Rokujouma no Shinryakusha!? - Volume 8.5 - Chapter 4

The Holy Sword

Koutarou had avoided death by sudden encounter with the ground thanks to Clan and Caris. Caris had used her magic to slow Koutarou down, and Clan had just barely managed to catch him.

“Jeez... What a handful for a knight...”

The laser rifle that Clan had tossed aside to catch him was what ended up dashed upon the earth in Koutarou’s place. But that didn’t seem to bother her as she held on to Koutarou. She was simply relieved that he was safe.

Koutarou was immediately taken to the infirmary in the fort and was seen to by Lidith the alchemist and Fauna the priestess. However, even after he was treated, he remained unconscious. Worried, Alaia asked Lidith about Koutarou’s condition as she gazed at his sleeping face.

“Lidith, how is Layous-sama?”

“He’s injured all over, but not one of his wounds is critical. It seems like Caris’s magic was of great help.”

As an alchemist, Lidith knew some of the most advanced medical arts of the age. Alchemists were scholars who studied everything from science and pharmacology to herbalism and magic. She’d also learned a great deal as Clan’s assistant. As a result, she was able to give Koutarou much more specialized treatment than just first aid or folk medicine.

“So then when will the Blue Knight wake up, Lidith?”

Charl climbed up beside the bed and watched over Koutarou with Alaia. She had no doubt that he would wake up. He had promised to let her ride a horse after all, and he always kept his promises. But for all her bravado, she was still worried. Her lips were pressed into a frown as she looked on at the sleeping Koutarou.

“I can’t say for sure... It all depends on Lord Veltlion.”

“Princess Charl, I’ll do my best to make sure Layous-sama wakes up as fast as possible!”

“Yeah! Please do, Fauna!”

As a priestess of the Goddess of Dawn, Fauna could manipulate spiritual energy. She had been using her powers to stimulate Koutarou’s natural healing and speed up his recovery for a while now. It was something like a stronger version of Sanae’s massages. And since Fauna was an experienced practitioner of the healing arts as a priestess, her help would ensure Koutarou recovered at least twice as fast as normal.

The truth was that Clan could have used the medical kit she had on board the Cradle to heal Koutarou even faster. But Clan knew that there was a finite limit to how much the med kit could be used, and it would be impossible to find supplementary supplies for it in this day and age. So as long as Koutarou’s injuries could be healed using the techniques of this age, she held off on resorting to the med kit.

“Thank goodness... Layous-sama is all right...”

With her friends, Alaia was finally able to relax some. Based on their words and attitudes, she knew that Koutarou would be fine. Alaia revealed a small smile as she wiped away a tear that had begun to form in her eye.

When Koutarou had been dragged in unconscious, Alaia felt like her heart would stop. It was like watching her world crumble in front of her. If nothing else, it was a confirmation of just how strongly she felt about him. And it was the strength of that emotion that left her feeling unsure even when other people said that he was okay. Those were just words. It wasn’t until after Koutarou was treated that she was able to get a real feel for the situation. Between seeing him for herself and the reassurance of her close companions, she was finally put at ease.

“What a lucky man. It’s hard to believe that he’d make it out okay after a fight with a monster like that.”

“He’s always been a lucky man. After all―”

He’s the man I tried to kill but couldn’t.

Those were the words that almost left Clan’s mouth, but she chose to hold them in. Even though it was the truth, saying it out loud wouldn’t do her any favors now. Moreover, admitting Koutarou was her enemy right now would leave a bad taste in her mouth. So Clan kept her thoughts to herself and smiled softly before continuing.

“After all, there are always people praying for his safety.”

“You can say that again. I need the Blue Knight alive. He still hasn’t made good on his promise to feed me well.”

Unaware of Clan’s true feelings, Caris nodded repeatedly in agreement. Watching Caris with a certain degree of amusement, Clan repeated her words to herself.

There are always people praying for his safety, huh? Now that I think about it, that was true even before...

Clan recalled Koutarou’s life on Earth. He lived with five girls in a small apartment. Clan’s rival, Theia, was one of those girls, and she too had started out as Koutarou’s enemy. But as time passed, hostilities ceased and they began respecting each other. The same was mostly true for the other girls too. All five were probably worried sick about Koutarou even now. That was why Koutarou was trying to return home.

Heh, I guess that makes me the sixth...

Clan wasn’t much different. She had tried to kill Koutarou, but now she was worried for him. Moreover, Koutarou had offered to let her live with him if she ended up with no home to return to herself.

Koutarou was stupid, awkward, and barely capable of taking care of himself. As the invaders attacked one after another, he’d ended up getting involved in each of their troubles. In fact, that’s exactly how he’d gotten cast through space and time. And now even if he wanted to return home, he couldn’t. If he’d been a little more selfish or discerning, this probably wouldn’t have ever happened. But that simply wasn’t awkward, kind-hearted Koutarou’s lot. In a sense, he was a true underdog.

Yet even so, he was remarkably fortunate. There really was always someone worried about him, and that became his drive to survive. Knowing that, Clan too was certain that Koutarou would awaken. It just wasn’t in his nature to stay down. Everyone loved that silly, stubborn side of his.

“...He really is a lucky man...”

He very well may be the only man to ever have four princesses fawn over him so.

Clan smiled at the sleeping Koutarou. She felt it was odd, but right now she could honestly admit that even she was worried about him.

“This is bad, Princess Alaia! You’ll never believe who Flair-sama has come back with!”

But the peaceful moment was interrupted when Mary entered the infirmary with a pale face.

Flair had made this most unusual discovery when she went out to investigate what happened to Alunaya. Thanks to Koutarou’s attack, Alunaya had crashed into a forest south of the fort. Flair led a small troop into the woods to try and discern what had become of him. But no matter how hard they looked, he was nowhere to be found. They found splintered and knocked over trees that seemed like evidence he’d landed in the area, but nothing of the dragon himself. Considering his size, it was hard to believe he was hiding anywhere, so Flair assumed that he must have flown off and ended up calling off the search.

On their way home, however, Flair crossed paths with a familiar face. It was such an unexpected encounter that Flair wasn’t sure what to make of it, much less what to do with the man. At first she thought about killing him, but in the end, she decided that Alaia should be the one to make the call, so she brought him back to the Raustor fort.

“You’re quite brave to show your face here.”

Flair brought the man to a meeting room near the entrance to the fort. Upon seeing him, Alaia’s normally gentle expression turned icy. Behind Alaia stood Clan, Charl, and the other girls, but they said nothing and simply watched as things unfolded. They were planning on leaving this to Alaia and Flair.

“You can say that again, ‘Princess’ Alaia.”

The man, however, showed no sign of being shaken by Alaia’s cold stare. Remarkably, the corners of his lips turned up into sly grin. It was as if he had no idea he was in the heart of enemy territory.

“Such a brazen attitude... What business do you have, Copper Knight Dextro?”

Copper Knight Dextro. It was a name Alaia and the others would never forget. Dextro was a copper-rank knight of the Melcemhein family, who was loyal to Maxfern and made up a portion of the coup d’etat army.

In the past, Dextro had personally taken on the mission of pursuing Alaia. In an attempt to corner her, he’d poisoned a small town’s water supply. It was a cruel, indiscriminant scheme that sickened many innocent villagers. Alaia and the others had fortunately managed to get through the crisis, but they would never forgive Dextro for what he’d done.

“Before we talk, take these off me. They’re just so uncomfortable.”

Dextro indicated the shackles binding his hands and feet. Since he was considered an extremely dangerous man, Flair had taken every precaution—including restraints—before taking him to Alaia.

“Don’t be stupid. We’re not foolish enough to set you free.”

Flair was quick to reject Dextro’s request. She wasn’t willing to take any chances when Alaia’s safety was involved.

“Jeez, you must be dense. I wouldn’t do anything that would risk my life.”

Dextro jangled the shackles around his wrists and slumped his shoulders in an exaggerated fashion, but it seemed Flair’s response was about what he expected. He simply sighed and moved on as he began to explain things.

“I came here to make a deal with you lot.”

“...A deal?”

Alaia narrowed her eyes. She was skeptical.

“Yeah, that’s right. I have some information you’ll be interested in. Moreover, it’s incredibly urgent. I want you to accept my demands in exchange for telling you.”

“There is no way we would make a deal with you!”

Flair quickly rejected Dextro once more. She would never dream of conceding to a deal with such a despicable man, both for Alaia’s sake and her own pride as a knight.

“What are your demands, Dextro?”

However, Alaia’s reaction was the opposite of Flair’s.

“Your Highness! You can’t fall for this man’s trickery!”

“Flair, if that’s really why this man has come here, we won’t lose anything by hearing what he has to say.”

Alaia knew just how calculating Dextro was, and she knew that he’d taken a great risk to come here and talk to them. Alaia most likely wouldn’t kill him because she valued the lives of her citizens, but there was nothing stopping Flair, for example. In fact, she’d almost cut him down on sight. Yet despite knowing the danger it would put him in, Dextro had come to make a deal. That meant that whatever he had to bargain with was worth a risk like that.

“As expected from Princess Alaia. You’re a cut above that hard-headed woman.”

“Dextro, you bastard!”

“Calm down, Flair.”

Alaia held Flair back and stepped up to Dextro. She was planning on hearing his terms.

“Tell me your demands, Dextro.”

“I only have one demand. I want you to protect my position, even if you win this war.”

“Your position?”

“Yeah,” Dextro said with a nod and a grin. “I was sure it would only be a matter of time before your silly little Reborn Forthorthian Army would be quashed, but now you’ve even gone and taken over Raustor. Your numbers are still no match for Maxfern, but it looks like that might be changing soon. If rumor spreads that the Blue Knight defeated a dragon, I bet you’ll have recruits flooding in left and right.”

“And what of it?”

Flair glared daggers at Dextro, and Dextro responded with a sneer.

“Well, if you’d let me finish, the short of it is that there’s a chance you lot might win this war. I’d wager your chances are fifty-fifty.”

“So that’s it...”

Alaia now saw why Dextro had dared to appear before them. Her expression turned even more serious as she gave him a stern glare.

“Honestly, I don’t really care who wins, but there’s no denying I’ll be in hot water if you do. I’m sure you’d love to put me on trial for war crimes and all that. I might even get executed.”

“Of course! That’s what you deserve after what you’ve done!”

If Maxfern’s coup d’etat army were to lose, Dextro wouldn’t just lose his position. He’d have to face the law for what he’d done during the coup, including the atrocity of poisoning an entire village. It would depend on the trial, but he likely wouldn’t be able to avoid the death penalty. If he was lucky, he’d just spend the rest of his life behind bars. Either way, his future looked bleak if Maxfern’s coup didn’t succeed.

“So you’re selling us information to buy amnesty in advance, are you?”

Alaia saw exactly where this was going.

“Precisely, Princess Alaia. I couldn’t give a damn if you or Maxfern ends up on the throne, but I have a certain investment in saving my own hide. So don’t you think it’d be in my interest to make sure I’m sitting pretty, no matter who wins?”

Dextro wanted to secure his future regardless of who won, and he intended to buy that with Alaia by giving her critical information. That was why he’d appeared, even knowing the risks. It was all to save himself.

“You’re saying the information you have is worth that much?”

“Indeed I am. Both for this army, and for you personally. But you better decide quickly, because this information will be worthless soon.”

The information Dextro was peddling was urgent. Alaia would find out what it was soon enough, but by then it would already be too late. Would she let it happen or work with Dextro to prevent it beforehand?

“I suppose I have no choice then. I will accept your deal.”

After thinking on it for a moment, Alaia decided to accept the deal. If Dextro really believed this information was worth enough to save his life, she couldn’t just ignore it. In other words, she was willing to buy in to his carefully calculated bet.

“You can’t, Your Highness!”

Of course, Flair objected. Promising amnesty to a war criminal like Dextro was unthinkable.

“I’m sorry, Flair, but I believe this is what’s best for the people.”

However, Alaia shook her head at Flair.

“Your Highness...”

“Just endure it, Flair.”

Alaia felt the same way Flair did, but she had made her choice with the citizens in mind rather than her own emotions. She couldn’t put the people at risk just to uphold an ideal. It was the same way she’d felt that night at the harvest festival.

“Don’t worry. We both get something out of this. That’s what makes it a deal.”

Dextro nodded in satisfaction. Like he said, Dextro wasn’t scamming Alaia and the others. He actually had something worth their while—worth protecting a man like Dextro.

“The dragon that the Blue Knight fought this morning... supposedly he’s called Alunaya... Anyways, he’s actually Grevanas’s puppet.”

“Impossible! Are you saying that Grevanas has the power to control an elder dragon?!”

Flair’s eyes shot wide open in surprise. Dextro was talking about the head of the court magicians. Grevanas was one of the masterminds behind the coup d’etat and essentially Maxfern’s right-hand man. However, even if Grevanas was the strongest archwizard, Flair found it hard to believe that he could control Alunaya.

“Calm down. That’s not the problem right now. The problem is what comes next.” Dextro started to speak faster, clearly feeling like he was pressed for time. “Maxfern and Grevanas’s plan has three stages. First was to use that dragon to bring out the Blue Knight. Not even he could tangle with a dragon and walk away unharmed.”

Dextro looked around the room. It was true. Koutarou was nowhere to be found.

If I had stuck to my part of the plan, it might have actually worked... But oh well. Guess that ship’s sailed...

Judging by Koutarou’s absence for an important discussion like this, Dextro realized that Maxfern’s plan had succeeded thus far.

“The second phase was supposed to be me leading an assault on the fort while the Blue Knight was indisposed. But the operative phrase there is ‘supposed to.’ I gave all kinds of reasons to delay the march, so it’s not happening now.”

“Why would you do that?”

“There was no way of telling if the Blue Knight was actually incapacitated or not, and there’s no way I’m facing him in a fight again. No way, no how. I’m not interested in getting trounced again.”

The assault force Dextro had was a small one intended to infiltrate and sabotage the fort at night. Based on his experience, however, Dextro knew exactly what would happen if they ran into Koutarou. Dextro was only planning on going through with the attack if he could confirm that Koutarou was out of the picture, but he wasn’t able to get sufficient intelligence on the matter. And so Dextro decided to play it safe, stalled his mission, and met up with Flair.

“Because of that, the plan goes straight into phase three.”

“And what’s that?”

Alaia urged Dextro ahead. She too was starting to sound like she was in a hurry. She’d felt something ominous was afoot as soon as the words “Blue Knight” left Dextro’s mouth.

“With his guard lowered after fighting the dragon, the Blue Knight will be assassinated.”

Before Dextro even finished his sentence, Alaia was already on the move.

Alaia was running towards the infirmary where Koutarou was resting. After leaving the minimum amount of soldiers behind to guard Dextro, the other girls all chased after her.

“Koutarou-sama!”

Alaia threw open the door and flew into the infirmary in a rushed fashion that contrasted her graceful appearance. She’d feared the worst, but she was shocked at what she saw.

The infirmary was in a wretched state. There were two people on the floor—the army surgeon who worked in the infirmary and a guard who helped out with odd jobs. They were still alive, but critically injured. Their blood stained the floor.

Koutarou lay sleeping on the bed the furthest away from the entrance. Three men surrounded him. They were wearing Reborn Forthorthian Army uniforms, but the bloody swords they carried betrayed their real allegiance. There was no doubt they were the ones that had attacked the surgeon and the guard, and their next target was Koutarou.

“I won’t let you!”

Realizing immediately what was going on, Alaia rushed towards Koutarou at full speed. She was selflessly desperate to save his life. Right now, her position and the importance of her life to Forthorthe were the last things on her mind. To her, Koutarou was starting to become more important than Forthorthe.

“Your Highness! Damn! I could use a hand, Clan!”

Seeing Alaia rushing towards the assassins, Flair quickly drew a knife from her waist and threw it at the closest assassin as she called for Clan’s assistance.

“Jeez, there’s never a dull moment around here!”

Clan had predicted something like this and already had her rifle ready. She took aim and squeezed the trigger without hesitation. A bullet burst out of the barrel and flew towards a different assassin than the one Flair had attacked.

“Guwah!”

“Gyaaah!”

So between Flair and Clan, two assassins were already down. Seeing that, the lone remaining assassin swung his sword down in a frantic attempt to fulfill his objective.

“Nooooooooooo!”

The commotion in the room and Alaia’s sorrowful cry woke Koutarou.

“Mm... Wh-What?!”

Koutarou opened his eyes to quite an incredible scene. A silvery blade was closing in on him and Alaia was rushing to throw herself in front of it. The room reeked of blood and there were four injured men lying on the floor.

“Princess Alaia?!”

Without any context, Koutarou had no idea what was going on. The only thing he knew for sure was that at this rate, Alaia would be cut down by the sword.

“As if I’d let you!”

Fully intending to protect Alaia, Koutarou slammed his fist straight into the oncoming blade. There was a dull sound and sharp pain. He’d punched the broad side of the assassin’s sword so he wasn’t cut, but the bones of his left fist were practically shattered after slamming into something metal like that. But thanks to what he’d done, Alaia was unharmed. Koutarou had knocked the blade away enough that all it had done was cut his foot.

“Koutarou-sama!”

The next moment, Alaia jumped on top of Koutarou and wrapped herself around him. She was desperate to shield him from harm and paid no mind to her own safety. She was probably as desperate as she’d be if she were trying to protect Charl.

The assassin’s first attack had failed, but he quickly recovered and took aim for part of Koutarou that was undefended. Alaia was so petite that she wasn’t able to cover all of his body with her own. His arms, head, and most of his legs were exposed. The assassin only had to strike there to kill Koutarou, despite Alaia’s best efforts to protect him.

“I won’t let you do that either!”

Clan’s rifle belched flame. An instant later, the sword was blown out of the assassin’s right hand. Her bullet shattered the blade and thwarted the assassin’s plan, but the assassin still wouldn’t give up. Since his right hand had gone numb from the impact and wouldn’t move, he pulled a knife out with his left.

“Nice save, Clan.”

But that was all the assassin was able to do. With the tip of Flair’s sword pointed at his throat, he stopped dead and dropped the knife. Anything else and Flair would surely cut his head clean off.

“You’re...”

Flair was aghast when she saw the assassin’s face. She recalled seeing him before. He was a coup d’etat soldier that had defected to the Reborn Forthorthian Army just yesterday. Since Flair was in charge of the combat troops, she’d met him when he applied. She now struck him with the butt of her sword to knock him out, but she was still visibly surprised.

“Ha! That’s what happens when you don’t kill your enemies. The Blue Knight’s ways are just too naive,” Dextro jeered.

Since he was still in shackles, Dextro had arrived after everything was over. But since he knew of the assassination plan, he was well aware of what had surprised Flair.

“I wouldn’t be so sure.”

“Huh?”

“Look at me. I once tried to kill Veltlion.”

Clan leaned her rifle on her shoulder and glared at Dextro. Koutarou surely would have called it a sly look if he had it.

“But it was thanks to me that giant of yours bit the dust. So tell me. Who is the naive one here, Veltlion or you?”

“Tch...”

Dextro clicked his tongue irritatedly. The steel giant Dextro had sent after Koutarou had its head blown off by Clan’s beam cannon. That was only possible because Koutarou hadn’t killed Clan, even though they were once enemies. Moreover, the assassination plot being foiled was thanks to Koutarou not killing Dextro. In the end, it stood to reason that Dextro was really the naive one.

“You’re fine the way you are, Veltlion...” Clan mumbled in a low voice as she looked over towards Koutarou still lying on the infirmary bed.

Even though the danger had now passed, Alaia was still firmly holding on to him. Her body wouldn’t stop trembling. Despite being injured himself, Koutarou quietly and gently patted her back. Charl worriedly watched over the two of them. The whole sight, however, reaffirmed for Clan what she’d suspected this whole time.

“This is the Blue Knight’s path... Your path.”

Koutarou was indeed the real Blue Knight.

After all was said and done, Koutarou fell asleep again and didn’t wake until three days later. It was a result of some particularly unpalatable medicine Lidith had given him, his injuries, and sheer exhaustion.

“Where am I...?”

When he finally woke up, Koutarou looked around. Rather than the infirmary, he appeared to be in his quarters at the fort. He was relocated after his treatment in the infirmary was complete.

“Hmm?”

Though he recognized his own room, he was surprised to see who was sitting by his side.

“Princess Alaia?!”

Alaia was sitting in a chair next to Koutarou’s bed, slumped over and fast asleep. On the small table next to her was a bottle with something in it, bandages, a pitcher full of drinking water, and assorted other supplies. Seeing that, Koutarou realized that she’d been tending to him.

“Princess Alaia...”

Alaia was grasping Koutarou’s right hand with both of hers. Even fast asleep, she was firmly holding on to him like she never intended to let go.

“Seems like I’ve made her worry quite a bit...” Koutarou mumbled in a quiet voice and squeezed her hands back.

Alaia should have been busy with her work as a princess, so she shouldn’t have had the time to attend Koutarou like this. But even so, she made time for him. To take care of him. She’d been so worried about him that she didn’t see any other option.

“Mm, mmm...”

Responding to Koutarou moving his hand, Alaia began to stir. She slowly opened her sleepy eyes before sitting bolt upright in her chair.

“Koutarou-sama?!”

“Good morning, Your Highness.”

When she saw Koutarou smiling, her lower lip quivered as tears welled in her eyes.

“Thank goodness... You woke up...”

The light of the lamp was reflected in Alaia’s tears, making them seemingly sparkle. They fell from her eyes, trickled down her cheeks, and dripped from her chin, glittering like royal jewels.

“I’m sorry for making you worry. And I am truly honored that you would treat me personally, Your Highness.”

“It’s nothing! These are all injuries you sustained for our sake! I should be the one apologizing and thanking you!”

Alaia hurriedly wiped her tears away because she didn’t want to trouble Koutarou, but it was no use. No matter how much she wiped, the tears just kept coming. She might have been able to force a smile, but she couldn’t hide her tears of relief.

“Your Highness...”

Seeing Alaia like that, Koutarou felt truly grateful. Not everyone had a princess that worried for them like this. Koutarou was honored, but still felt a pang of guilt knowing these feelings of Alaia’s were meant for the real Blue Knight.

“I’m sorry for crying like a little child, Koutarou-sama.”

It took Alaia quite some time to stop crying, but once she was able to cry her heart out, her usual, calm smile reappeared.

“I’ll treasure the memory of it the rest of my life. Not everyone gets to see a princess cry.”

“My... Koutarou-sama, you have quite a mean streak to you.”

“I get that a lot.”

Seeing Alaia slightly pouting, Koutarou was reminded of Harumi back on Earth.

“Satomi-kun, you meanie.”

While they cheerfully chatted away, Harumi would often criticize Koutarou like that from time to time. The pouting expression Alaia was making right now was just like Harumi’s too.

Princess Alaia and Sakuraba-senpai really are a lot alike...

And it was because of that that Koutarou hadn’t felt lonely these past few months. It wasn’t just Alaia, either. Charl, Flair, and the others girls all reminded him of his companions on Earth in one way or another. So even though he was far from home, they’d kept him from getting too homesick. He felt that of all the places in space and time, he was lucky to have ended up here.

“By the way, Koutarou-sama...” Alaia said, finally giving up pouting. “How are you feeling?”

Alaia worriedly looked over Koutarou. As she did, Koutarou nodded and smiled.

“I’m all better. I ache a bit here and there when I move, but the biggest problem right now is my empty stomach.”

While Koutarou had been asleep, people were constantly taking care of him. Thanks to Lidith’s medical treatments, Caris’s magic, and Fauna’s spiritual energy techniques, he’d made great strides in recovering. Now that he was awake, nothing was screaming out in pain. As long as he ate well and let things run their course now, he would make a full recovery.

“Oh my, Koutarou-sama... Jeez...”

Alaia smiled to hear Koutarou joking around. After having been so worried about him, she couldn’t help but find his silly tone of voice funny.

“I-I’ll have Mary prepare dinner right away... Heeheehee...”

Hearing herself laugh with Koutarou, Alaia confirmed her own feelings.

I’m really glad... Koutarou-sama is safe...

Through the warmth of Koutarou’s hand, she knew exactly how she felt.

I... I definitely don’t want Koutarou-sama to die...

During the past couple of days, Alaia had come to realize just how much Koutarou meant to her. The despair she’d felt when he was carried back to the fort in critical condition. The panic she’d felt when she learned of the assassins. The desperation she’d felt as she threw her body over Koutarou to protect him. The frustration she’d felt when all she could do was watch him sleep as he recovered. And the deep relief she’d felt when she finally got to see his smile again.

All those feelings told Alaia something. She was willing to pay any price to make sure that Koutarou was safe. Alaia knew that one day Koutarou would leave her. To a princess, marriage was just a political tool to begin with. No matter how much she loved him, she would never be able to marry him. But if she knew that Koutarou would live on safe and sound even after they parted ways, she could stay strong.

That’s why... To that end... 

Alaia made up her mind. Her determination was unwavering. It even surpassed her desire to protect her country.

“Koutarou-sama, once you recover, there is someplace I want to take you. Would that be all right?”

As long as Koutarou was safe, she was willing to protect the world on her own if she had to. She was more sure now than she’d ever been.

Alaia took Koutarou to an empty temple in the mountains, some distance away from the fort.

Raustor, meaning “the goddess’s resting place,” had earned its name from a legend that claimed the Goddess of Dawn stopped to rest there while she was traveling through infinite space and time. The legend made the area one of religious significance and several temples to the Goddess of Dawn were built there. Alaia had brought Koutarou to one such temple, specifically the oldest one that was managed by the Mastir family.

The temple itself was on old, sturdy stone building that looked much the same way it did when it was first built over a thousand years ago now. The only significant change in its appearance was the moss growing on the outside walls.

The one who’d guided Koutarou and Alaia to the temple was Fauna. Fauna served as a priestess of the Goddess of Dawn, and on top of that, she’d been Alaia’s friend since their seminary days. Alaia trusted her a great deal, which was why she’d personally placed her in charge of this temple.

“Alaia-sama, Layous-sama, this way.”

“Thank you, Fauna.”

With Fauna in the lead, they entered the temple. Since both Alaia and Fauna had been here several times before, they didn’t really think much of it.

“This is...”

But Koutarou was different. As he entered the temple, he was taken aback by a strange sensation. Even if he hadn’t been told in advance that it was a temple built to honor the Goddess of Dawn, it was easy to tell that this place was sacred. But that wasn’t the feeling that overwhelmed him now. It was more like a sense of deja vu.

Have I been here before...? Or is it something about this atmosphere...?

His sense of deja vu grew stronger the further in he went. He felt like he either knew the place or that he’d been somewhere with a similar feel to it.

“I’m sorry for keeping you waiting. This is the place I wanted to take you.”

“This statue...”

Although it only started as a feeling, Koutarou was dead sure of it once they reached the large room made out of stone in the center of the temple. Red stained glass windows dotted the ceiling, lighting up the room with the colors of dawn. In the center of it all was a stone statue aglow in the red light. It sat atop of a large stand, so Koutarou had to look up at it to see it.

It was a statue of the Goddess of Dawn, the deity Forthorthians revered as the goddess of creation. It depicted a girl with her hands clasped in front of her in prayer. According to the legends, the tears she shed out of loneliness turned into the thread that she would use to begin knitting the fabric of the universe. To symbolize that, tears had been carved down the statue’s face in lines.

Surrounding the statue were several pillars. Transparent globes had been installed on the top of each one, and they all shone red in the light pouring down from above.

I... I know this statue... But from where? Why can’t I remember?

Koutarou was puzzled. This scene—the statue of this girl in this room—was familiar to him, but no matter how far back he scanned in his memories, he couldn’t remember where or when he’d seen it. It was like it was part of a memory that had been blacked out. He could tell something was supposed to be there, he just couldn’t tell what. It was a strange, frustrating feeling.

“Please come over here.”

Koutarou was lost in thought staring at the statue, but Alaia’s voice snapped him back to reality. She was standing in front of the statue, and she was calling him over.

“Go to her, Layous-sama.”

Fauna urged Koutarou on as well. She was still standing by the entrance to the room, watching from afar. She was going to leave Alaia and Koutarou be while she waited outside. Fauna knew what Alaia bringing Koutarou here meant. Not only was she in charge of the temple, she was also Alaia’s good friend.

“If you’ll excuse me then...”

“Of course.”

Fauna politely saw Koutarou off, then retreated outside the inner chamber of the temple. Once she was gone, Koutarou and Alaia were left alone in front of the statue.

“Thank you very much, Koutarou-sama.”

And now that they were alone, Alaia used Koutarou’s real name. Ever since Koutarou had told her the truth, she’d used it behind closed doors and in private.

“Think nothing of it. But... what is this place, Your Highness? And why did we come here?”

Koutarou was full of questions. Since his own memories were so vague, he wanted to know more about this place.

“This is a special place to the royal family of Forthorthe. Our national treasure is held here.”

“Your national treasure?”

Hearing Koutarou repeat her words, Alaia smiled and turned towards the statue’s stand. She then placed her hand on the silver plate installed on it. It read, “Should the nation ever be faced with great crisis, recite thy true name here.” Koutarou couldn’t read it, but his armor quickly translated it for him. It was the ancient Forthorthian language used by priests and magicians.

“My name is Alaia. I am the silvery white snow of Mastir and the crown princess of Forthorthe, Alaia Kua Mastir Signaria Tio Forthorthe.”

The moment Alaia recited her full name, white light began shooting out from the plate. It grew and grew until the whole statue of the goddess was glowing. The plate then slid down and revealed what was behind it.

“Is that... a sword...?”

Inside the stand was an old sword. It was stuck in the stand itself and it, along with the stand, began sliding out towards Koutarou and Alaia. When the sword had first been placed in the stand long ago, it had a beautiful polish and sparkle to it, but now the blade and handle were both rusty. It had lost its original splendor, and now only looked like a piece of junk.

“Yes. It has been passed down in the royal family for generations. It’s said that it was given to the royal family by the Goddess of Dawn herself. The very existence of this sword is proof of the legitimacy of the rulers of Forthorthe. Its power has long protected the country from its enemies.”

Alaia proudly proclaimed that much, but then her expression turned dark.

“However... this sword has also been a great source of conflict, so it was sealed away in this place two hundred years ago.”

The sword was considered proof of kingship, meaning that whoever held it had the right to rule Forthorthe. Men fought over it, spilling blood to try and obtain it for themselves. A wise emperor several generations ago had enough of it and took it upon himself to hide the sword away. The court magicians were then tasked with creating a powerful seal to keep the sword from falling into the wrong hands. Only those of royal blood could undo the seal, and even then they were only permitted to do so in times of national crisis.

“So that’s what you meant by your national treasure... But if you’ll forgive me for saying so, Your Highness, it doesn’t look like it holds much power now...”

Koutarou believed Alaia’s story, but what she showed him now was just a rusted stick of metal. It didn’t look like very special at all.

“Heehee, I’m sure it doesn’t in this state.”

Alaia giggled and turned towards the sword again. Just like the statue in front of her, she clasped her hands, closed her eyes, and began praying.

“Past, present, and future, oh mother of all things, Goddess of Dawn.”

Alaia began speaking the ancient language in a sonorous voice. As she did, a shrill noise like metal hitting metal filled the room and something on Alaia’s forehead began glowing.

“Your Highness... what is...”

Before Koutarou knew it, a sword-shaped crest had appeared on Alaia’s forehead. The crest itself was shining, almost as if light was shooting out from the blade of the sword.

“I, a daughter of Forthorthe and thy faithful servant, beseech thee. Now is the time to break the seal and give us power to overcome the crisis that threatens us.”

Alaia was reciting an incantation to break the seal placed on the sword. Those words and her royal blood were the keys to removing the seal.

“Wind of the heavens. Green of the earth. Water of the sea. Fire of the mountains. Using my life as provision, reveal the power to rule all things!”

The light shining on Alaia slowly shifted to the sword. As it washed over the blade, everything the light hit was restored to its original splendor. The rust vanished like it had been blown away by the wind, and the warped blade regained its true shape. The dirt and scratches disappeared from the blade that now shone a brilliant silver. The sword had such a beautiful sheen to it that it looked like it had just been forged.

“I am Alaia, the silvery white snow of Mastir! Oh holy sword of the temple, carve my name into your blade and revive!”

As Alaia loudly declared her name once more, the sword practically exploded with pure white light. But the light was just a portion of the power flowing out of the sword. There was also a rumbling that shook the temple.

It continued for several dozen seconds, but after that, the sword’s light slowly weakened before receding as if it had been absorbed by the sword itself. And though the light was gone, the sword still retained its glorious appearance. It still had the same beautiful sheen it did the day it was enshrined here, long before Koutarou and Alaia’s time.

“Koutarou-sama.”

Alaia grabbed the handle of the sword as if nothing had happened. In its current state, it no longer looked like it was in danger of falling apart. Alaia held the reborn blade in both hands and turned back to Koutarou.

“It is tradition that this sword takes the name of the one who releases the seal.”

The sword crest on Alaia’s forehead was still there, and like the sword in her hands, it shone silver. It was proof she was the one that had undone the seal. It was a bond that tied her to the sword.

“Because of that, this sword is given my name.”

Alaia then presented the sword to Koutarou as she proudly declared its name.

“This is Signaltin. It means ‘sword of silvery white.’”

Koutarou knew it as the name of the most famous sword in all of Forthorthe. The Blue Knight’s sword.

“This is... Signaltin?”

Koutarou was surprised. He knew that Signaltin existed, but he didn’t think it would appear in front of him right now or in this manner. Theia’s manuscript had mostly glossed over anything magical, so obtaining the sword in the play wasn’t this much of a spectacle.

“Please take it, Koutarou-sama.”

Alaia was planning on giving the sword to Koutarou. As long as he had it, he would never lose. And as long as Koutarou was alive, Alaia could stay strong. She believed that was the best option for both herself and for Forthorthe.

“N-No, I couldn’t possibly take something so important...”

But Koutarou couldn’t accept a gift like that. He could tell that the sword held immense power after just seeing the ritual to dispel the seal. Moreover, it was a sacred treasure of the royal family.

“It’s okay.”

Koutarou’s reaction, however, was just what Alaia expected. She smiled and gently shook her head.

As I thought, I should leave this sword to Koutarou-sama.

Convinced that she had made the right decision, Alaia revealed her intentions to him.

“In return, promise me one thing.”

“Huh?”

“Please promise me that when you return to your own world, you’ll take this sword with you, Koutarou-sama.”

“I-I can’t do that, Your Highness!”

Alaia’s request was so unexpected that Koutarou’s eyes shot wide open in surprise. He was even more surprised now than when he saw Signaltin transform.

“It is best for you to keep it. This sword will become a source of conflict here. We have already learned at great cost exactly what kind of fate awaits a country that relies on something so powerful. That’s why this sword was sealed here in the first place.”

In contrast to Koutarou, Alaia was calm. She watched over Koutarou with a gentle expression and continued explaining herself.

“And the safest thing to do for the country is to take it far, far away. Then no one will ever be able to fight over it or its power ever again.”

While Alaia was trying to protect Koutarou, she was also trying to protect Forthorthe. The sword’s very existence had caused strife and civil war. Because of its overwhelming power, all sorts of men sought it out. It wasn’t much different from the way terrorists in the modern world scrambled for more and more powerful weapons.

Though the conflict may have stopped once the sword was sealed in the temple, there was no guarantee that it would stay that way now that it had reemerged into the world. The idea was to place the sword somewhere no one could get their hands on it until the time called for it, but that kind of opportunity hadn’t shown itself until now—in the form of Koutarou, the boy who had come through time from the world of the stars to wield it.

“If you were to take it, Koutarou-sama, the people of this world would no longer have anything to fight over. You would be saving us.”

That was the reason Alaia was giving the sword to Koutarou. While the sword itself could protect her land and her loved ones from all kinds of danger, letting it go would protect her country in the long run. To Alaia, there was no action more meaningful than that.

“I see... so that’s why...”

That was the true reason why the Silver Princess had given the Blue Knight the sword and why he had vanished with it after the war. It wasn’t just to avoid any political difficulties his existence might cause. The sword itself represented a certain danger, especially while Forthorthe was rebuilding itself. That’s why the Blue Knight had taken it away. To remove both himself and such a powerful liability from Forthorthe.

“I understand, Your Highness. I will humbly accept that duty.”

Now that he fully understood the situation, Koutarou decided to accept the sword. It was a job he had to do as the Blue Knight’s replacement, and he felt he could do a better a job than the Blue Knight in that regard since he could take it back to Earth.

“Thank you very much, Koutarou-sama!”

Alaia felt an immense joy when Koutarou accepted the sword from her. Now everything would fall into place in their favor. That was Alaia’s hope, and that hope drove her forward now.

“Koutarou-sama, from now on this sword will protect you. From any enemy and any trial.”

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

And so Koutarou obtained Signaltin as the gears of fate continued turning.

On the night after Koutarou and Alaia returned to Raustor with Signaltin, an intense vertigo befell Alaia as she was working in her office.

“Hnngh...”

Having almost lost her balance, Alaia leaned against the wall to keep herself from collapsing completely.

“Your Highness!”

Fauna, who was in the room with her, noticed right away and ran over to support her. She’d been staying close to Alaia ever since they visited the temple, worried she’d suffer adverse effects from breaking the seal.

“Th-Thank you, Fauna... You’re a big help...”

“Please stay still, Your Highness. I’ll heal you right away.”

Fauna sat Alaia down on the sofa and attempted to treat her using her spiritual energy. Alaia’s body had grown horribly weak. She now had the constitution of someone who’d been chronically ill their whole life, and though it manifested like an illness, the healing energy that Fauna was pouring into her didn’t seem to have much of an effect.

“I feel much better now. Thank you, Fauna.”

After a while, color returned to Alaia’s cheeks. With her symptoms alleviated, Alaia smiled and thanked Fauna. She felt truly lucky to have Fauna as a friend at a time like this.

“Your Highness... don’t you think that you gave Signaltin too much of your life force?”

Alaia had grown weak because she’d used half of her life force as payment to undo Signaltin’s seal. In the ritual to break the seal, the reborn sword could hold an amount of power proportionate to the life sacrificed to awaken it. Knowing that, Alaia had poured as much of her life into it as she could. The sword crest on her forehead was a sign of the exchange, and even now, half of her life force resided in Signaltin.

“It’s fine.”

Alaia’s health had deteriorated as a result of the life force she’d sacrificed, but not once had she shown any sign of regretting it. If anything, it was quite the opposite. She felt satisfied to have accomplished something so important. She was happy with what she’d done.

“This way I can always stay by Koutarou-sama’s side.”

Alaia was fated to never be with Koutarou, but now as long as he carried Signaltin with him, she would be with him in a different way. As a princess, her position prevented her from expressing her love any other way. This was the only thing she could do.

“Princess Alaia...”

Faced with Alaia’s resolute love, Fauna couldn’t argue.

“Even if... he’s to return to the other side of that endless time and immeasurable distance...”

No matter the time or distance separating Alaia from Koutarou, she would forever be with him. That was enough to satisfy Alaia.