Rokujouma no Shinryakusha!? - Volume 36 - Chapter 1

State of Affairs

Sunday, June 19th

Ralgwin was the type of commander who preferred to lead from the front lines himself, and his battlefield experience had annealed him. He was a hard man to crack because of it. A leader needed absolute composure, after all. Only those who could keep a calm, level head survived—that was the motto Ralgwin had lived by all these years.

“Preposterous! Is that even possible?!”

But right now, Ralgwin was shaken to his very core after learning who the Gray Knight really was.

“Yes. It should even be possible with the technology you presently possess,” the Gray Knight replied as he pulled his hood back down in the front.

The mysterious knight had revealed his face—his identity—to Ralgwin alone. They were currently in a closed room without even Ralgwin’s right hand Fasta present.

“What’s possible and what’s real are two totally different things!” Ralgwin continued to rail. “This isn’t something I can easily accept!”

“That’s quite reasonable.”

“Let me ask you a different question, then! Have I lost my mind?!”

“Absolutely not. I guarantee it. If anything, your reaction to this situation proves your sanity. It would be far stranger if you were to accept all this at face value, after all.”

“...That much is true. Perhaps I should simply take your behavior as proof...”

It took a full ten minutes for Ralgwin to calm down after a stiff glass of spirits, but even then, he couldn’t accept what was happening. He’d simply regained enough presence of mind to have a rational conversation on the matter.

“I apologize for losing my composure,” he said at last.

“I don’t mind,” replied the Gray Knight. “To be honest, my biggest concern was whether I could get you to understand.”

The Gray Knight had waited patiently for Ralgwin to come around, but he wasn’t upset with the delay. He understood how hard the entire situation was for the Forthorthian commander to swallow.

“I do. I do understand now, but I’m not entirely convinced.”

“Still, there’s enough merit to strike a deal, no? So shall we proceed?”

“Indeed. I don’t know how it was that you saved us, but I want that power for myself.”

“That’s more like it. I won’t demand that you believe, either. It’s not like I’m asking that we become friends.”

Instead, the Gray Knight was suggesting that he and Ralgwin become business partners. It was a profitable arrangement, regardless of who believed in the product. Both gentlemen could agree on that much.

“Besides, it will all be put to the test soon...” the Gray Knight said ominously.

“If magic truly exists, that is,” Ralgwin countered.

After rescuing Ralgwin, the Gray Knight had offered him magic. If it was real, Ralgwin would now be able to make a definitive move toward his goal of putting an end to the Blue Knight.

“Fret not. Magic is very real. And... your death match with the Blue Knight is not far off.”

Vandarion hadn’t been able to defeat the Blue Knight, Koutarou, because he lacked a critical weapon—magic. If Ralgwin could get his hands on it, he would be able to accomplish what his uncle could not. He would slay the Blue Knight and conquer Forthorthe... meaning this was indeed the beginning of a fight to the death.

“You make it sound as though it has nothing to do with you,” Ralgwin remarked.

“I’m stuck relying on you for the time being,” the Gray Knight replied. “I can’t afford to make my existence known given the current situation.”

“I don’t know if you used magic or something else to save me and my men... but it seems you paid quite a price for it. I’ll repay the favor, so by all means rest and recover for now.”

“Thank you... I think I will.”

The Gray Knight was taken by surprise for a moment. He was astonished that Ralgwin had realized the toll the rescue had taken on him.

As expected, Ralgwin is sharp...

Ralgwin had picked up on it readily, because if the Gray Knight could use his powers limitlessly... there would be no need to form a partnership with him in the first place. The Gray Knight would have been able to eliminate Koutarou and the others easily on his own. Yet that wasn’t the case, which suggested there was a steep price involved with the use of such power.

“So, what do we do for the time being?” Ralgwin asked, turning their conversation toward the future.

“We shall head for the land where the inheritors of magic have lived for generations.”

“How vague...”

“It would only sound less real if I said it plainly. Do you care to know more?”

“No... that’s quite all right. Let’s get going immediately.”

Now that they’d reached an agreement, Ralgwin and the Gray Knight left the room for their new destination—Folsaria, a kingdom of people who’d survived in the harshest of lands for hundreds of years by developing their own system of magic.

As the calendar flipped to July, the temperature and humidity in Kisshouharukaze City skyrocketed. Summer set in in full force. It was frequently a topic of discussion in room 106 as everyone began dreaming about what they were going to do over summer vacation. The most eager of its residents were already making plans and preparations.

“What do you think, Koutarou? Impressive, right?” Theia cooed as she showed off her new swimsuit.

It was a bold, red bikini. After talk of going to the beach had come up the other day, she’d gone right out to buy it.

“I dunno about impressive, but...”

“But what?”

“It does look good on you.”

Theia was gorgeous enough that a flashy swimsuit couldn’t outshine her. Koutarou also thought the crimson color complemented her blonde hair and blue eyes. Admitting that was embarrassing, but he’d decided to be honest.

“Heh, of course it looks good on me. You have a most lovely liege, after all.”

“I don’t know if parading around to show it off like that is what a lovely liege would do...”

“Don’t be silly. You know how truly lovely I really am.”

“Talk about confidence...”

“I have every confidence in you.”

There, Theia partially closed her eyes and leaned in a little. It was a subtle gesture, but it set Koutarou’s heart racing. Theia seemed to have developed an extraordinary talent for throwing him off guard like this recently... In fact, all the girls had.

“A-Anyway, Theia, don’t you think this shows a little too much skin?”

“Hmm? Heh, I suppose it does... Are you jealous thinking about other men seeing me in it?” Theia teased, tilting her head as she giggled.

Koutarou couldn’t help thinking she was exceptionally cute in the moment.

“I-I didn’t say that...”

“Don’t worry. We’ll be visiting a private beach this summer. You will be the only one to see me,” Theia said with a smile.

Because of security concerns, Koutarou and the others could no longer risk going to crowded places like public beaches. They were all VIPs to the Forthorthian government—especially Theia and Nalfa. They’d been able to overlook it in the past, but the circumstances were different now. Thus, for safety reasons, they would be spending their summer vacation at a private beach.

“That’s not what I’m worried about,” insisted Koutarou.

“Then what are you worried about?” Theia inquired.

“That’s...”

“Theia-chan, is it true that we’re going to a private beach?!” Shizuka cut in. She’d been eyeing a swimsuit catalog all this time, but Theia’s mention of the magical words “private beach” had gotten her attention.

“Yes. Arrangements are already being made,” Theia replied.

“Hmm, I see. Then maybe I’ll get myself a flashy swimsuit as well!” Shizuka jumped in.

“Not you too, Landlord-san!”

“Oh, don’t be a spoilsport, Satomi-kun! It’s not every day that us girls get this kind of opportunity!”

“Yeah, I’m just not sure this is the kind of thing unmarried girls should be—”

“Then marry us already, Satomi-kun. Just think of it as advancing the schedule a bit.”

“Now listen here, Landlord-san...”

“I’ll relent if you’re saying that you don’t love us enough to marry us.”

“...”

Koutarou and the girls had been through thick and thin over the years. They’d risked their lives for each other, bared their hearts to each other. They already had a relationship closer than most married couples—the only difference was a piece of paper recognizing it under the law. That was why Koutarou found himself unable to offer a word in argument.

“Then it’s decided! I’m gonna pick out something bold too!”

With a smile, Shizuka grabbed the catalog she’d tossed aside in her excitement a moment ago and opened it to the women’s section. She then happily flipped through the pages of revealing designs while humming to herself. As a modern girl, the mere idea of buying a new swimsuit put her in a great mood.

There was someone else in the apartment, however, who was having a rather hard time...

“Why are you hiding over there?! You bought it to show it off, didn’t you?!” Theia shouted.

“B-But there’s no reason to show it off today!” Ruth shouted back.

“Then what’d you put it on for?! Just get out here already!”

“Kyaaaaah!”

Ruth had been in the bathroom all this time, and she would have gladly stayed there if Theia hadn’t forcibly dragged her out into the inner room. Koutarou and the others naturally turned to see what all the fuss was about, and they spied Ruth covering herself up with both arms as best she could. Like Theia, she was wearing a swimsuit.

“O-Ohh... Oh dear...” she clamored, her face beet red.

At the beach was one thing, but wearing a swimsuit—barely different from underwear in Ruth’s eyes—around the house was just too much for an overly serious girl like her.

“Come on, Koutarou! Why don’t you say something?” Theia encouraged. “This is the swimsuit Ruth picked out for you.”

“Theia, you picked out that swimsuit because you wanted to show it off, right?” Koutarou responded.

“Well, yeah.”

“Ruth’s not like you. She’s reserved, so don’t force her into doing things like this. Don’t you feel sorry for her?”

“You have no idea what you’re talking about! Ruth’s not wearing that swimsuit because I forced her to! She saw me get changed and did the same thing herself!”

“What...?”

This unexpected news prompted Koutarou to look at Ruth. When their eyes met, she turned even redder than before. She was now flushed crimson all the way down her neck. It was all she could do to weakly look away and shake her head.

“See? Reserved or not, Ruth is still a girl,” Theia insisted.

“Well... yeah, but...” Koutarou mumbled.

“...”

Slowly and silently, Ruth dropped her arms to her sides, revealing the swimsuit she’d been trying to hide underneath. It was a one-piece number with a simple design in pale blue with yellow accents. The color scheme was a little reminiscent of her knight uniform.

“Go on. Say something,” Theia urged Koutarou again.

“Y-You can’t put me on the spot like that! This is way too important!”

“Then kiss her or whatever you’d like instead. If you can’t tell her how you feel, show her!”

“That’s not any less important, you know?!”

“Wow, did you hear all that? Lucky you, Ruth-san,” Shizuka ribbed with a grin.

“Erk...”

With that, Koutarou realized his mistake. By claiming what he had to say was too important to utter frivolously, it became painfully obvious what he was really thinking. He’d inadvertently given himself away.

“Important...? How Master feels about me is important... Thank god...”

Ruth was still bright red, but she held her hands against her chest and breathed a sigh of relief. She knew Koutarou cared for her. They even walked arm in arm when no one else was around. But she’d never been entirely sure that Koutarou saw her as a woman.

She was always self-conscious of it, too. She worried that he didn’t see her like the rest of the girls. Ruth didn’t think she was as attractive as the feminine Harumi or Kiriha, and she didn’t think she was as engaging as the fiery Theia. She knew she wasn’t as close with Koutarou because of it. She felt like she was missing something.

But after hearing Koutarou say what he thought of her was important, that even kissing her was important... Ruth finally had proof that she too was a woman in Koutarou’s eyes, and this news was a great joy to her. Like Ruth herself, Koutarou was simply too reserved to show it.

“Come on already. You have to say something to Ruth. She went and put that swimsuit on just for this, you know?”

Theia pressured Koutarou while prodding him with her elbow. She had a mischievous grin on her face, but there was sincerity in her eyes. This was an act of kindness on her part. One of consideration for her childhood friend. Realizing that, Koutarou caved and hesitantly spoke his mind.

“Ruth-san, um... the reason I didn’t say anything isn’t because I don’t think you look good... It’s really the opposite. I just didn’t know what to say. You’re so reserved, Ruth-san... so I didn’t want to say anything to make you uncomfortable... You’re beautiful and that suit looks great on you... I just didn’t want to blurt that out.”

In short, Koutarou didn’t want to shoot himself in the foot by saying the wrong thing. He wasn’t sure how Ruth might respond. He was trying to put her feelings first.

“I-I understand...” Ruth, her face still red, said with a small smile.

Koutarou was more drawn to her sweet, overjoyed smile than he was her swimsuit, but he figured now wasn’t the time to tell her so.

“Those words alone are all I need to convince me to serve as your vice captain for the rest of my life...”

Ruth’s head was swimming and she could hardly think straight. Nevertheless, she pressed her hands to her breast and calmed herself enough to get those words out. It was the best she could manage right now.

“I’m glad, Ruth-san... I’d be happy to have you.”

Koutarou knew she meant that quite literally. She’d said it the other day on their shopping trip, too. That she wanted to be the kind of vice captain who allowed a little mixing of her personal and professional lives. That she didn’t want to live strictly for work. That was why Koutarou understood the deeper meaning behind Ruth saying she wanted to be his vice captain indefinitely.

“Then you can count on me, Master... forever...”

And best of all, Ruth realized that he understood it. That made her supremely happy. With this blessing, no matter the hardship she came to face, she believed she’d be able to stand up to it. In her elation, she had to press her hands to her chest harder, lest her heart jump right out of it. But her moment of bliss didn’t last long...

“Honestly... if not for the swimsuit, this would be the perfect scene,” Theia remarked with a sigh.

“Y-Your Highness!”

There, Ruth hurriedly covered herself up again and scurried back to the bathroom. She’d worn a swimsuit for Koutarou and gotten to hear what he thought of it—and with that, the reserved Ruth had hit her embarrassment limit. As such, she quickly fled the scene to keep herself from saying anything or doing anything more embarrassing.

“Hmm, what an unexpected turn of events...” Shizuka said as she watched Ruth run off.

“What is?” Koutarou asked, confused as to what she meant.

“That you’ll be taking Ruth-san as your second wife after Yurika-chaaan! See? You can do it if you try, Satomi-kuuun!” she explained in a sing-song fashion as she nudged Koutarou with her elbow. She seemed to be enjoying herself.

“How in the world did you get that idea?!”

“How do you think? Ruth-san said that she wanted to be with you forever. That’s not something a vice captain normally tells their captain, you know?”

“It’s not like that—”

“Is too! A girl in a swimsuit just told you that she wanted to spend her life with you, and you said you’d be happy to have her! What else could that possibly mean? In fact, if that’s not what it meant, something’s just plain wrong with you.”

As far as Shizuka was concerned, she believed she knew what would come of Koutarou’s relationship with the girls. It was all but set in stone in her mind, yet Koutarou stubbornly refused to accept it. He’d already gone ahead and told Yurika that she could stay with him forever... and now he’d said the same thing to Ruth. In Shizuka’s eyes, that was as good as a second proposal.

“That’s...” Koutarou faltered.

“That’s... what?” Shizuka pressed, staring him down eagerly. She really was enjoying herself.

“That’s...”

Shizuka quietly waited for a reply as she continued to watch Koutarou. She was confident that the reason he kept Ruth by his side ran far deeper than her simply being the vice captain of the Satomi knights. But wait as she did, Koutarou said not a word more.

“Heehee... See, Satomi-kun?”

In the end, Koutarou couldn’t give her an answer—but that silence was meaningful. If there had been nothing more to it, he simply would have said so. Shizuka knew that, and thus couldn’t help the impish smile that crossed her lips that screamed, “Got you!” She was excitedly looking forward to what Koutarou would say about the other seven girls when the time came.

Even after changing back into her normal clothes, Ruth still seemed to be embarrassed. She was seated across the tea table from Koutarou, but scooted slightly to the side to avoid his gaze while furtively sneaking glances at him. It was just a sign of how much their previous conversation had affected her.

“Hey, Koutarou,” Sanae, who’d climbed onto his back, whispered in his ear.

“Hmm?”

“Did you have a fight with Ruth or something?”

With her psychic powers, Sanae could sense Ruth was agitated. She couldn’t stop thinking about Koutarou. She wanted to talk to him but was too embarrassed. She didn’t even know what she would say in the first place. Those were the thoughts Sanae was picking up, but she’d only just gotten back to the apartment herself. In other words, she’d missed all the swimsuit fuss. That was why she’d come to Koutarou for an explanation.

“Nah.”

“I didn’t think so. She’s not angry or sad or anything... She actually seems kinda happy.”

“Really?”

Koutarou knew why Ruth was worked up, but he could only imagine what was going through her head right now. His psychic powers were nowhere near as powerful as Sanae’s, so he was actually somewhat relieved to hear her say that Ruth was happy.

“Yup. So what happened?”

“In short, Ruth and I agreed we should get a little closer.”

“Oh, then that’s a good thing.”

“Yeah, it is.”

He’d only summed up the situation for Sanae, but it affirmed for him the true meaning of their earlier conversation. Sanae was absolutely right. Getting closer was a good thing.

“...”

Once again, Ruth’s eyes fell on Koutarou. He couldn’t help noticing this time.

We’re supposed to be getting closer, right?

With that thought in mind, he raised his hand and gave a little wave. He knew good and well that Ruth wasn’t as demanding as Sanae or Theia. Her pleas for his attention were much more subtle, so he wanted to make a better effort to recognize them.

“?!”

But the gesture surprised Ruth. She hadn’t expected a response, so getting one sent her into a fluster all over again. She turned bright red and buried her face in her hands.

“Say, Koutarou...” cooed Sanae.

“Yeah?”

“That was kinda suave.”

With that, she wrapped her arms around him a little tighter in a hug. Since Sanae was in tune with other people’s emotions, she was happy to see Koutarou being considerate of the painfully shy Ruth.

“You think? I was kinda thinking I should be a bit more manly with you guys every now and then,” Koutarou confessed.

With Sanae clinging to him, Koutarou knew he could hide nothing from her. He also knew being a perfect hero was out of his league... but he at least wanted to act like one from time to time with the people he loved. They were so kind to him that he felt it was the least they deserved.

“Only every now and then?” Sanae teased.

“Hey, I’m not Mackenzie, okay?”

“That’s true. Maybe just sometimes is better, then,” Sanae giggled, pressing herself even closer against Koutarou.

This was her ultimate expression of affection. It forced Koutarou to lean a little forward, but he was used to it since it was practically an everyday occurrence. He quickly straightened up and patted Sanae’s head resting on his shoulder.

“Mm, this is the best... Heehee.”

“I don’t get what’s so good about it, honestly.”

“Everything. I told you that before.”

“Oh yeah? Everything, huh?”

With that, Koutarou turned a little and flicked Sanae square in the middle of her forehead. It was a practiced move, and the sound it made rang gloriously through the room. All the girls heard it and turned to see what had happened.

“Ow!”

Sanae frowned, quickly pulling away from Koutarou to rub her head.

“That didn’t hurt,” Koutarou insisted.

“Says you!” Sanae protested. And just like that, she was leaning against him again. “You know that I can see right through you when you do stuff like that, right?”

“I don’t mind.”

“Mm...”

Sanae was back in high spirits again. She playfully kicked her feet up off the floor like she was slowly swimming in the air—something she could do thanks to her psychic powers. She was as light as a feather when she floated this way.

Seeing that everything was normal, the other girls all went back to their respective activities. All but one, that is.

“If you two don’t have anything better to do, let me borrow your brains for a bit,” Clan said, looking up from her hologram as she watched Sanae and Koutarou play around.

“What are you doing?” Koutarou asked, moving over to the wall with Sanae still on his back.

Clan used a specialized barrier to manipulate gravity, allowing her to sit on the walls and ceiling of room 106. She’d perfected it as a space-saving measure in the tiny apartment.

“I’m deciding on the new interior design for the Hazy Moon,” she explained.

“Oh, that’s right. I forgot your ship was being remodeled,” Koutarou replied.

In the final battle against Vandarion, Theia’s Blue Knight was nearly destroyed. It was damaged to the point that making a new one was more efficient than repairing the old one, so the ship known as Blue Knight was currently in the process of being rebuilt as Koutarou’s personal flagship. Its design was completely redrafted, and it would be christened as the first knight-class battleship in Forthorthe—the biggest in all the nation’s army.

Meanwhile, Theia was having a new ship built for her, and the Hazy Moon was getting a remodel as well. All three ships were being modified jointly. It was presumed that they would frequently be in battle together, so special cooperative functions were being added to enhance their teamwork.

It was the Hazy Moon’s remodel that Clan was currently struggling with.

“But what good are we gonna be when it comes to decking out your ship?” Sanae asked, genuinely confused.

“Even I have things I’m not good at...” Clan explained.

Beep, bleep, boop...

With a few taps of her bracelet, she adjusted her hologram display so that Koutarou and Sanae could see it clearly. At a glance, Koutarou understood what Clan was having trouble with.

“I see... So it’s the palette you’re stuck on. I guess even the technological genius Princess Clan is artistically challenged, huh?” Koutarou teased.

“The title ‘genius’ should be reserved for people like Kii.”

“You’re the kind of person who’d make it all straight lines if you could, I bet.”

“More specifically, I prefer lines that can be represented by functions.”

Clan showed Koutarou and Sanae the design catalog for the Hazy Moon’s interior. Even with furniture as simple as chairs, there was still size, shape, color, and function to consider. It was all decidedly unscientific, and therefore outside of Clan’s area of expertise.

“This isn’t exactly my specialty either, you know?” Sanae said skeptically.

“Then I’ll throw more people at the problem and make up for quality with quantity!”

“Yeah, I don’t think that’ll work either... Why don’t you just go with the orange for the basic scheme?” Koutarou asked, pointing at a colored mockup of the ship’s bridge.

“Why orange?” Clan asked, cocking her head and blinking repeatedly in puzzlement.

“It matches your sword crest. Wouldn’t it be perfect for your personal ship?” Koutarou said, poking her twice in the center of her forehead.

It wasn’t visible at the moment, but when Koutarou used Signaltin and Saguratin, a glowing orange crest manifested right where he was touching Clan. It was a sign of the pact she’d made with the swords.

“Of course!” Clan exclaimed, her face blossoming into a brilliant smile. She then nodded. “You’re exactly right. I’ll go with orange, then.”

She happily began tapping away on her terminal and swiftly switched the ship’s mockup model to the orange scheme. This drastically reduced the number of open holograms, as it automatically eliminated the designs that didn’t suit the orange scheme.

“Just don’t make everything orange, okay?” Koutarou warned her cautiously.

“Of course not. Do you take me for a child?” Clan quipped.

“You know, Koutarou does enjoy thinking of you and me as his troublesome little children.”

“Wha— Hey, Sanae!”

“Eeheehee! Oh, Glasses, make my room purple! But, like, a pale purple so it isn’t too tacky!” Sanae squeaked, quickly changing the subject before Koutarou could get angry.

“Hmm, let’s see... A pale purple...” Clan hummed.

She’d been staring at Koutarou, but she hurriedly got back to work now. She seemed a little out of it, however. Distracted, even. She kept making silly mistakes and repeating the same tasks over and over.

“Oho! So it’s Clan-san after Ruth-san now, is it, Satomi-kun?”

“Please, Landlord-san. I didn’t even say anything.”

“You don’t have to for us to know how much you looove us.”

And so the conversation drifted away from the work being done on the Hazy Moon. Koutarou would have preferred a different topic—just about anything, really—but he didn’t interrupt. He let the girls chat away and have their fun. He knew business would get serious again soon enough, so he believed there was no reason to rush things.

As Koutarou anticipated, the change in conversation occurred rather naturally when Kiriha returned to the apartment.

“I’m back,” she called from the door.

“We’re home, ho!” Korama echoed.

“Home from a hard day’s work, ho!” Karama chimed too.

Kiriha had left early that morning for a series of meetings, and now that she was back, the sun was already starting to set. She rightfully looked exhausted.

“Welcome home, Kiriha-san,” Koutarou called to her.

“So, did the People of the Earth come to a conclusion?” Theia inquired.

And with that, the smiles on everyone’s faces vanished as the topic turned serious. It was time to get down to business.

“We’ve decided to ally with the Japanese government, Forthorthe, and Folsaria,” Kiriha announced.

So far, the People of the Earth had kept the Japanese government at arm’s length due to a mutual understanding that both parties were better off with some distance between them. The People of the Earth’s goal was to quietly and peacefully migrate a hundred thousand citizens to the surface, so they believed it much better to play the long game—especially given that their only other option was to enter into open war with the government and take what they needed by force.

The Sun Rangers had played a large part in keeping the strategic distance between the two parties, as well as moving things forward in a progressive, positive direction. They’d advocated for the underground dwellers, vouching that they were a peaceful people who meant no harm, and the Sun Rangers’ testimony went a long way in convincing the government that there was more to be lost than gained from fighting them.

“The government will not take kindly to spiritual energy weaponry being used against surface dwellers, so the People of the Earth agreed that we needed to make a proactive move to rectify the situation,” Kiriha explained.

It had now been several weeks since Ralgwin disappeared with the last remnants of Vandarion’s faction. His whereabouts were yet unknown, meaning he and his men were currently at large with spiritual energy tech.

Given the potential disaster that might come of this state of affairs, the People of the Earth now felt it necessary to reach out and cultivate a friendship with the Japanese government. They needed to make a good impression—and fast. They couldn’t risk being perceived as the bad guys by the people of Japan, lest it ruin them.

“Ralgwin sure has thrown things into confusion...” Theia grudgingly muttered as she put her elbows on the tea table in a pensive gesture.

Though she was the only one who said it aloud, everyone was thinking the same thing. The heavy tone of the conversation weighed on the entire room. This dreadful change in mood was precisely why Koutarou had been in no hurry to have this conversation, but having it was critical to the situation at hand. He saw no choice but to bear with it and resolve things.

“The question is what Ralgwin plans to do next,” Harumi volunteered, summarizing the main problem.

It was almost unthinkable that he would launch another attack without a plan. He would strike where it hurt most. He’d lost most of his forces in the raid on his underwater base, so he’d have to play his cards even more tactically now.

“I would suspect he’s building an army of robots somewhere. If he can give them minds of their own like the haniwas, they would be able to replace his lost forces,” she postulated.

Harumi believed that Ralgwin would use the technologies he had at hand to pad his ranks and strength. Merging Forthorthian science with spiritual energy technology had the potential to produce incredibly powerful robots. Gun turrets with the decision-making abilities of the haniwas, for example, would be a simple yet effective combo.

“That said, we’ve already scouted potential sites where Ralgwin might try to set up a new base, but there were no traces of him or his men,” Ruth countered as she brought up a holographic map with the areas in question circled in red.

In total, Koutarou and the girls had learned of three potential base sites from soldiers they’d captured after the last battle. They’d sent scouts to investigate each one but found neither hide nor hair of Ralgwin at any of them. Nefilforan concluded that he must have abandoned all three sites for fear of such a leak after most of his men were detained.

“I don’t think Sakuraba-senpai is wrong, though,” interjected Koutarou. “If Ralgwin doesn’t do something to bolster his ranks, he won’t be able to make a major play. And the first step to that is setting up a new base somewhere.”

Koutarou felt Harumi was right on a strategic level. Ralgwin was now down the majority of his force, meaning that serious offensives were currently out of the question. He’d be reduced to using guerrilla tactics against smaller targets, and that was hardly means to conquer an empire as vast as Forthorthe. In other words, Ralgwin had no choice but to build up his unit again—and Koutarou believed Harumi had correctly guessed how he’d go about doing it. The remaining question, then, was simply a matter of where.

“I’m not saying I disagree, but there’s another angle to consider here. He might be making a play to obtain magic,” offered Kiriha.

She was concerned that, given his dire situation, Ralgwin might be looking to make contact with magicians at present. Theia, however, was doubtful.

“I find it hard to believe that he would just suddenly go for magicians,” she said. “Aren’t you overthinking this?”

The People of the Earth lived beneath Japan, so there had always been a possibility of them being discovered. Folsaria, meanwhile, was in a different world entirely. It was impossible to reach without magic, so Theia was rightfully skeptical that Ralgwin would ever be able to get there if he didn’t already have his hands on it.

“I agree that it would be strange for him to turn to magicians all of a sudden, but we can’t ignore the possibility given how he disappeared at the base.”

Kiriha understood Theia’s reservations full well, but she feared the implications of Ralgwin’s escape. She was worried he might have gotten a lead on magic through sheer chance.

“That’s fair,” Theia sighed. “We still have no idea how he and his men got away.”

It wasn’t spiritual energy technology or a space distortion, but it could have been magic. That was only a theory, however; they had no proof one way or the other. The uncertainty left the girls, who were all experts in their own respective fields, feeling rather uneasy.

“I think it was that gray spinning thing,” Sanae chimed in.

She’d sensed the whirlpool of chaos—the gray spinning thing, as she called it—when Ralgwin and his forces vanished from the base. She believed it was responsible for the strange, mist-like smoke.

“So the gates of hell opened like they did with Purple and Tayuma when their mana and spiritual energy went out of control...” Maki mused aloud.

As far as she knew, there were two ways to call forth the whirlpool of chaos. The first was to warp space with magic to force the gates of hell open. The second involved concentrating rampaging mana or spiritual energy so densely into a single point that the boundary between worlds began to blur. The whirlpool was also known to appear on its own, but those were the two primary ways of summoning it.

“But I don’t think it’s possible to accurately transport that many people with mana or spiritual energy running amok, Maki-chan,” replied Yurika.

She wasn’t certain Ralgwin had used the second method. That had been the case with Purple and Tayuma because they couldn’t control their powers, but what had happened at the base weeks ago was a precise, calculated maneuver. The mist had distinguished between friend and foe, only whisking away Ralgwin and select members of his ranks. Yurika couldn’t imagine that an out-of-control power would be able to do that.

“Which leaves the scarier possibility,” Maki said pensively. “Someone might have summoned it directly with magic.”

Indeed, there was still the possibility that someone had intentionally summoned and was able to control the whirlpool of chaos via magic. That would explain how Ralgwin had managed to escape... but it also implied that he had magic at his disposal. That was why Kiriha couldn’t overlook the prospect, no matter how remote or unlikely it seemed.

Long after the discussion about Ralgwin had ended, the mood in room 106 remained somber. The acknowledged fact that Koutarou and company might be attacked at any time made it difficult for them to enjoy themselves. And their unease was understandable. No matter how strong they might be, they were still only human.

The atmosphere seems so tense...

Nalfa didn’t know what had everyone so on edge, but she could smell the tension from next door. It put her in a difficult, frustrating position. Since she didn’t know exactly what was wrong, she didn’t know how to help.

I don’t really have the courage to go over there like this...

She’d been invited over for dinner, but couldn’t bring herself to do more than peek through the curtain dividing the apartments. Things were just too ill at ease.

“All right!”

Nevertheless, she pushed herself to be optimistic. Tension was high in room 106, certainly. But that didn’t mean she should turn away from it. If anything, it was all the more important for her to defuse it.

“The time has come to use my secret weapon!”

Nalfa walked over to her closet to retrieve said secret weapon, which she donned and then bravely stepped through the curtain into room 106.

She mustered her courage and loudly announced, “Hello, everyone!”

And when everyone in the apartment turned to look at her...

“Pfft!”

They all burst out laughing. The sight of Nalfa took them all by surprise.

“N-Nalfa, what’s with that look?!” demanded Theia, the first to react.

She bounced up from where she was sitting, pointing and laughing. Ruth ordinarily would have stopped her, as it was very bad manners to point... but she was too busy laughing at Nalfa herself.

“Haha, I bought these because I thought they were cute!” Nalfa explained.

She was currently wearing a red, conical party hat and black-rimmed glasses with a fake nose and mustache. It was indeed a hilarious look on such a cute, sweet girl, and the ensuing riot immediately dispelled the tension in room 106.

“If you think that’s cute, you’ve got interesting tastes, Nalfa-chan,” Shizuka giggled. She was all smiles again.

“Hey, lemme borrow them! I wanna try them on too!” Sanae clamored. She rushed over to Nalfa, her hands flailing and her eyes sparkling with excitement. All she could think about was what she’d look like wearing the hat and glasses.

“Here you go, Sanae-sama,” Nalfa offered.

She happily took off the glasses and handed them to Sanae, then set the hat on her head. They were a perfect fit for Sanae, adding a comical element to her adorable looks. They were every bit as funny on her as they had been on Nalfa.

“Ahahaha!”

Room 106 was once again aflush with laughter. Nalfa’s opening move had defused the tension, and Sanae’s follow up attack had restored the mood in the apartment to normal. Sensing that, Nalfa let out a sigh of relief. Her plan had worked just like she’d hoped.

“Here, Theia! You put it on next!” Sanae insisted.

“Very well,” she agreed. “Give it here.”

“Wahahaha!”

“Heh heh... Okay, Ruth, you next!”

“A-All right...”

“Bwahahaha!”

The laughter continued as the girls passed around the hat and glasses. Nalfa took in the merriment with a satisfied look on her face... and was surprised to find someone patting her on the shoulder all of a sudden. She curiously turned to see Koutarou’s large, manly hand on her shoulder.

“Koutarou-sama...?”

“Thanks, Nalfa. You were a big help,” he whispered before turning around.

“What...?”

Rather than reply, he quietly slipped back to his seat at the tea table. And when he sat down, Clan handed him the hat and glasses.

“It’s your turn next, Veltlion.”

“What? I have to do this too?”

“Obviously, of course.”

“Okay, fine... Here goes nothing.”

Koutarou was a little reluctant at first, but begrudgingly put on the party hat and glasses.

“Ahahahahaha!”

Laughter flooded the room once more. The girls all thought he was a riot himself... All but one, that is.

“...Koutarou-sama...”

Nalfa was seized by a much stronger emotion in the moment.

I know I shouldn’t fall in love with him... but anyone would when he acts like that...

She clutched at her heart and hung her head. She looked like she might be crying at a glance, but the truth was quite the opposite. The feelings bubbling up within her were warm and fuzzy.

Thanks to Nalfa, everyone was back to their usual selves as they now prepared for a slightly-later-than-usual dinner. Koutarou was in charge of tonight’s meal, and Harumi had asked to be his assistant as her prize for winning last night’s board game session.

“Sorry to keep you waiting, Sakuraba-senpai,” he apologized as he skillfully began carving the chicken.

Dinner was running late because he’d gone to the Hazy Moon to roast the bird. The oven in room 106 wasn’t large enough to cook one whole.

“I don’t mind. I’m the one who wanted to help out anyway,” giggled Harumi.

“Thanks again for that,” Koutarou replied.

“Are you good at cooking, Koutarou-sama?” Nalfa asked while filming the two of them. Her latest video series was on cookery, so this was a golden opportunity.

“Traveling around in the past, I naturally picked up a thing or two. I also know how to make bird traps... not that we need them in this day and age.”

“Now that you mention it, you and Alaia-sama were always on the move, weren’t you?” asked Nalfa. “After reaching Pardomshiha territory, you went from one battle to the next.”

“Yes, but Satomi-kun burned a lot of food in the beginning,” Harumi interjected.

“S-Sakuraba-senpai!”

“Nothing to be ashamed of, teehee. Campfire cooking can be quite difficult.”

Harumi possessed Alaia’s memories, so she knew how long it had taken Koutarou to perfect his Forthorthian cooking skills. He’d taken up housework after his mother died, so he already knew his way around a knife... but as far as actual cooking was concerned, he’d had a lot to learn.

“He picked most of it up from the troops, which is how he became the chef you see before you now,” Harumi continued.

“Wow...”

Nalfa looked at the roasted chicken admiringly. Outside, it was crisp and smothered with herbs. Inside, it was cooked to tender, juicy perfection. It looked absolutely delicious as Koutarou carved into it.

“Can you please spare me, Sakuraba-senpai?” Koutarou begged.

“I just wanted to show off how much I know about you,” Harumi retorted.

“Come on now...” he sighed.

“W-Wait, this means— Koutarou-sama!” Nalfa suddenly yelped in wild excitement as she sidled up to Koutarou, camera in hand.

“Hmm? What is it?” he asked, a bit taken aback. He was used to Nalfa pointing the camera at him now, but she’d never run up to him with it like this.

“You learned how to cook in Ancient Forthorthe?!”

“Well, yeah.”

“P-Please teach me, then! All of it! Everything you learned there!”

“What?! Everything?!”

“The cooking techniques of Ancient Forthorthe have been lost for centuries! It’s incredible that you know so much about it! So, please, Koutarou-sama! Teach me everything you can so that I can record it!” she clamored.

Forthorthe first entered its modern age over a millennia ago, and everything since had been recorded digitally. But prior to that, things were passed down from generation to generation by word of mouth or pen and paper, and much had been lost to time because of it. A prime example was the recipes of Ancient Forthorthe, as most of the ink spilled back then was dedicated to recording the civil war and all that came of it. As a result, little was known about the Forthorthian diet of two thousand years ago... and that was precisely why Nalfa was so fixated on the apparent treasure trove of knowledge Koutarou possessed.

“O-Okay, okay. Just calm down,” he pleaded with her.

“When can we make the first episode?! Tomorrow?!” she squealed, pressing even closer. If not for the camera in front of her, their faces might have been touching already.

“Y-Yeah, sure. We’ll do it, so just calm down, Nalfa-san.”

“That’s a promise, Koutarou-sama! I’ll hold you to it!”

Koutarou was overwhelmed in the moment and far more concerned about calming Nalfa down than he was about a cooking show. That said, he was perfectly willing to help her out. She was a good girl, and he felt like he owed her one for her help lifting everyone’s spirits earlier. He had no reason to refuse.

“Man, you’re in for it now, Satomi-kuuun,” Shizuka teased.

“Not so fast, Landlord-san! You’re doing this with me!” Koutarou quickly objected.

“Nuh-uh. Since you refuse to make me your girlfriend, I’m under no obligation to help you.”

“So do we have a deal, Koutarou-sama?! Please, a word for the camera!” Nalfa begged.

“Yeah, sure. Landlord-san was just saying she’ll be my assistant and everything.”

“Hey, Satomi-kun!” Shizuka shouted.

“You mean it, Shizuka-sama?!” Nalfa squealed with glee.

Shizuka was already helping out with Nalfa’s video series by introducing her to Japanese cooking, so Nalfa thought she’d be a welcome addition to this project too. She’d be a great boon in the kitchen, and she could help Koutarou remember anything that might be fuzzy in his mind. As such, Nalfa zeroed in on her next.

“I can’t believe you, Satomi-kun! You good-for-nothing traitor!”

“Yeah, yeah.”

“I’d like to get a word from you too, Shizuka-sama!”

“Gah!”

Koutarou left Nalfa and Shizuka to their antics while he got back to preparing dinner. He’d only served Harumi so far, so there were lots of plates left to go. Skillfully handling the knife he’d used two thousand years ago, he continued to carve and serve chicken.

“Oh, this looks delicious,” Theia remarked.

“Here’s yours, Aika-san,” Koutarou said, offering Maki a plate.

“Thank you very much,” she replied. She reached out to take it from him, and their eyes met for a moment. She then smiled softly and said, “I’m sure Nalfa-san would like to film this too.”

“Eh, she’ll have plenty of chances in the future.”

“Heehee, that’s true. I guess this means we’ll get to enjoy your cooking as long as she wants to keep filming it.”

“I guess so.”

“I’m looking forward to it, then,” Maki said with another smile. She was interrupted, however, when an unexpected ringing came from her pocket. “Oh?”

She put down the plate she’d just received and pulled out the source of the sound—a special communications device made from a crystal and electric components. It was created with a unique blend of magic and science, the likes of which was cutting edge in Folsaria. In addition to the ringing tone it generated, the crystal was flashing.

“It’s Nana-san,” she murmured, remarking the name showing on the display.

When Maki touched the screen, the ringing and flashing stopped. Nana’s image in the form of a small, magically generated hologram then appeared above the device.

“Hello, Nana-sa—” Maki began.

“Aika-san! You’ve been accepted!” Nana interrupted her before she could finish. She was all smiles, and the excitement in her voice was apparent.

“Huh...?”

Nana rarely behaved this way, and the sight of it caught even Yurika off guard. She turned away from the roasted chicken in front of her, intently listening to what had Nana in such a state.

“You’ve been invited to join Rainbow Heart!” she continued. “Isn’t that great?!”

“I’ve been... invited to join Rainbow Heart? Me?”

Folsaria’s national guard, Rainbow Heart, was composed of seven magic corps based on the colors of the rainbow. The Blue Magic Division in particular had invited Maki into their ranks, which was what had Nana so excited.