hear. She wouldn’t lie to them, but she couldn’t tell them the truth. Theia was caught in a very serious situation.

“Then what about the silver-haired woman?!”

“Huwah?”

“I’m talking about the silver-haired woman who used strange powers to dispatch the attackers during Your Majesty’s and Your Highness’s inspection!”

The journalist asking questions realized that asking about Koutarou wouldn’t give him the breakthrough he was looking for. So instead, he shifted to someone else in Koutarou’s company—the mysterious girl who had protected Theia and Elfaria during the attempted assassination the other day. She had long, beautiful silver hair and was seen with a crest of a sword on her forehead. Only one person in the legend of the Blue Knight fit that description. The journalist pressed the matter further as he displayed a hologram of that girl. Of Harumi.

“Please answer, Your Highness! Who is this person?!”

“Ah, auuugh... Um...” Words failed her. Theia hadn’t expected a question about Harumi to pop up, so she was at a loss for an answer.

“You can at least tell us who this person is, can’t you?!”

“That’s... a member of Koutarou’s... Sir Satomi’s band of knights...”

“Please give us more details!”

“Um...”

Theia had been completely backed into a corner. She’d done her best to get through the questions about Koutarou, so a question about Harumi felt like getting blindsided. It was clear what the journalist wanted, but she couldn’t answer. There was no way she could explain who Harumi was without revealing other secrets.

“Calm down, Theia,” said Elfaria, stepping in to lend a helping hand.

She couldn’t stand to see Theia in trouble. As royalty of Forthorthe, Elfaria was originally planning on leave Theia to her own devices, but things were spiraling out of control for her. Elfaria couldn’t help her motherly instincts kicking it.

“M-Mother...?”

“You don’t have to say anything you’re not at liberty to. However, you mustn’t lie. The least we can do for the people who believe in us is be honest with them.”

“...Yes, I understand.”

Seeing her mother’s face and hearing her words, Theia was able to calm down a little. After taking a deep breath, she faced the journalist on the other side of the screen.

“I regret that I am unable to share everything with you at this time. I can understand your interest too, considering the situation. But I want you to calm down and think for a moment,” Theia began.

She spoke with the journalist, choosing each word carefully. She followed her mother’s advice, leaving out information she couldn’t disclose, but making sure that she stayed true to herself and to her people. It was a task that once again reminded Theia of how difficult it was to be royalty. But she wasn’t giving up. She was determined to be the best princess she could, in no small part because she believed the man she loved to be the best knight. That’s why she was bravely able to face such harship.

“Say, for example, that he is related to the Blue Knight. And let me reiterate that this is hypothetical,” Theia continued.

“Yes, let’s say.”

“Do you think he would be able to publically announce that he was related to the Blue Knight? The Blue Knight left the country to keep it from falling into chaos.”

“Then you’re saying that he would claim no relation, regardless of whether or not it was true?”

“That’s right. I haven’t confirmed it with him myself, but that would most likely be the result.”

After saying that much, Theia let out a sigh. Considering their positions, Theia and Elfaria couldn’t say anything on the matter, and Koutarou most likely wouldn’t admit to it himself. She believed that she had finally been able to get the heart of the matter across. However, the journalist didn’t see it that way.

“Huh...? Wait a moment, Your Highness! Why would you need to confirm it with him? Wasn’t this just an example?!”

“Oh no!”

“Then is he truly related to the Blue Knight?!”

“N-No comment! No comment!”

A fragment of the truth had escaped Theia’s lips. Journalists from all over the galaxy were at the edges of their seats. It was clear that Theia had said something she hadn’t meant to, and as a result, her predicament would continue for a while longer.

Theia was released from the journalists around roughly the same time that Kiriha finished her work. Both girls were now taking a break together. They’d both been extraordinarily busy, so this was the first time they’d gotten together like this in a while.

“You can’t redo press conferences. Phew... This is bad for my heart. I don’t want to do any more of them for a while,” Theia sighed.

She was leaning back on the sofa of the break room, practically sinking into it. Since she was so active, it was a rare sight. It made her small body look even more diminutive than normal, and made it quite clear how exhausted she was.

“I’m sorry to hear that, Theia-dono.”

Kiriha, on the other hand, looked normal at first glance. At least, a stranger might think so. But Koutarou or anyone else who knew her well could tell she was tired. Her mind and spirit were worn down. That was the cost of dealing in the business of warfare and human lives.

“Here, Kiriha. You can have my chocolate.”

“Thank you, Sanae.”

“Open your mouth too, Theia.”

“Ahhh...”

“Here you go... And one for you too!”

Sanae was being nicer than usual. Normally when opening a bag of candy, she took the first bite. But today, she gave that honor to Kiriha and Theia. As she could see their auras, she knew exactly how tired they were. She was especially worried about Kiriha. Theia was more outright exhausted, but Kiriha’s weariness was ran much deeper. Sanae wanted to do something for her.

“Kiriha, let me rub your shoulders.”

“You’re awfully accommodating today, Sanae.”

“A good woman never misses a chance to shine.”

“Heh, is that so? Then by all means, Sanae.”

“Leave it to me!”

While Sanae didn’t fully understand it herself, she felt like Kiriha needed warmth. That’s why she offered to massage her shoulders. And because she figured more warmth was better, Sanae called out for a certain someone to come help.

“Koutarou, you massage her somewhere too!”

“You idiot, keep that between you girls!”

“Anywhere’s fine. Even her boobs.”

“I said keep it between you girls! Especially when it’s not her shoulders!”

Koutarou understood what Sanae was really asking, and he agreed for the most part. But as a man, massaging anything other than Kiriha’s shoulders would be strange, even if Kiriha was okay with it. That’s why he flat out refused Sanae’s request.

“You don’t have to be so stubborn when both you and Kiriha would benefit from it.”

Sanae thought Koutarou was making a dumb choice. Sanae would get to take it easy, and Koutarou could touch Kiriha all he wanted. That way Kiriha would get a chance to relax and get intimate with Koutarou. To Sanae, Koutarou was passing up something that would benefit everyone.

“Heh, and wouldn’t a good woman get the hint, Sanae?” Kiriha snickered.

“Hmm, that’s true. Okay, then I’ll just have to do my best today!”

“I have high hopes.”

After Kiriha got her to relent, Sanae began massaging her shoulders with more motivation than usual. At this rate, there was no doubt that Kiriha would feel better in no time.

“Hey, Theia-chan, I have a simple question for you,” Yurika asked.

She also happened to be in the break room, eating candy she had brought with her from Earth while reading manga she had found in Forthorthe. With the more serious discussion between Kiriha and Theia over, she decided to ask her something.

“What?”

Leaning all the way back over the top of the sofa, Theia looked up at Yurika. Yurika looked back at Theia, whose head was now upside down to her.

“Um... The people of Forthorthe are interested in Satomi-san because his armor is blue, right?”

“Well... yes. In our country, blue armor has special meaning. It naturally attracts attention.”

When she finished her sentence, Theia left her mouth open. Yurika fed her a potato chip and continued her line of questioning.

“Then why not just change the color of Satomi-san’s armor to something else? Like pink. I think people would lose interest then.”

Theia was troubled because Koutarou was attracting so much attention. And that was because he reminded people of the Blue Knight. The color of his armor undoubtedly played a part in that. It made a certain amount of sense to change the color of his armor to get the citizens to forget about it and take the stress off of Theia. The other girls listening felt like there might be some merit to Yurika’s reasoning.

However, Theia didn’t think so.

“Munch, crunch, gulp... No waaaaaaaay!”

She hurriedly ate her potato chip and refused at the top of her lungs. As a result, some of the fragments of the potato chip even hit Yurika.

“I definitely don’t want that!” she reiterated.

“But the press conferences would be easier that way,” said Yurika.

“Koutarou’s armor has to be blue! Blue! It can’t be anything else!”

Still leaning over the sofa, Theia kicked her legs and waved her arms with a big frown on her face. As small as she was, she looked like a child who didn’t get the toy she wanted.

“She’s an idiot...” Koutarou mumbled at the sight.

He was dumfounded by Theia’s unprincesslike behavior. But when Theia heard what he said, she sprung up at full force and kicked off the ground with both legs and arms like a beast, leaping for Koutarou and reaching him the blink of an eye. She then pointed a thin, graceful finger in his face.

“Then are you saying you’re fine with a different color?! Is that what you’re saying?!”

Theia’s wide-open eyes stared right into Koutarou’s. Seeing the fire in them, Koutarou realized that she wasn’t really asking about the color of the armor.

I see, so that’s why you...

She was really asking whether he could face the people he’d met two thousand years ago while pretending to be someone else. Could he stand before Alaia, Charl, and the other girls, not to mention all the soldiers who had fought alongside him or the citizens who had supported him? Could he do that while acting like he wasn’t the Blue Knight? And when he thought of it like that, he had to concede.

“...No, I want it to be blue.”

There was no answer other than that. Holding his head high as the Blue Knight was how he showed respect for the people who had been part of his life long, long ago. It was the way of the knight.

“Heh heh, that’s more like it, my knight.”

Theia nodded with satisfaction at Koutarou’s answer. She then reached out with the hand that had been pointing at him and gently caressed his cheek. Even if only for a moment, the complex emotions behind that touch were conveyed to Koutarou.

“...Both master and servant are idiots...” Sanae said, shaking her head.

Of course, the understanding between Theia and Koutarou wasn’t conveyed to anyone else. Sanae ridiculed them because she didn’t know any better. To her, it only looked like they were shouldering some incomprehensible burden.

Vandarion had made plans to mobilize part of the army and seize the spaceport, yet they had ended in failure. Even worse, the Reborn Forthorthian Army’s victory had seen a boost in their reputation, as well as Elfaria’s. After his plans backfired, it would seem perfectly in character for Vandarion to be downright livid considering his intense personality. But oddly enough, he remained calm despite his losses.

“Hmm, right on schedule, huh?”

Vandarion watched Elfaria’s press conference while drinking wine made from the fermented juice of a fruit very similar to the grapes used to make red wine on Earth. While his expression betrayed hostility towards Elfaria, it wasn’t out of anger over his defeat. He at least had the presence of mind to enjoy his fruit wine.

“We should consider the first stage complete now. We’ve learned even Elfaria will come out over such an attack,” said Director General Granado, serving as Vandarion’s staff officer.

Even he seemed happy with the outcome. There wasn’t so much as a hint of panic or regret in his face, despite the fact that they’d failed to achieve what they’d set out to do. But they were both acting this way for a reason. The truth was that the battle for the spaceport was part of a bigger plan.

“A spaceport is necessary for any real resistance. If we took it now, they would be stuck on Alaia. And in order to prevent that, they had to deploy a large amount of soldiers. A well thought-out plan, Granado.”

“With this, they will concentrate and consolidate their forces for either defending or attacking. So if we send our soldiers in now, there will naturally be more casualties than there would have before. That will put a definitive end to Elfaria’s propaganda.”

The Reborn Forthorthian Army had been waging small battles throughout Forthorthe. Calling them skirmishes would be more appropriate. And considering the small scale of these fights, casualties were low and the Reborn Forthorthian Army was often winning one-sidedly. With those small victories piling up, they were winning public support and amassing manpower with new recruits. The groundwork for a large-scale offensive was being laid.

That meant that the movement of troops was becoming a problem. Up until now, they had been fighting all over the place, but for a larger battle, they would need to concentrate their forces. And for that, they would need a spaceport. Spaceports were required for transporting people and cargo, making them essential for any large-scale military operation. In other words, the spaceport was the Achilles heel for the Reborn Forthorthian Army. It was a weakness that must be protected at all costs. That hadn’t been the case until now, but at this point in time, they had no choice in the matter.

The Reborn Forthorthian Army coming together was exactly what Vandarion and Granado were waiting for. The larger a battle became, the less advantage they had. Larger forces couldn’t be hidden as easily, and direct clashes would be unavoidable. That meant that the more people were involved, the bloodier things would get. Elfaria’s support from the citizens was largely because she had fought while keeping casualties low, just as the legendary Princess Alaia had. That’s why Vandarion and Granado’s plan was to increase the scale of the battle to forcibly create more casualties and reduce Elfaria’s standing with the people.

“All that’s left is to make that battle happen... How are things looking on that front?”

“There aren’t any problems in terms of troops. Thanks to the enemy gathering their forces, the chances of rebellions elsewhere have decreased and we can now move our forces as well.”

“And do we have any countermeasures for the enemy using diversions like they did in the battle for the spaceport?”

The only unexpected thing in the battle on Alaia was the large-scale trickery that the Reborn Forthorthian Army had pulled off. If they could manage that again, there was a chance that Vandarion and Granado’s plans would fail. Countermeasures were necessary to prevent that.

“DKI’s scion has promised that he would send out his treasured special forces.”

“That Elexis... What is he planning this time?”

But they had things other than the Reborn Forthorthian Army’s tricks to worry about. One of them was the CEO of the galactic conglomerate DKI, Elexis. The technology he possessed far surpassed that of the military, although he was currently sharing it with them. But if the military continued to rely on Elexis, he would have a lot of influence in the political system after Elfaria was defeated. To Vandarion and Granado, that wasn’t anything to celebrate.

“No matter. Once we’ve defeated Elfaria, we won’t need that greenhorn’s power. We’re using that, Granado.”

“But Vandarion-sama, that is still incomplete. It’s too early to deploy it!”

“We’ve brought it over, so we have to use it. The part that’s incomplete is its space outfitting, right? There’s no problem using it in ground combat. Am I wrong?”

“No, sir... But do we have to go that far to inflict casualties on Elfaria?”

“But of course! In order to put an end to that vixen’s propaganda, we need a victory so uncontested that no one can deny it! The most efficient way of doing that is to kill that knight in blue armor at the center of it all! I don’t care what we use to do it!”

Despite what trouble Elexis might bring, Elfaria was the greater threat right now. If Elfaria’s power was stripped, the problem with Elexis would solve itself. And the most effective way of doing that was to foster as much death in battle as possible, as well as kill the knight in blue armor who was becoming a symbolic figure for the resistance.

“We’ll kill him! We’ll kill the Blue Knight! This time for certain!”

Vandarion could feel powerful impulses overflowing from deep within him—an intense hatred and murderous intent towards the knight in blue armor. It was those negative emotions, so strong that they burned like hellfire in his veins threatening to consume his very soul, that pushed Vandarion forward. He could no longer distinguish whether he really wanted to kill that knight in order to defeat Elfaria, or if he was fighting Elfaria so he could kill the knight.

In the next battle, Vandarion would go all out. After receiving that report from Maya, Elexis leaned back in his leather chair and crossed his arms.

“I had my suspicions when we received a request for support... but if they’re going to be using that, then they must be planning on killing Koutarou-kun,” he said calmly.

“That boy is becoming the cornerstone of the information warfare tactics Elfaria’s side is trying to employ. Vandarion’s side must want to eliminate him as soon as possible,” said Maya.

“So they’re going to kill Koutarou-kun before he holds complete sway over public opinion... Well, I think it’s a reasonable way of thinking,” replied Elexis. He’d realized what Vandarion’s side intended to do.

There was no way around the people of Forthorthe being fascinated with the knight in blue armor. With their eyes constantly on Koutarou, it was clear that he had a certain power over them and their imaginations. And that power had the potential to develop into strong influence. Elexis believed it was perfectly logical to want him out of the picture before that happened.

“Yes. But even then, I was certain that they only brought that in to hide the bioweapon,” Maya said with the slightest bit of hesitation in her voice.

“They’re cunning. With the bioweapon thwarted, everyone’s forgotten about that. Even the tactician on Koutarou-kun’s side has probably overlooked it,” replied Elexis.

“Even if she hasn’t, it’d just become a head-on confrontation, right? Can that really defeat the boy and the others? They were even able to repel Tayuma and Purple who were overcome with chaos and went berserk.”

Compared to Elexis, Maya was skeptical. She understood the strength of Koutarou and the others better than anyone. She had witnessed it several times. That’s why no matter how much faith they put in this trump card, she didn’t think it alone could bring Vandarion and Granado victory. And knowing what she did, she shared the doubts she harbored with Elexis.

“I think it can,” he answered. “Koutarou-kun and the others are certainly strong, but this battle is far bigger than just them now. They can no longer win just by being strong.”

“You’re saying that ten people won’t be able to protect a thousand or more?”

“That’s what I think. Besides, Vandarion has conventional forces on top of that. That’s certainly too much for Koutarou-kun and the others to handle.”

“I see what you mean,” said Maya, finally nodding.

While Koutarou and the others were strong, there weren’t all that many of them. It was a decisive weak point. So in a large-scale battle, it was very likely that even if Koutarou and his squad came out on top, the overall battle would end in crushing defeat for them as an army. A handful of strong troops wouldn’t make much of an impact considering the scale of real war. Especially not this time when Vandarion’s aim was to waste lives on both sides. Even counting Nana for eleven of them, it was clear that Koutarou and the others didn’t have the numbers to protect their soldiers.

“Last but not least, that has far more power than conventional weapons. If the teamwork between Koutarou and the others can be disrupted, it can force itself through on sheer power,” Elexis continued.

“And so Vandarion’s side has issued a request for support to DKI. If we don’t just nullify Rainbow’s spells, but rather work together with them, then―”

“That’s right, Maya. Depending on how we act, Vandarion and Granado will win against Koutarou-kun and the others this time.”

It didn’t matter if it was supplying Vandarion with technology or sending in Darkness Rainbow to help. As long as they managed to put Koutarou and the others in a vulnerable position, Vandarion and Granado would come out victorious. They might even get the chance to make good on their higher-ranking objective: killing Koutarou. That was how Elexis read the situation, and Maya was starting to think he was right.

“So what are you planning on doing? ...Or rather, what do you want to do?” she asked.

“That’s the problem,” he said pensively, planting his elbows on the desk as he began thinking.

Elexis still hadn’t firmly embedded himself in the military’s power structure, so Vandarion winning now would be a bad thing. From that point of view, his best option was to pretend to work together with Vandarion and Granado, all while leaving a narrow path open for Koutarou and the others to come out victorious. He figured that going as far as keeping Yurika and the others from using magic would be enough to do that. But that wasn’t at all what he suggested.

“All right... Let’s give it our all and support the military,” he finally said after thinking it over.

Hearing that, Maya’s eyes shot open wide and she slammed her hands on the desk as she stared down Elexis.

“Wait a minute, El! Are you serious?!”

Maya wanted to take the opposite approach, secretly getting in the way of the military to buy time for Elexis to muscle his way into gaining more influence with them.

“I’m serious. I want to see for myself.”

“See? See what?”

“If Koutarou-kun and the others can win despite that.”

Elexis was dead serious. There was something that had always been on his mind. And driving Koutarou into a corner was the best way to get the answers he wanted. In order to accomplish that, he would fully cooperate with the military.

“I give up. You’d hamstring the boy, but you still want him to win the race? That’s a pretty twisted form of affection.”

“Strictly speaking, that’s not exactly it. If Koutarou-kun really is the person I think he is, he won’t lose because of something like this. Conversely, if we hold back, he might win even if he’s not who I think he is.”

“So you’re saying you’ll fully cooperate with the military in order to ascertain his true identity?”

“That would be the case, yes.”

“So what if the boy loses? What then?”

After hearing what Elexis was thinking, Maya’s surprise died down some, but she still had a dumbfounded expression on her face. She couldn’t eagerly accept such a high risk just to confirm a theory.

“He won’t lose. Although, that is just my intuition speaking.”

“If your intuition is wrong, you’re gonna get burned, you know.”

“If my intuition is wrong over something like this, I’d never stand a chance again Vandarion either way. Consider it a test of my caliber, too.”

“...Of course. Hmph, this sure is getting interesting though.”

Ending Elfaria’s reign wasn’t Elexis’s only objective. Ultimately, he would also overthrow Vandarion and create a new social structure. To that end, he would need to walk several thin lines. If his intuition led him astray here, he’d never reach his final goal. He needed to know if he could accurately read other people, including both Vandarion and Koutarou.

“However, the problematic part is that while I don’t think Koutarou-kun and the others will lose, I can’t see past that. Will it be a landslide victory? Or will it cost them dearly? What I want to know the most is what kind of losses we’ll be looking at. That will determine how we’ll proceed.”

“Oh, you mean to say that depending on how this goes, you might side with them instead?”

“That’s certainly possible. I’ve thought of several potential developments.”

If reality met the expectations of Elexis’s imagination, Elfaria would be hiding an ace up her sleeve. And if he overlooked that possibility, there was a chance the tables would be turned on him during the final act. The best way to get what he wanted now was to cooperate with the military for the time being while trying to get a peek at Elfaria’s hand. And depending on how strong it was, Elexis would then choose to raise or fold accordingly. It was a sound tactic on his part, even if it carried its own set of risks.

“However, all of these developments have one strategic element in common,” Elexis hinted.

“And that is?”

“We’ll fully cooperate with the military, but keep our own casualties to a bare minimum. Since we might have to change how we go about things, that much only makes sense. That’s why I want to stay out of participating in the actual battle.”

However low the chances of it coming to fruition were, they might cut ties with the military and side with the Reborn Forthorthian Army. In preparation for that possibility, however, Elexis wanted to avoid a situation where his special forces, starting with Darkness Rainbow, were reduced. With that in mind, he would supply Vandarion with equipment and use magic as backup.

“If you say that, Crimson will get angry,” Maya chided.

“Isn’t it your job to do something about that?” Elexis asked with a smile.

“No thank you. Please do it yourself.”

“But I know you’ll still do it for me anyway, which is what I love about you.”

Crimson loved fighting, so with a charming smile, Elexis pushed the job of telling her to stand down onto Maya.

“...Why did I choose such a disagreeable man as my partner?”

Maya, on the other hand, let out a sigh and slumped her shoulders. Maya pulled off a splendid melancholy look, despite her body being mostly made of machines.

“I’m grateful to you. For giving me a possibility.”

“Prepare some good sake, and we have a deal.”

“All right. I’ll get my best sake ready.”

Elfaria’s Reborn Forthorthian Army, Vandarion’s military, and Elexis’s DKI. All three factions had different objectives, and there was more than one victory condition. That’s why the future was still undecided, but one thing remained clear. A fierce battle was around the corner.

The Reborn Forthorthian Army had been successful in protecting the largest spaceport on Planet Alaia. But now that it was under their control, they would need to continue to defend it. As they wanted to enter a large-scale offensive against Vandarion, they didn’t have time for skirmishes over the spaceport. However, just concentrating forces around the spaceport was unwise. A practicable solution was required.

“Looks like we’ll need to seize control of Alaia,” Koutarou said, pointing out the problem as he stared at the hologram Ruth had prepared.

He had a similar dilemma in Forthorthe two thousand years in the past. Even after taking control of a city that served as a transportation hub, it couldn’t be fully utilized until the surrounding areas were secure. It was the same scenario with the spaceport now, so the situation was practically the same as it had been back then.

“Yes. We’ll at least need to gain control of the surrounding airspace and the orbit around the planet, or else anything apart from armed fleets won’t be able to land and take off,” Theia said, poking at the hologram of the planet with her slender index finger.

If the safety of the sky above the spaceport and Alaia’s orbit weren’t secured, the spaceport couldn’t be used for mass transport. Armed fleets might have a way of getting through, but their armament made them less efficient, and they didn’t have enough of them to use for serious transportation. So the first order of business now was seizing control of the locations required to move forward.

The hologram of Alaia that Theia had been poking passed by in front of Harumi. After she got a good look at it, Harumi raised her hand.

“Um, how do we do that exactly?” she asked.

Harumi wanted an easy to understand explanation. Specialized terminology had been thrown around during the strategy meeting for a while now, and being as ignorant of military affairs as she was, she wasn’t quite following. Of course, Yurika, Sanae, and Shizuka were in the same position. Yurika and Sanae in particularly looked like they had no idea what the others were even discussing.

“Specifically, we’ll attack various Imperial Army bases around the region. The most important one is the base that allows them to control the military satellites in orbit,” said Kiriha in response to Harumi’s question. As she had already come up with the strategy, she was more knowledgeable than the rest about what it would entail.

By suppressing the military bases around the spaceport, they could guarantee the safety of the airspace. And by suppressing the base in control of the military satellites, they could guarantee the safety of the orbit around the planet. With those two things secured, they could start using the spaceport to its fullest.

Shizuka understood the plan as Kiriha explained it, but a question arose in her mind.

“Can’t you, like, hack the military satellites like before?”

And it was a very legitimate question. Couldn’t the military satellites just be hacked like the GPS was?

“We could have, but not anymore,” answered Clan, the one in charge of said hacking.

“What do you mean?” Shizuka asked.

“Shizuka, if you were suddenly punched, what would you do?”

“Um... I would defend myself and counterattack.”

“Exactly. Just the same, the Imperial Army has taken countermeasures to prevent any further hacking.”

“So they’re not so stupid that they’ll just take a punch lying down...”

“That’s right. It looks like they’ve learned their lesson.”

During the battle for the spaceport, the Imperial Army had suffered from GPS hacking. In response, they beefed up their security after the fact, including physically disconnecting important systems from the network. While their systems would now have a harder time communicating, it went a long way for making hacking into them harder too. That was the kind of defense Clan was talking about.

“As a result, diversions in general will be harder to use. It’s not limited to just hacking,” Ruth said, adding on to Clan’s explanation.

Even if the military didn’t understand what had happened, they still knew that their positions had been misidentified. They wouldn’t fall for the same trick twice. So even if hacking was still possible, its effect would be limited compared to before. They were prepared for that kind of tactic now.

“I suppose the only one who would fall for the same scam twice would be someone like Yurika.”

“What’s that supposed to mean, Maki-chan?!”

“Besides, I’m sure Darkness Rainbow will show up when things get desperate, so we should avoid using the same strategy again.”

Looking at it strategically, using the same plan twice was foolish. That only worked for frontal attacks. Not only was using deceptive plans continuously foolish, if they relied on them too heavily, it might bring about the arrival of Darkness Rainbow. Even if they were to pull a stunt like that again, they would have to wait some time in order to regain the element of surprise.

“For better or for worse, our next goal is this, um...” Koutarou said, pausing to look at the map. “Fort Charldrissa. This won’t be a defensive battle, but an offensive one, so of course we can’t use the same plan again.”

But as he spoke his mind to his friends, a certain word caught his attention.

Charldrissa... A base named after Princess Charl, huh?

And with that thought, Koutarou looked down at his chest. As things were peaceful right now, he wasn’t wearing his armor, but he still had a rank insignia pinned to his chest. It was a handmade ornamentation, made from wool and wood. In uneven, wobbly letters, it read: “Insignia of Forthorthe’s Blue Knight, the Super Important Bodyguard of Charl and Alaia.” While it may have appeared to be a child’s toy to anyone else, it was very precious to Koutarou. It was more than just an insignia; it was a treasured keepsake. And for as long as it remained on his chest, Koutarou would continue being the best knight he could.

“What is it, Koutarou? Are you hungry or something?” Theia asked.

Although he was looking down at his chest, it appeared as though he was looking at his stomach. That’s why Theia, who was sitting next to him, assumed it meant he was hungry. She leaned over, putting her face in front of his to get his attention.

Princess... Charl?

Suddenly seeing Theia’s face next to the insignia, Koutarou couldn’t help thinking she looked very similarly to someone from his past. What she said only enhanced that impression.

“Yeah, something like that. So let’s go get something to eat after this meeting is over, Theia.”

“You really are helpless...”

“You don’t want to?”

“I didn’t say that. I’m definitely going to. Got it?! So don’t you dare go off alone!”

The spirit of the people who had given Koutarou that insignia long ago still lived on in Theia. Sensing that, Koutarou reaffirmed his resolve to fight.

Please be at ease, Your Highness. I will definitely protect this nation and her citizens.

Koutarou couldn’t distinguish if those feelings were for Theia or for the people in his memories, but that didn’t trouble him in the least. He was happy the wishes of the royal families hadn’t changed at all over the last two thousand years.

When it came to going over the details of their strategy, the discussion led by Kiriha became very technical. That meant that Koutarou, who wasn’t well versed in modern combat, along with the girls in the group who weren’t well versed in combat whatsoever, moved on to other work. Koutarou was assigned selecting personnel for the squad he would be leading. As the qualities required of a soldier hadn’t changed much with the passage of time, he knew what he was looking for. However, since his squad would be attacking Fort Charldrissa, his men would also need to be flexible and dependable in addition to everything else.

“Hey, Koutarou, we should bring those guys and their robots with us. They’ll definitely be useful!”

Assisting Koutarou was Sanae’s job. Together, they were looking over the material Ruth had gathered for the occasion. Since each soldier had manually signed their application when the came to the Reborn Forthorthian Army, Sanae could evaluate something of their personalities from their lingering auras.

“I bet you just want to see the robots get a chance to shine.”

“Yeah!”

“Try and take this a little more seriously. People’s lives are at stake here, you know?”

“I am being serious. Robots can break through walls, carry heavy stuff, and protect people. If they get a chance to shine, that means they’re helping everyone, right?”

“...So you’re actually thinking about this, huh?”

The candidates currently up for discussion were from the giant robot squad that they had fought during the virus incident. After being treated like sacrificial pawns and thinking things through after the fact, all but the soldiers with families on different planets had volunteered to join the Reborn Forthorthian Army. If only someone had told them what the Imperial Army had in store for them beforehand, they would have defected sooner.

“Yes, now apologize to me.”

“I’m sorry.”

“You forgot the ‘Sanae-sama’ part.”

“I’m sorry, Sanae-sama.”

“Very good. So let’s bring the robots with us!”

“Well, we want to settle things quickly, so it might be for the best. Let’s take them with us after all.”

Sanae had sensed that their reason for applying was genuine. Koutarou was well aware why they had changed sides, and he knew that those who hadn’t defected still remained loyal to the Imperial Army for the sake of their families. Taking everything into consideration, he felt like Sanae’s judgment was correct. Moreover, they were experienced, and there was nothing lacking about the combat potential of their giant robots. So in the end, Koutarou chose to bring them with him.

“All right!”

“And yet, somehow...”

Koutarou was irked by Sanae’s reaction. Even though everything she had said was correct, he still had a sneaking suspicion she just wanted to see the robots.

“...Hmm?”

But his interest quickly shifted away from Sanae as a particular name on the list of applicants caught his eye. It name was near the top of the list, and he touched it to bring up the data on the person in question.

“It is him... So you applied too, Orion.”

When arranging the list alphabetically by the characters used in the language of Forthorthe, Orion was listed near the top. It was coincidence that Koutarou had happened to spot it there, but he knew that name. Orion was the soldier that had caught them when they were trying to get through a checkpoint. He did them a favor and let them pass through anyway.

“What is it, Koutarou?”

“Just a guy I know.”

“Hmm... He doesn’t seem like a bad guy.”

“Yeah, I can guarantee that much myself. That’s why I want to make him the adjutant of my squad.”

There was no doubting Orion’s loyalty to the royal families. Koutarou also felt a nostalgic camaraderie with him. There was no doubt this man should be his second-in-command.

“Hey! Your adjutant is supposed to be Sanae-chan, remember?!”

“You didn’t listen one bit at the meeting, did you? You’re the captain of the reconnaissance squad.”

“Huh, really?”

“I’m in charge of the offensive. You’re in charge of reconnaissance. Since we have enough people, we’re splitting up and doing what we’re each best at.”

“So I’m a captain! All right, I’m going to do my best!”

Up until now, Koutarou and the others had pretty much always acted together as a group, but under these circumstances, they couldn’t continue doing that. They would take charge of squads that would allow them to make full use of their individual talents. For example, Kiriha was in charge of strategy at headquarters, and Ruth was in charge of all the operators.

The only exceptions were Harumi and Clan. Harumi’s powers were more effective the closer she was to Koutarou, which naturally meant she would end up in whichever squad he did. And then there was Clan, who specialized in things like technology and behind the scenes espionage. There was also the complication that her identity couldn’t be made public. She wouldn’t be leading a squad either, but rather operating independently from her spaceship, the Cradle.

“Please do. Your efforts will make a difference in the coming battle.”

“We want to finish it with everyone as shipshape as possible, after all!”

“Yeah, you’re right.”

In order to safely use the spaceport, the Reborn Forthorthian Army would capture several Imperial Army bases in the surrounding areas. And the base that Koutarou and the others were in charge of capturing, Fort Charldrissa, was considered the most difficult one to take. On top of having air forces stationed there, it was well manned since the base was responsible for controlling the military satellites in orbit around the planet.

Charldrissa had one regiment of ground forces and one battalion of air forces for a total of three thousand troops. For not being on the main planet of Forthorthe, it was a considerably large base. It was also the largest in this area of Alaia.

Koutarou and the others had roughly the same numbers on their side. But since the defending base would be at an advantage, Koutarou and the others needed to devise a clever way to attack. With that in mind, the responsibility resting on Sanae’s reconnaissance squad was heavy. The information they gathered would determine the plan of attack.

“I’m counting on you,” Koutarou said.

“Yeah!” Sanae cheered.

The truth was that he didn’t want to have the girls fight. And he wasn’t happy with Forthorthian citizens having to sacrifice their lives. That’s why he wanted to finish this battle as quickly as possible. That was how the royal families fought, past and present. It was also the way the Blue Knight fought.