Rokujouma no Shinryakusha!? - Volume 7 - Chapter 6

An Ideal Knight

Sunday, January 17th

“Satomi-kun, Satomi-kun.”

“Yes?”

Koutarou turned around to look at Harumi when she called for him. As he did, her slender white fingers poked into his cheek.

“Heehee, it’s time.”

“...Senpai, why are you playing such childish pranks?”

Half-amazed, and with Harumi’s finger still poking into his cheek, Koutarou laughed.

“I’m sorry. It’s just something I’ve always wanted to try.”

Harumi smiled and lightly tilted her head before grabbing the hems of her dress and turning around. She quickly climbed up the stairs and fled on to the stage.

“Jeez...”

Koutarou’s armor made a clanking noise as he sighed, and he scratched his head while looking up at Harumi. But he wasn’t the only one looking at her right now. There were a lot of people involved with the play watching her with a smile too.

Sakuraba-senpai has started looking a lot more like a princess lately...

Harumi was in high spirits. With the performance only a week away and everyone on edge, Harumi was the only one still behaving like her normal self. On top of that, she didn’t seem to be anxious at all in regards to her acting. The soft atmosphere she created around her seemed to reduce everyone else’s stress, and as a result, she set the mood for the entire crew.

“Theia, that’s how it is, so I’m off.”

After pumping himself up, Koutarou called out to Theia before climbing the stairs to the stage to chase after Harumi.

“Yeah...”

The preparations for the play were going quite well. The actors’ performances, the set, the lighting, and the special effects were all in the final round of adjustments for the performance next week. Compared to last year’s play, the prep work was carrying on without a hitch. Although they were nervous, everyone was full of confidence and motivation.

“Keep it together and do your best...”

Only Theia had a gloomy expression on her face.

“Lord Veltlion, from now on this sword will protect you. From any enemy and any trial.”

Holding a sword in both hands, Harumi presented it to Koutarou as she recited her line. Her tone of voice was calm and gentle, yet her body language indicated the painfully sad meaning behind her words.

“Then I will use my life and this sword to protect you, Princess Alaia.”

Koutarou, kneeling, accepted the sword and everything it stood for. Koutarou had realized the feelings behind the sword and Harumi’s words. Yet even though he had, he still didn’t answer them. He couldn’t.

“Those two are wonderful...”

“I want to experience that kind of love...”

Yurika and Shizuka, who were looking up at the stage together, sighed. Yurika was always going on about her shoujo mangas, and Shizuka loved love stories, so the two girls felt a strong sense of admiration as they watched the scene unfold.

Koutarou and Harumi were currently acting out the scene where the Silver Princess, Alaia, was presenting the Blue Knight, Lord Veltlion, with the holy sword Signaltin, which had been passed down in the royal family for generations. With the battles becoming more and more fierce and Veltlion already having had several near-death encounters, Alaia just couldn’t stand it. She presented him with the royal family’s greatest treasure, the holy sword, in order to protect him.

To Alaia, it was an act equivalent to confessing her love for Veltlion. No matter how much power the sword held, no matter how much of a pillar of support that Veltlion was for the Reborn Forthorthian Army, presenting the royal family’s greatest treasure to a mere knight was unheard of. The very gesture revealed how Alaia truly felt.

But even then, neither one spoke of their feelings. They simply couldn’t. A princess and a knight. Even though they were both nobles, there was an insurmountable gap between them. It was a love that would never be permitted or realized.

“It looks like we can relax for now,” Ruth whispered to Theia as she watched the stage with her.

There were three pivotal moments in the play, and this scene was one of them. In the past, it had been said that the quality of the story hinged on the quality of those three scenes. And fortunately, this one was good enough. It was a good sign, if not a relief, and that’s what Ruth had meant when she said that they could relax.

“That’s... true, but...”

However, it seemed like Theia was still unsatisfied. She looked up on the stage with a melancholy expression.

“Was there something you didn’t like?”

“Yes...”

When Ruth asked her that, Theia began to express how she really felt inside, but it was something that she could only admit to Ruth.

“The Blue Knight and the Silver Princess... They’ve reached a sufficient level for amateurs, but... something’s...”

“Something is missing?”

“...”

Theia silently nodded. She was unable to put words to the complicated feelings stirring inside her small chest.

The play was nearing completion. Harumi was settling in as the Silver Princess and Koutarou was behaving like the Blue Knight that Theia had imagined. But as she looked at Koutarou, she felt like something was missing. That sensation grew more and more pronounced each time she saw him acting the part of the Blue Knight.

“It’s strange. His acting as the Blue Knight is sufficient, but I can’t help but feel that something is missing,” Theia said impatiently.

She looked up at Koutarou on the stage again. With each tilt of the head as she racked her brain, her golden hair fluttered.

“Your Highness...”

Seeing Theia like that, Ruth looked astonished for a moment before returning to a smile. Her expression was reminiscent of an older sister checking on her little sister’s homework. Ruth knew exactly what Theia was feeling and wanted to help her out a little bit.

“Your Highness, that is probably because the person up there is the Blue Knight.”

“What do you mean?”

This time, Theia was the one to look at Ruth in astonishment.

“It’s just what I said. You are probably dissatisfied because the man standing up on stage now is the Blue Knight, Your Highness.”

“What a foolish thing to say. Of course he’s the Blue Knight. He’s a main character in this play.”

Theia rejected what Ruth was saying and looked up on the stage again. Her expression was still riddled with impatience. Seeing that, Ruth knew she was right.

It’s true, Your Highness. You are dissatisfied because he is the Blue Knight...

It was the hidden desire that Theia herself hadn’t yet realized, but that Ruth was able to identify after they’d grown up like sisters together.

Theia originally admired the Blue Knight because she wanted a splendid knight just like him to help her and her mother. The strongest knight that Theia knew of was the Blue Knight, and that’s why she wanted his help. The script she’d written that allowed the strongest knight to shine was a reflection of that.

But now, Theia’s idea of the strongest knight was changing—she began thinking of someone else. And because she wanted the strongest knight in her play, it should be him up there on the stage and not the Blue Knight. That was what Theia was struggling with.

And there’s one more thing... The heroine shouldn’t be the Silver Princess, right, Your Highness?

Theia’s ideal knight was someone who stood by her side and worked with her to protect her mother, the current empress. And since that ideal knight was currently with the Silver Princess instead, there was no way Theia could be happy with this scenario.

“In other words, Her Highness wants to be with Satomi-sama...”

“Did you say something?”

“No, nothing at all.”

However, Ruth didn’t share this conclusion with Theia. It was an answer that Theia had to reach for herself. If someone else were to tell her, it wouldn’t hold any meaning.

Ruth was trying to bring Koutarou over to her low-spirited master. For better or worse, right now he was the source of Theia’s energy.

“Satomi-sama, a towel.”

“Thanks, Ruth-san.”

Ruth used delivering a towel as an excuse to approach Koutarou. Unaware of her intentions, Koutarou expressed his gratitude for her consideration and accepted the towel.

“And for you too, Harumi-sama.”

“Thank you.”

She also handed Harumi a towel. Although Koutarou was the one she wanted to talk to, Ruth was an especially considerate girl.

“Sorry for all the trouble, Ruth-san.”

“No, this is my job after all.”

What’s wrong with Theia?

While Ruth was talking to Harumi, Koutarou was looking at Theia. She was sitting on a large cardboard box in the corner of the gym, her shoulders slumped and her legs hanging down lifelessly. She was leaning forward slightly, staring down at the ground under her feet.

Koutarou was used to Theia always coming flying at him as soon as he stepped off the stage, so he found Theia’s current behavior rather unusual. Contemplating this, the hand he was using to wipe the sweat off his brow with the towel stopped moving.

“Satomi-sama, do you have a moment? There’s something I’d like to talk about!”

That was when Ruth, who had finished talking to Harumi, turned to Koutarou. She had been wanting to talk with him for a while, so she was speaking quite quickly and energetically.

“Sorry, Ruth, we can talk later. There’s something I need to do...”

However, Koutarou’s answer wasn’t what Ruth had wanted to hear. He even started walking away.

“Ah, w-wait a moment, Satomi-sama!”

Ruth wanted to talk to Koutarou about something very important to her. It was something that she didn’t want ignored or put off, so Ruth raised her voice and tried to stop him.

“This is an important— Ah...”

However, Ruth stopped mid-sentence when she realized where Koutarou was going.

“Satomi-sama, you...”

Ruth put her hands on her hips and let out a big sigh. Whether she was surprised, happy, or both, the only thing to come out of her mouth was that sigh.

How do you understand us so well?

Ruth was mad when Koutarou tried to put her off at first, but in fact, Koutarou was already trying to help Ruth with this important matter before she could even talk to him about it.

“Really... This is how you’ve surpassed the role of the Blue Knight...”

Ruth was filled with a warm feeling as she watched Koutarou walk away. The joy that filled her chest was both deep and intense. Although she’d been angry for a moment, she was now so happy she could dance. After all, Koutarou was walking over to Theia.

Please take care of Her Highness, Satomi-sama...

Of course, she couldn’t actually break into a dance here and now. She couldn’t ruin her beloved master’s important moment. Instead, Ruth pressed her lips together and clenched her fists as if to contain her joy.

“Hey, what are you spacing out over here for?”

After walking all the way over to Theia, Koutarou casually pulled on her cheeks with both his hands.

“Huh...?”

Theia’s glance slowly shifted upwards to Koutarou.

“What? I’m not doing anything.”

“That’s not what your face says.”

Hearing Theia’s answer, Koutarou honestly began to worry.

This might be serious...

Koutarou was still pulling on Theia’s cheeks, but she wasn’t complaining at all. Like a sulking child, she just turned her face away and looked down at the ground. With her pride being what it was, that act alone was enough for Koutarou to tell that something was wrong.

“It’s my face, so let me do with it as I please.”

“Talk to me. I can’t understand what’s going on if you’re just going to frown.”

Koutarou went from pulling on her cheeks to smooshing them together with his palms. Although his actions had no meaning, he felt that it was better than just letting her frown.

“There’s nothing to tell you. Just the fact that you’re doing this at this very moment makes it clear that the problem hasn’t been resolved.”

“Hmm? What’s that supposed to mean?”

Hearing what Theia said, Koutarou stopped moving his hands and instead looked into her eyes.

Ah...

Since Koutarou was still holding on to her face, she couldn’t turn away, but she was quick to avert her eyes.

“I don’t want to say.”

“Tell me. If you don’t, I’ll just keep doing this.”

Since Theia didn’t answer him, Koutarou began moving his hands again. Theia’s soft cheeks changed shape in his palms.

“Okay, okay, I’ll tell you, so just stop.”

“Good. As long as we’ve got that straight...”

Since Koutarou was being overly persistent, Theia finally caved. She sighed before she started explaining what was wrong as best she could.

“Nine months have passed since I came to this planet. But you haven’t treated me with respect even once. If anything, you’re treating Sakuraba Harumi more like a princess than you are me.”

In order for Theia to complete her trial, Koutarou needed to swear his loyalty to her. However, he’d expressed no interest in doing so. And to Theia, it looked like Koutarou was ready to be Harumi’s knight more than anyone else’s.

That’s right. She was worrying about something similar at Christmas as well...

Hearing her words, Koutarou remembered Theia’s worries at the Christmas party. At the time, she was concerned about her position and her ability to get people to follow her.

However, her real worries this time around were different than what was bothering her at Christmas party. That said, Koutarou wasn’t sharp enough to realize that. Because of that, Koutarou and Theia weren’t quite on the same page now. But since Koutarou didn’t have Ruth’s intuition, it was unavoidable.

Yet even so, there was still a certain degree of understanding between them, and Koutarou honestly spoke his mind.

“That’s not true. I’m totally showing you respect. You’re just looking at it the wrong way.”

Koutarou shook his head. Theia looked up, but her eyes were full of doubt.

“Don’t lie. Do you even realize what you’re doing right now?”

“I’m playing around with your face.”

“And that’s how you show respect to a princess?!” Theia shouted furiously.

When she raised her well-shaped eyebrows, she looked incensed. If Koutarou were really treating her like a princess, he wouldn’t be messing with her face like that. That was her proof that he wasn’t showing her any respect, but it wasn’t just limited to right now. At school, in the city, in the apartment, and on board the Blue Knight, Koutarou was always treating her roughly. And he was always shouting about how she couldn’t make him her vassal against his will.

So to hear Koutarou deny it now and act like he did treat her respectfully only fueled Theia’s dissatisfaction.

“In the end, you don’t see me as Princess Theiamillis at all!”

“So that’s what it was? I’m sorry about that.”

Koutarou stopped moving his hands again.

“Huh...?”

Koutarou pulled his hands away from Theia’s face. He then sat down on the cardboard next to her.

“Hey, Theia.”

“What?”

Theia sounded unhappy, and she turned her face away from Koutarou as she answered him. She still hadn’t calmed down yet.

“There are reasons I can’t swear my loyalty or hand over the room to you right now... But there’s no way that I don’t think of you as a princess.”

“You liar! Don’t spout such blatant lies to me!”

Theia turned back to glare at Koutarou for a moment and barked at him before turning away once more. It looked like she didn’t believe a word Koutarou said.

“You’ve been calling me a useless princess or pathetic princess all this time!”

“It’s true that’s what I felt at first.”

Koutarou and Theia’s first meeting had gone terribly. Theia only considered the population of Earth to be Neanderthals, and Koutarou believed Theia was an evil alien set on invading the planet.

“I could never have imagined swearing loyalty to you.”

“See? It’s just like I said!” Theia spat and puffed up her cheeks somewhat.

That reaction alone revealed how much she’d changed, but Theia couldn’t appreciate that. She’d lost her cool. In the past, she probably would have pulled out her weapons and demolished the entire gym.

“But lately, I’ve started seeing you more and more as a princess.”

“Huh...?”

Like a popped balloon, Theia’s puffed up cheeks suddenly deflated. Those unexpected words out of Koutarou’s mouth made Theia feel like the very ground underneath her was shaking.

“Th-That’s a lie!”

Theia’s expression changed repeatedly as she looked at Koutarou with a sidelong glance. If Ruth had been there, she probably could have discerned worry, joy, doubt, and expectation from her all at once.

“As if I could believe that!”

“I understand how you feel. And that’s because I feel the same way.”

Koutarou leaned his elbow on his knee and placed his chin on his palm before sighing.

That’s right. When I think about it, I still can’t believe it...

At first Koutarou was determined never to swear loyalty to Theia no matter what, but his determination had wavered during the nine months they had spent together. After their intense daily clashing, Koutarou was able to catch a glimpse of who Theia really was. He now knew that behind her strong-willed mask, she was a gentle and lonely girl. Because of that, he no longer thought so poorly of her.

That hadn’t been the only thing to change Koutarou’s mind either. When Koutarou, Sanae, and Kiriha were in trouble, Theia had come to their aid even though she started off as a rival to each one of them. At the time she had seemed reluctant, but now it was obvious that she had been seriously worried about them.

On top of making friends with her opponents, Theia was trying to win room 106 in an honorable fashion befitting of royalty. When Koutarou saw that, he could no longer deny that she was indeed a princess. But the truth was that he’d only come around on the matter because they’d both matured. Theia had matured enough to change, and Koutarou had matured enough to realize it.

“Theia, you’ve changed. You’re completely different from who you were this spring. Before I knew it, you were no longer some pathetic princess or Tulip.”

“Ah...”

In that moment, Theia realized that it had been a long time since Koutarou last called her Tulip.

When...? When did Koutarou start calling me Theia?

Theia’s heart began pounding and she scanned through her memories going backward in time, confirming each time Koutarou had called her Theia. Maybe the first time he called her that was a sign of when he’d started thinking of her as a princess. That hope fiercely stirred up her emotions. And for each time she could clearly remember Koutarou calling her Theia, her heartbeat grew faster and her blood grew hotter.

Since when...?

After contemplating it for a spell, a certain incident came to mind.

“Theia! I need you to trust me now! I’m your knight, aren’t I?!”

It was back just before the performance of the first play when Clan had attacked. She specifically recalled what Koutarou had shouted to her when she lost her cool. And since then, Koutarou had stopped calling her Tulip and started calling her Theia.

That’s right. That’s when I stopped too!

The same was true for Theia. Since that day, she had stopped calling Koutarou “pleb.” That was because she had acknowledged Koutarou as someone worthy of being her vassal that day. In fact, it was that night she had visited Koutarou in his sleep and made him her knight of her own accord, including awarding him with the sword named after her, Saguratin.

How foolish! How could I not have noticed?! That was the day we both acknowledged each other!

It was probably something they had both overlooked out of their own immaturity. And since both of them were so stubborn, the only thing that had really changed after acknowledging one another was what they called each other. The same was true now. Since it was hard for them to talk like this face to face, Koutarou was sitting down next to Theia.

“So if you’re really that against how we treat each other, then I don’t mind changing it.”

Koutarou’s hands reached out for Theia’s face and started mushing her cheeks again.

“Change how we treat each other...?”

“Thinking about it, I am always doing rude stuff like this.”

While rubbing Theia’s cheeks, Koutarou looked at what he was doing.

That’s right. Unlike Sakuraba-senpai who’s only playing a princess, Theia is the real deal...

The only reason they treated each other so roughly was because of how poorly their first meeting had gone. But in reality, Theia was a foreign—or more accurately, alien—princess. She should be treated more courteously. Yelling at her or playing with her cheeks wasn’t the kind of thing you did to a princess.

It’s rude. It’s stupid...

Realizing that, Koutarou finally understood the immeasurable gap in their statuses.

“Koutarou...”

Theia’s eyes were wide open in surprise, but Koutarou was still rubbing her cheeks. Normally she would slap his hands away and tell him not to belittle her. But when Koutarou asked her if she wanted him to stop, the idea of pushing his hands away didn’t even occur to her.

So... our relationship would change? The one we have now would end?

Theia felt a deep sense of loss at the thought. Just a moment ago she had wanted Koutarou to treat her more like a princess, but now she had changed her mind.

In Theia’s head, the memories of the days she had spent with him popped up one after another. The fist fight that had erupted after Koutarou stole her side dish at dinner. The all-night gaming session born of a simple, stubborn rivalry. The tennis match that played out until they were both completely exhausted. Their practice that had continued without breaks, despite their respective complaints.

They clashed on an almost daily basis. However, when they really needed it, they would lend each other a hand. It felt like there was no end to the memories they had together.

If Koutarou starts treating me like a princess, this kind of thing will stop...

If Koutarou actually treated Theia like the princess she was, she never would have experienced any of those things. She was a princess, not to mention an alien. If he respected that, their relationship would never be the same. The gap between them would just be too great.

No! I don’t want that!

Theia couldn’t accept it. She wanted more memories like the ones she had. She couldn’t stand the thought of knowing she’d never be able to play or fight with Koutarou the same way again.

What’s wrong with me? Even though I want Koutarou to become my knight, I don’t want him to treat me like a princess...

And with that thought, Theia realized that what she wanted from Koutarou wasn’t actually to be treated like a princess. It was something similar, but completely different altogether.

“I—”

Theia tried to say something, but not even she knew what.

“I—”

There were conflicting emotions brewing within her small chest. She wanted Koutarou to treat her with respect, but not to treat her like a princess. Since she wasn’t sure why, she couldn’t bring herself to tell him that.

What is this? Just what do I really want from Koutarou...?

And just as Theia was at the height of being swept up in her own feelings...

“...Actually, I’d rather not.”

As Koutarou said that, he suddenly squished his hands together, firmly clasping Theia’s head between them.

“Huh?”

And before Theia could question it, Koutarou began shaking her head.

“Wh-What are you doing all of a sudden?!”

Irritated, Theia yelled at Koutarou with a glaring look. And with that yell, it was almost as if she expelled all of the confused emotion inside her.

“This upper-class stuff is beyond me. I just can’t come up with an elegant way to cheer you up.”

Smiling wryly, Koutarou continued shaking Theia’s head.

In the end, I’m a commoner...

Koutarou knew that he should just treat Theia like the Silver Princess. He only had to act like the Blue Knight from the play, yet he just couldn’t imagine himself doing it.

I guess even though I know Theia’s a princess, I still want her to stay Tulip...

Koutarou couldn’t help the bitter smile that crept across his lips as he stared at Theia’s golden hair fluttering between his hands.

“N-No one, regardless of status, would be cheered up by this!”

“Really? You seem quite energetic now to me.”

Besides...

Koutarou glanced at Ruth from afar. As he shook Theia’s head, he recalled a previous discussion with her. She’d once said that she wanted Theia to live as a normal girl for as long as she could on Earth. But if Koutarou really started treating her like a princess, that would come to an end. And with that in mind, Koutarou believed it was best just to continue their relationship as it was now.

“Th-That’s not it at all! Aaarrrgh!”

“See? You’re full of energy.”

Theia struggled between Koutarou’s hands. Things seemed back to normal now. Not how they were when they first met, but how they had come to be as of late.

Things are fine this way. Well, I’m still angry, but this feels right...

Theia still hadn’t found her answer, but she knew that she wanted things to stay the way they were. So while she was getting irritated at being shaken about, she was simultaneously relieved and happy about it.

The only person who really understood what Theia wanted was quietly watching over her from a distance.

“Just one more step, Your Highness. Just take one more step and jump right in...”

If Theia realized her feelings and was honest about them, Koutarou would surely respond to her. There was no way he wouldn’t. Ruth was certain of that. Happily watching the two of them now, she was full of hope for their future together.

But Ruth wasn’t the only one with her eyes on them at the moment. A hushed whisper could be heard not too far from where she was standing.

“So that’s Princess Theiamillis, owner of Saguratin...”

The voice belonged to Harumi. There was a crest in the shape of a sword glowing on her forehead as she looked at Koutarou and Theia. Her appearance was dignified and beautiful, and she had a mysterious allure to her just like when she stood on stage.

“And... Koutarou-sama’s princess...”

However, no one around heard her. Contrary to her extraordinary presence, her whisper was seemingly silent.