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Chapter 2: Reunion 

Flora stared at her sister until she was unable to contain herself and broke into a run. “Christina...!” 

“...” Christina also tried to step towards Flora, but she looked a little hesitant and held her ground; she seemed to be feeling guilty for giving her the cold shoulder at the banquet in the Galarc Kingdom. However, such matters were apparently trivial to Flora. Once she reached Christina, Flora threw herself around her. 

“Why are you here? Why are you with Sir Haruto...?” Flora cocked her head in confusion at the sight of Christina and Rio together. Then, she noticed Charles and Alfred, who were restrained. “And why...” 

“How foolish... What were you going to do if I had arrived here to deceive you? Have you forgotten how I treated you at the banquet?” Christina whispered in her ear, looking a little ashamed but happy nevertheless. 

“Ah...” Flora let out an uncertain sound, weakening her grip around her sister. Her body had moved reflexively when she saw Christina together with Rio, but thinking about it calmly, that may have been a rash action. 

“It’s all right. Everything’s all right now. I won’t leave you alone anymore.” Christina hugged her little sister back dearly. 

That alone was enough to push Flora to the verge of tears. “Christina...” 

“It must have been painful for you. I’m so sorry...” Christina shamefully muttered in apology. 

“No, not at all.” Flora wiped her tears with her hands. Everyone else watched on with pleasant smiles, with the exception of one. 

“Ah, I get that the two of you reuniting is a good thing, but I don’t quite get the situation here? Why is Haruto with Christina? And with so many other women...” Hiroaki said. With his position as the hero, he was the only one that could interrupt the reunion of the princesses without any hesitation. His eyes had widened in deep interest at the sight of Sara and the other girls’ faces, but he soon spotted the faces of Kouta and Rei—who were clearly from his homeland—and blinked at them in confusion. “Oh, are you two Japanese? You don’t seem like heroes.” 

Kouta and Rei exchanged looks, then nodded awkwardly. “Well, yeah.” 

“Hmm...” Hiroaki hummed without much interest. He then turned to the girls and greeted them brightly, directly addressing them. “Ah, I haven’t introduced myself yet. I’m Hiroaki Sakata. I’m what you would call a hero, I suppose.” 

“...” 

Sara and the girls looked a little confused, having not expected Hiroaki to introduce himself to them directly. Hiroaki’s succession of questions had completely killed the conversation. No one was sure how to proceed under such a situation, so an awkward silence hung in the air. 

“Why don’t we head inside for now? I’ll prepare somewhere we can settle down and talk, so we can continue this there,” Liselotte suggested. 

Thus, Rio and the others entered the fortress. 

 

Ten minutes later, in a meeting room inside the fortress, Rio and Liselotte’s respective parties met face to face. Everyone Rio traveled with on the way here sat on his side, while Duke Huguenot and Flora’s group sat on Liselotte’s side. Also in the room was Aria, Liselotte’s right-hand woman and attendant. Vanessa was also standing behind Christina instead of sitting in a chair. 

Incidentally, Charles and Alfred were brought to the fortress prison on their way to the meeting room, to be confined there temporarily. 

“Now, let us get right down to business. I believe the first thing we should share is our reasons for coming to this fortress. Does everyone agree?” Liselotte checked, looking around the room. 

“Yes, I agree. Though I can pretty much anticipate Lady Liselotte’s reasons for being here,” Christina said. 

As the daughter of the Cretia family and governess of the nearby city of Amande, it was fairly obvious that Liselotte had come to this fortress to investigate the movements of the Beltrum army near the border. What wasn’t so clear was why Flora, Hiroaki, Roanna, and Duke Huguenot were there as well. Christina had assumed they were in Rodania. 

“As you may have presumed, the reason why I’m here is due to the large-scale movements of the Beltrum Kingdom’s army near the border. Princess Flora and the others just so happened to be with me when I received the notice... When I told them what was going on, they stated their desire to accompany me. I brought them here on my enchanted ship under the agreement that they would immediately return to Amande once we confirmed the situation,” Liselotte explained. 

“Did Flora and the others have business in Amande?” Christina wondered, looking at Flora and Duke Huguenot. 

Hiroaki took the initiative to answer Christina first. “Nope. We were confined in Galarc’s capital for ages after the end of the banquet, but then we thought we’d greet Liselotte on our way back to Rodania. Since we weren’t able to say farewell properly at the banquet.” 

Because his goal in visiting Amande was to make a pass at Liselotte and hopefully bring up the topic of engagement, he looked a little guilty about his answer. 

The Beltrum army appeared as soon as we got to Amande, so I haven’t been able to talk to Liselotte properly yet... Ugh, can’t those guys read the room? Tch, Hiroaki thought to himself. 

“I see... I understand your situation now. Then I shall explain why we’re here next—is it all right if I do the talking, Sir Amakawa?” Christina asked Rio. The way she checked with him before anything else showed how much respect she had for him. 

They didn’t have any kind of special relationship at the banquet, so those seated opposite them were extremely curious as to how they ended up this way. 

“Yes, of course.” 

“Then... I’d like to ask that you all keep what I say here confidential. Of course, I will report to Galarc’s King Francois myself at a later date, but the matters do concern the internal affairs of my kingdom,” Christina said, mainly looking at Liselotte. 

“I understand. Shall I have my attendant step out, then?” Liselotte nodded, turning to face Aria behind her. 

“Your Highness, if I may speak up...” Celia interrupted. The others could tell she was a young and beautiful woman, even with her hood covering her face. Since she was the only one who was wearing a hood in the room, the attention gathered on her was particularly curious. 

“What is it?” 

“It would be more convenient to have her present when you explain my circumstances later, so if I may be so bold as to suggest she remain present? I can explain the situation myself in a moment,” Celia said, looking at Aria. 

“I see. In that case, she may remain present,” Christina agreed readily. 

“I agree.” 

Aria and Liselotte both looked a little curious at the sudden spotlight on Aria, but they agreed without any particular objection. 

“Then, to get straight to the point: everything started when Vanessa and I fled from Beltrum’s capital, with the assistance of Count Claire. We tried to head for Rodania, where Flora was, by enchanted ship. These two boys were stowed away on that ship—they’re Rei Saiki and Kouta Murakumo, friends of the hero, Sir Rui Shigekura. We ended up taking them along with us, but I’ll omit the details of that for now,” Christina explained. 

“Thanks to the Count’s assistance, we were able to make it to Cleia smoothly, but the problems began there. Duke Arbor discovered I had fled and immediately dispatched a search party led by Charles. We were able to quickly conceal ourselves in a secret room in the Count’s estate, but our movements from there were sealed. It was only a matter of time before we were discovered—which was when we met Sir Amakawa.” 

“Ah... Wait, hold on. Isn’t that odd? You were blocked from leaving the Claire estate, right? And you were hiding in a secret room to avoid the search party, so how did he end up in that room?” Hiroaki interrupted. 

“That’s because... May I leave the explanation of that to you?” Christina asked, looking at Celia. 

“Yes,” Celia nodded, then removed her hood for the first time. She had secretly removed the artifact that changed her hair color in the corridor after Charles and Alfred were taken away. 

“Professor... Celia?” 

Sure enough, Flora opened her mouth in shock. Roanna, who was also a student of the same academy, had widened eyes too. Even Duke Huguenot was blinking in shock. 

“Hey hey, who is that? Someone you know, Flora?” Hiroaki asked, his eyes sparkling. 

“I’m Celia Claire. Daughter of Count Claire, and a former instructor to Princess Christina, Princess Flora, and Miss Roanna at the academy. Aria over there is an old friend of mine.” Celia introduced herself, then looked at Aria as she said her name. 

“...” As an attendant, Aria didn’t say anything, but her wide eyes met Celia’s before her mouth tugged upwards in a faint smile. 

That’s a shock, thought Liselotte. Aria had told her of Celia before, so she knew they were friends, but she never imagined they would meet in this way. 

“Ah, and what do you mean by ‘professor’? You only look about as old as Flora and Roanna, or perhaps even younger,” Hiroaki said, staring at Celia closely. 

“Thank you. But I’m twenty-one years old,” Celia said, giving her age a little shyly. 

“W-What?! T-Twenty-one?! That’s older than me! Are you legal jailbait or something?!” Hiroaki yelled, standing up and leaning forward spontaneously. 

“Gah...” Kouta and Rei looked a little disgusted at Hiroaki’s words. It was the moment they realized he was the polar opposite of the gentlemanly Rui, the hero they knew. 

“Legal... jailbait?” Christina and Celia had puzzled expressions, unsure of the meaning. 

We’re not going anywhere like this. Hiroaki’s continuous statements, which were made with no consideration of time and place, were giving Liselotte a headache. With no other choice, she raised her hand. “Umm...” 

Everybody’s attention gathered on Liselotte. 

“I happened to be present at the ceremony, but wasn’t Lady Celia abducted from her wedding with Charles Arbor? Why is she here... unless...?” Liselotte trailed off and looked at Rio with a gasp. He was the first she thought of with the ability to bypass the heavy security at the venue. 

“Yes. I abducted her,” Rio nodded. 

“I see. Indeed, if it was you...” Liselotte hummed in understanding. 

“Sir Amakawa lent his strength in order to reduce the influence of Duke Arbor’s faction,” Christina stressed, speaking as though she had been the one who ordered Rio to abduct Celia. 

This was the story they had discussed in advance for when they arrived at Rodania. Christina had made sure to warn Kouta and Rei against telling others before making this decision. That being said, it wasn’t entirely a lie. 

Sir Amakawa lent his strength in order to reduce the influence of Duke Arbor’s faction, at Professor Celia’s request—the omitted information was that it had been for Celia, not Christina. 

Christina had given her consent to legalize Rio’s actions so that the abduction wouldn’t be viewed as a problem, but that wouldn’t stop anyone who wanted to criticize Rio and Celia for not having Christina’s approval at the time of the act. In order to avoid this, they purposefully chose misleading words to make it seem like the act had been at the request of Christina herself. 

The quick-witted Liselotte and Duke Huguenot instantly picked up on what happened and had looks of understanding on their faces. 

“Huh...?” 

However, only Flora’s reaction showed confusion. 

“Is something the matter, Flora?” Christina checked. 

“Ah, no, it’s just... Were you acquainted with Sir Haruto before, Christina?” Flora looked at Rio’s expression as she questioned her older sister. 

Christina paused. “We weren’t directly acquainted, and there was a fair bit of danger involved in the process, so I’m afraid the events surrounding that are a secret. I can’t tell you,” she said, dodging the question. 

“I understand...” Flora frowned with a frustrated look, staring at Christina. 

Duke Huguenot took advantage of the lull in conversation to look at Celia and Rio. “If I may confirm, were you with Haruto this entire time, Celia?” he asked. 

“Yes. She was present during the attack on Amande as well, under the name of Cecilia. Though I tried to avoid bringing her in front of everyone as much as possible,” Rio answered. This made Liselotte and Duke Huguenot’s eyes widen. 

“Hmm... Ah! Right, she was there at that time! Wait, but her hair’s different! Even if she changed her hairstyle by tying it, how did she have blonde hair?” Hiroaki had been staring closely at Celia, but after a pause he pointed at her in excitement and started ranting. Her presence at Amande seemed to have been the hint that helped him finally remember her. 

“I used a method to change my hair color.” 

“Heh... Well, I’m surprised. It’s a pretty dramatic change,” Hiroaki said in awe. Right now, Celia didn’t have her hair tied up on one side like the last time she had been in Amande—her hair was down instead. Combined with the different hair color, her impression had changed quite a lot. 

“We were pretty flustered when the monsters attacked Amande and I had no choice but to visit Liselotte’s estate...” Celia looked back on that time and smiled at the memory. 

“I didn’t realize at all... But...” Flora muttered, looking at Rio as though understanding something. 

“Neither did I,” Roanna nodded in amazement. 

“You didn’t notice either, right Aria?” Liselotte asked Celia’s old friend. 

“Embarrassing as it is to admit, no. I did feel a sense of déjà vu from her when we said our goodbyes, but... We didn’t see much of each other at the estate, and I never imagined she could change her hair color so naturally. If I had more opportunities to listen to her voice, I may have noticed,” Aria replied, analyzing the reasons why she didn’t realize it before. 

“I see... Because there’s no way to naturally change your hair color. Or rather, no way that one would normally think of. It would be an extremely effective form of disguise in a society unaware of that possibility,” Liselotte turned to Celia and said with great awe. 

“Indeed. That’s why we ask that you keep the existence of such methods a secret. Since it was an emergency, I had Her Highness and the others change their hair color while we were fleeing Cleia, but they don’t know the exact details of the method themselves,” Rio said, putting a stop to any prying before it could occur. 

“I see... I’m curious, but it can’t be helped. I shall comply,” Liselotte agreed with a wry smile. Like she said, she was curious about it, but instantly determined that it wasn’t information worth being unreasonable towards Rio for. 

“Umm... Sir Haruto, could you be using that method to change your hair color as well?” Flora asked Rio nervously. 

“What are you saying, Flora? Were you not listening to the conversation just now? We just said that kind of prying was completely forbidden,” Christina said, shutting her down bluntly. Flora’s face paled, Christina’s words making her rethink her impulsive question. 

“I apologize for her rudeness, Sir Amakawa,” Christina said with a sigh. 

“It’s fine, don’t let it bother you,” Rio said with a soft smile and short shake of his head. 

“We’ve derailed off-topic, but Sir Amakawa was able to sneak into Count Claire’s secret room because Celia was with him... as I’m sure you’ve all realized now. After that, we were able to escape the search party surrounding the estate and flee from the city with Sir Amakawa’s assistance,” Christina said, returning the conversation back on topic. 

“Huh. So why did you come to this fortress? You were heading for Rodania, where you thought Flora was, right?” Hiroaki asked. 

“We anticipated the shortest route from Cleia to Rodania would be heavily monitored by the search party. Plus, if we headed for Rodania through the Galarc Kingdom, we’d be able to shake off the search party as soon as we crossed the border. However, it seemed they were able to pinpoint our escape route through some means, and ambushed us with a huge army right near the border...” Christina paused, looking at Rio, Sara, and the other spirit folk girls. “Thanks to the help of Sir Amakawa and his comrades, we were able to drive away the enemy and capture their commander, Charles, and take Alfred as prisoner.” 

“Ah, well, I won’t doubt Haruto’s strength at this point, but his comrades? You’re not talking about those two dull dudes over there, right?” Hiroaki glanced at Kouta and Rei before asking in the direction of Sara, Orphia, and Alma. 

“It seems you’ve realized it already, but these three are my ‘comrades.’ From the right, there’s Sara, Orphia, and Alma. All three of them are skilled warriors that can use enchanted swords,” Rio answered in their place. 

“Hmm...” Hiroaki hummed, looking at the girls with great interest. Sara, Orphia, and Alma looked a little uncomfortable at being stared at and avoided eye contact. 

“...” 

Meanwhile, Liselotte and Duke Huguenot had expressions of pure awe when they heard there were three enchanted sword users present. 

“Wow, that’s seriously impressive. You all have such pretty faces, yet you can fight well too,” Hiroaki complimented with intense interest. 

All the girls around me have lived such sheltered lives... Having a warrior position in the harem would be invaluable. Just by having them around, they can protect me, he thought to himself. 

“Thanks...” Sara said on behalf of Orphia and Alma. However, she seemed to be thinking something on the inside, as she almost sounded a little curt. Perhaps he had sensed this, as Duke Huguenot immediately changed the topic. 

“I see, so even Sir Alfred cannot handle four enchanted sword users. I almost doubted my eyes when I saw Charles and the King’s Sword captured as prisoners... How fortuitous,” he chuckled. Having an important figure of the enemy Arbor faction imprisoned was truly exhilarating—enough to make laughter surge up within him at the mere thought. 

“That isn’t true,” Sara suddenly said. 

“What do you mean...?” Duke Huguenot asked with a rare look of surprise. 

Sara corrected Duke Huguenot as she hated being credited when she hadn’t contributed. “We merely drove back the other enchanted sword users that were present. The one who defeated that Alfred person was Haruto alone. In fact, the one who captured that man called Charles and drove back the army of 5,000 waiting at the border was Haruto alone.” 

“Oh my...” Liselotte gasped in surprise, covering her mouth with her hand. The fact Sara and the girls had driven back other enchanted sword users was impressive enough, but the scale of Rio’s achievement was large enough to paralyze the senses. 

Duke Huguenot had been speechless in shock, but he looked at Christina and asked for more clarification. “I don’t mean to doubt you, but what do you mean?” 

“It’s the truth. Sir Amakawa defeated Alfred alone. Or rather, he took on Sir Rui Shigekura and Alfred together in a two-on-one battle—and won,” Christina stated. 

“He took on the hero and the King’s Sword together... and won?” It seemed like that fact was far beyond anything resembling common sense within Duke Huguenot. He froze, at a loss for words. 

“So he won against that nasty, handsome bastard, huh...?” Hiroaki’s brows twitched in reaction. 

Nasty...? 

Courteous and gentlemanly. That was the impression of Rui they had from watching him converse with Rio, so hearing Hiroaki’s opposite opinion made Sara and the others cock their heads in wonder. Meanwhile, Kouta and Rei were snickering at the bad reputation given to their friend and underclassman respectively. 

“I hope this has clarified everything for you, Lady Liselotte. This is the reason why our army was deployed so close to the border. Though their aim was to capture me and they have now retreated, this doesn’t change the fact we have provoked your kingdom. We must have caused terrible trouble for you and your father. I offer my deepest apologies.” Christina looked at Liselotte and bowed her head deeply. It was extremely rare for a princess to bow her head at a noblewoman of another kingdom, but that extremely rare exception had come about because of her. She bowed her head as the princess of her kingdom. 

“Not at all. Please lift your head,” Liselotte said to Christina in a fluster. 

Christina paused for a moment, then slowly lifted her head. “Thank you.” 

Liselotte exhaled in relief. “That aside, I wonder how they were able to detect Your Highness’s movements? If they were tracking you from the moment you left Cleia, then there would have been more chances to ambush you without waiting right until you reached the border,” she wondered aloud. 

“The greatest reason is simply because they didn’t have the time, I believe. Every three days, Sir Amakawa and his group would use their enchanted swords to enhance their bodies and carry us while they ran, which substantially shortened our travel time. When the enemy caught wind of our location, we were around three days away from the border. After considering the group’s fighting capability and mobility, they probably wanted to avoid surrounding us in a forest or mountain area where we could quickly hide ourselves,” Christina said, giving her logical reasoning. 

“Indeed, that hilly area is perfect for troops to hide at the foot of the hills while watching for anyone climbing them. If they had griffins in the sky, escape would be fairly difficult too...” Liselotte said thoughtfully, recalling the geography of the area. “But even with that taken into account, deploying an army so close to the border is an overly bold strategy.” 

“Yes. That’s why we believe there was a counterplot behind that strategy,” Christina nodded, then frowned in frustration. 

“Bold and cunning... He may be overbearing, but that Charles Arbor must be quite the commander,” Liselotte said in praise of Charles. 

“I wonder about that... This is Sir Amakawa’s opinion, but I am in agreement—Charles may have been goaded into deploying the army so close to the border by a man named Reiss. The true cunning one behind Charles is that man.” 

Christina brought up Reiss’ name for the first time. 

“Reiss...? Isn’t that the name of...” 

“The mysterious man who previously appeared before Princess Flora and Haruto when Amande was under attack, isn’t it? And also the name of the Proxia Empire ambassador...” 

Liselotte and Duke Huguenot recalled the time Princess Flora was kidnapped during the commotion of the attack on Amande. 

“Yes. We’ll need to investigate Charles some more, but that man is most likely the ambassador of the Proxia Empire,” Christina stated with certainty. 

“Lucius Orgueil, was it? The man who abducted Princess Flora, the target of Haruto’s revenge, and the former noble of Beltrum Kingdom, now leader of the Heavenly Knights. I considered the possibility of Princess Flora’s abduction being an act of resentment, but if he’s connected to the Proxia Empire ambassador and Charles, then there’s a possibility Duke Arbor’s faction was involved in Princess Flora’s abduction,” Duke Huguenot suggested, bringing up Lucius’ name. 

“It may be too premature to decide that... However, we will interrogate Charles regarding that as well. Although it could be possible that Duke Arbor was the one involved, and Charles may know nothing. We shouldn’t hope for anything,” Christina said with a heavy sigh. 

Like Princess Christina said, we can’t expect much. If Charles knows nothing about Lucius, then the only clue left is Reiss. If this man is the Proxia Empire ambassador, then it’s more than possible Lucius is also connected to the Proxia Empire... 

Rio turned his head over the whereabouts of his arch enemy. He couldn’t overlook the implication Reiss had made that Lucius was still alive—he had to finish him off next time. 

“That aside, did you say the leader of the Heavenly Lions is Sir Amakawa’s target of revenge?” Great surprise lit Christina’s eyes as she looked at Rio. 

“Well, yes. He’s the man who killed my mother when I was a child,” Rio confirmed, giving a short answer as though to hide the feelings in his throat. 

“Oh... Is that so...” Christina fell silent and didn’t ask anything else. She had probably read the room, her expression like she was thinking of something. 

“I’d like to question him about Lucius, so may I attend the interrogation as well?” Since his connection to Lucius had been brought up, Rio used this chance to make his request. 

Christina closed her eyes and nodded slowly. “I understand. In that case, of course.” 

“Thank you,” Rio bowed his head respectfully. Watching him from the side with slightly conflicted expressions were Sara, Orphia, and Alma. They must have been curious about Rio’s connection to Lucius. Flora had a similar look on her face as she watched Rio. 

Christina seemed to notice Flora’s gaze, but acted like she was unaware as she looked around the room. “Are there any more questions?” 

“Ah, yeah. Sara said something about Haruto driving back an army of 5,000, but I don’t quite get that. It’d be one thing if he was a hero with Divine Arms like me... But if he was up against Alfred and that bastard Rui, he couldn’t have taken on 5,000 people on top of that at the same time, right? I’m curious about how exactly the battle played out,” Hiroaki looked at Sara and asked about Rio’s fighting. 

“The 5,000 soldiers were acting as a human wall before the border. They were only watching quietly as Sir Amakawa fought with Alfred and Sir Rui. When they saw the two get overwhelmed, they knew they wouldn’t be able to win against Sir Amakawa, even as a group of 5,000. He was that terrifying to see...” Christina began to speak about the earlier fight she witnessed, forcing down the various emotions swirling in her chest. She explained the situation at the time eloquently. “After Alfred and Sir Rui were defeated by Sir Amakawa, not a single one of those 5,000 soldiers stepped forward to protect Charles, who fled into their midst. They simply watched on as their commander was dragged away before them.” 

“Hey hey, were those soldiers incompetent? Their enemy charged right into the middle of their formation, right? This isn’t some low-budget stage play, if you all charge at once you can kill him with your numbers. There must have been someone who thought that—heck, if I were the commander I would have ordered it. Oh, was it the commander who was incompetent?” Hiroaki complained, seemingly displeased by this fact. 

“The soldiers present instinctively understood that they would be no match for Sir Amakawa. Even I feared him, and he was my ally—so I’m sure what the soldiers felt couldn’t be compared to me. Only those who were there would know what that shuddering fear felt like. It may sound like a dramatized heroic saga to those who weren’t there, but it’s the truth.” 

Nobody wanted to die. No one would challenge someone in a battle they knew would end in pointless death. Those who did had either resigned themselves already, had gone mad, or were pure fools. Christina maintained an exceedingly serious face as she spoke to Hiroaki. 

Ah, I’ve been thinking this for a while, but doesn’t this guy stand out too much? He’s always there wherever I go, snatching all the glory. He’s playing a bigger role than the hero, and now his reputation’s going to rise again? In front of Liselotte, too? Plus, he always has different women with him each time I see him... Don’t tell me they all belong to him, other than Christina and her lady knight? Tch... What a downer. 

Hiroaki ripped out the dregs of his heart as he looked in turn from Rio to the girls all sitting opposite him. He didn’t like that the focus of the conversation wasn’t on him—the hero—but a regular knight. 

“You must be a big deal if you could do that. Equal to a hero. No, since you defeated Rui, you must be better than a hero? Well, that’s if Rui was using his Divine Arms at full power, of course. But still, it’s impressive.” Hiroaki seemed to know that if he had completely denied these achievements, his own reputation would be affected. Instead, he begrudgingly accepted Rio’s feats. 

“Yes, I think that was a tremendous achievement.” In contrast to Hiroaki, Liselotte offered her admiration with no ulterior intentions. 

“I’m honored,” Rio replied, dipping his head at the two of them. 

“This is essentially the story of how we arrived here, but there are some explanations I’ve omitted on purpose. I’d like to properly exchange information for the sake of our relationship with Galarc as well, so would you be willing to engage me in more conversation, Lady Liselotte?” Christina asked. 

“Of course. I’ll need to make a report to King Francois and Father as well, so that would be most welcome,” Liselotte nodded pleasantly. 

And so, Christina began to share the information she had. 

 

Roughly one hour later... 

“Let’s end the discussions here. What should we do after this...?” Christina looked around at everyone in the room. 

“The sun’s already set, so it’ll be difficult to head for Amande today. How about you all stay at the fortress tonight? It’ll take some time to prepare dinner, so if you would like to question the prisoners in that time, you may use an interrogation room. What would you like to do?” Liselotte asked. 

“Alfred and Charles will both be expecting an interrogation. We may slip up if we rush into things recklessly, and it would be a problem if that allowed them to regain their composure. Let them stay in the dungeon today. If Charles’ pride is wounded, he may be more open to talking,” Christina said, taking into account Charles’ personality. She wanted to provoke him by delaying the interrogation in order to suggest he was a low priority on her radar. If he refused to speak after that, she would continue to leave him alone until his mental fatigue accumulated. 

Liselotte understood Christina’s intentions. “I understand. I shall arrange for the two of them to be given minimal food and no information whatsoever.” 

“Thank you.” 

“You’re welcome. Now that we’re done here, please take some time to relax here until dinner. I shall have rooms prepared for you—though they may not be the most elegant. Do you have any requests regarding your accommodations?” Liselotte asked. 

Flora looked at Christina. “Umm, may I stay in your room tonight?” she asked somewhat shyly. 

“Sure, I don’t mind,” Christina nodded with a soft smile. 

“Then I shall prepare one room for the two of you. I’ll also have Vanessa’s room assigned next door, to make it easier to stand guard,” Liselotte said, looking at the royal siblings warmly. 

Vanessa bowed her head. “Thank you.” 

“In that case, could we stay in the same room as well? There are some things we need to discuss with each other,” Sara raised her hand and said, looking at Alma and Orphia seated beside her. 

“Understood. Then... How about a four-person room with Lady Sara, Lady Orphia, Lady Alma, and Lady Celia?” Liselotte asked the four to-be roommates. 

“Would that be okay, Celia?” Sara checked. 

“Yes, I don’t mind,” said Celia. 

“If no one else has any requests, you’ll be given a single room. Is that okay?” Liselotte confirmed with the others. 

“Yes, that’s fine with me.” 

“Same here.” 

Duke Huguenot and Rio both replied first. 

“We’re okay with that as well.” 

“Yeah.” 

Rei and Kouta exchanged looks before replying. 

Roanna hesitated for a brief moment before answering, perhaps out of concern for the hero Hiroaki and the royal siblings Christina and Flora. “I’d be satisfied if my room was close to Sir Hiroaki and Her Highnesses...” 

Nowadays, she served as a caretaker for Flora and Hiroaki, but with Christina in the picture, she needed to show even more delicate consideration. 

Hiroaki met Roanna’s eyes and shrugged. “I don’t mind.” 

“Then I shall show you the way immediately,” Liselotte said, standing up and walking towards the door. The others followed her lead and stood up. Aria had gone ahead to open the door, when— 

“Excuse me, Lady Liselotte,” Celia said. 

“Yes, what is it?” 

“With your permission, may I have some time to talk to Aria?” 

“Of course. I was going to send Aria over after Sara and the others had some time to talk, but would you like to chat with her now?” Liselotte replied cheerfully. 

“We can always talk at night, so please go ahead, Celia,” Sara said, Orphia and Alma nodding in agreement. 

“Thank you... Then I shall take you up on your offer, if you don’t mind?” Celia asked Liselotte. 

“Got it. Then you may stay in this room and use it. Aria, you’re off duty for the rest of today. Take your time and relax with Lady Celia.” 

“Thank you very much,” Aria said with a faint smile. 

“Cosette, Natalie,” Liselotte called to the two attendants waiting outside. 

“Did you need something, Lady Liselotte?” Natalie responded respectfully. 

Meanwhile, Cosette was casually trying to meet Rio’s eyes, smiling cutely once he looked at her as though to say “long time no see, Sir Haruto.” Rio flashed a brief smile and gave a short nod in response. 

“Show the people of the Restoration and the two boys to their rooms. Princess Christina and Princess Flora are in the same room. Keep everyone else in rooms next to each other.” 

“Understood.” Natalie and Cosette both bowed their heads. 

“Chloe, you escort Sir Haruto’s friends to their room. They’ll be using a room for four, along with Lady Celia,” Liselotte said to Chloe, who was waiting nearby. 

“Yes, My Lady,” Chloe nodded. 

Once she confirmed that, Liselotte turned to Rio behind her. “Sir Haruto, I’m sorry to keep you occupied like this, but...” 

“What is it?” Rio asked with a tilt of his head. 

“Before I show you to your room, may I have a bit more of your time? There’s something which I’d like to discuss with you separately,” Liselotte said. 

“Sure. I was just thinking the same thing, so it’d be my pleasure,” Rio answered immediately, accepting the private conversation with ease. Hiroaki watched them from the side with an unamused expression. 

Huh? These two are ignoring me to run off and be alone...? 

And he had gone out of his way to drop by and visit Liselotte, too. Was she prioritizing a freshly-promoted knight over a hero? 

That being said, there were other girls that had his interest right now—Sara’s group. He was slightly discontented by the fact Haruto had brought them along, but all three of them were blessed with looks on par with Liselotte. 

They were so attractive, it’d be a lie to say he wasn’t interested in getting to know them. Even during their discussions, he kept glancing their way out of curiosity. Or rather, he had no particular interest in the discussions, so partway through the talks he just kept staring at them. 

Because of them, Hiroaki decided he would turn a blind eye to Liselotte and Haruto’s private meeting and instead use this chance to invite the three of them to tea while Haruto was occupied. 

“Mmm. Ah, what should I do now? There’s nothing to do once I return to my room... Being a hero sure is boring,” Hiroaki suddenly started to say. It was unclear who he was talking to—or whether he was just monologuing—but his tone was incredibly exaggerated. 

The parts he had emphasized were the fact he was free, and the fact he was a hero. It was an attention-seeking scheme to lure anyone with a slight interest in heroes—most effective when used against noble daughters. They would swarm Hiroaki even uninvited, which was why Hiroaki specialized in being on the accepting side and had no experience on the inviting side. 

“...?” Presently, neither Sara, Orphia, nor Alma had any particular interest in heroes. They found the way Hiroaki suddenly cleared his throat and started speaking odd and cocked their heads slightly, but then dismissed his words as irrelevant to them and addressed their guide, Chloe, instead. “Could you show us to our rooms then, please?” 

“Ah, yes. Please, come this way.” Chloe also seemed to find Hiroaki’s sudden actions strange, as she snapped back to her senses at Sara’s voice and resumed her duties. 

“Pfft...” 

That must have seemed hilarious to Cosette, who nearly burst into laughter. However, as expected for an attendant of Liselotte, she naturally turned her face away so that Hiroaki and the others wouldn’t see. 

“Are you stupid?” Natalie whispered into Cosette’s ear. 

“We’ll be resting first then, Haruto,” Sara said to Rio in a friendly manner as they left. 

“Okay.” 

“Come to our room when you’re done,” said Orphia. 

“Understood.” 

“We’ll be waiting,” said Alma. 

“I hope you rest well,” Rio replied to the three of them as he watched them leave. He then turned around to address Celia before setting off himself. “Please enjoy your reunion with Miss Aria, Celia.” 

...Celia? 

Because Rio had addressed Celia without a title, those that hadn’t traveled together with them on the way here all looked shocked. That made sense, as there hadn’t been a chance for them to call each other by their names during the discussion just now. Flora was particularly shocked, blinking and frozen stiff. 

“Yup. See you later,” Celia replied with a soft smile, after which Rio cheerfully nodded. 

“We shall excuse ourselves first, then. If you need anything, please ask one of my attendants. Sir Haruto, come this way,” Liselotte nodded at Christina and Duke Huguenot’s group before calling Rio away. 

“Excuse me,” Rio said, leaving together with Liselotte. 

Ah, so that’s what this is. Well, I had a vague suspicion this was the case. So he’s in the picture already. I don’t know if they’re actually dating, but the slightest hint of another man is enough to turn me off. It’s unwanted real estate. Ah, that was unnecessary information, seriously, I did not need to know that. What a let-down. Ah, ah, ah... 

It was indeed a cold wake-up call. Hiroaki was terribly dejected in his mind, lightly grinding his teeth as his mouth twisted. 

What if Liselotte starts showing favor towards him too? What do they even have to talk about alone? Walking side-by-side like they’re showing off... 

With an impressive amount of resentment over a misunderstanding, he glared at Rio’s back. He had avoided interacting with him until now, since it was difficult for him to gain the upper hand. He might need to consider a way to put Rio’s reputation in question, he thought... 

Just as he was thinking that, someone who had been observing Hiroaki without him realizing it opened her mouth. It was Christina. 

“Shall we go too?” she asked with feigned ignorance. 

“Indeed... Roanna,” Duke Huguenot immediately responded. At times like this, Roanna was best at cheering Hiroaki up. Sensing Hiroaki’s bad mood, he had implicitly requested she take care of him. 

Roanna quietly drew closer to Hiroaki and touched him, speaking to him from a close proximity. “Yes. Let’s go, Sir Hiroaki.” When he felt her warmth through his clothes, Hiroaki’s attention turned to Roanna. 

Roanna really is great at things like this. And yet, Liselotte... What a shame. She’s acting like such a tease. 

He had gone out of his way to visit her, yet she wouldn’t prioritize him. Displeased with this, Hiroaki sighed tiredly as though he was expelling all his rage. 

“Ah, yeah. There’s nothing to do, but I’m a little tired. Let’s relax together in my room. Flora and... Christina? What will you two do?” 

He seemed to be in a better mood now, as he grinned while winding his arm around Roanna’s shoulder before turning to Flora and Christina to invite them along. The brief pause before calling Christina’s name was probably because he was unsure of the state of their relationship. 

“What will you do, Christina?” Flora asked, watching for Christina’s reaction. 

“I have a small matter I’d like to discuss with Duke Huguenot, so you go on ahead. I’ll drop by once I’m done. Is that okay with you?” Christina said, smiling at Hiroaki gracefully. 

“Well, I’m sure you have more information you want to share now that you’ve met up. I don’t mind. But I want to speak to you as well, so make it sooner rather than later.” Hiroaki nodded smugly, making a show of how generous he was. Now that she had joined up with the Restoration, Christina was on his side and not a top priority for him to win over. 

Considering that, his attention was more focused on Liselotte and Sara’s group, whom he didn’t know when he would have another chance to interact with, but Christina’s smile just now struck him right in the heart. 

“Of course,” Christina nodded cordially. 

Nice. She’s got a personality that differs quite a bit from her little sister. A bit like a rose with thorns, but that isn’t bad, either. Hope we can chat soon. 

Hiroaki was restless with anticipation. Thanks to that, he was able to drive Haruto out of his mind for now. 

“Then I’ll have Roanna and Flora soothe my boredom with some conversation first,” Hiroaki said, pulling himself together. 

“If you would like to have a discussion, you may use that open drawing room over there,” Natalie suggested to Christina and Duke Huguenot. It seemed the meeting room they had been using until now was right beside another one, on top of another door that had connected to a simple kitchen. 

“Thank you for the consideration. We shall gratefully accept,” Christina said warmly. Her elegance was enough to enchant even those of the same gender. 

“Then I shall prepare tea and snacks for you. Cosette, please show everyone else the way.” Natalie entrusted Hiroaki and the others to Cosette before heading into the meeting room first. 

“Sure, no problem,” Cosette hummed, seeing Natalie off. 

“I’ll see you later then, Christina,” Flora said reluctantly. 

“Your Highness, words cannot describe how honored I am to be in your presence once again. I look forward to our next opportunity to speak together.” Roanna bowed her head low, expressing her respect for Christina. 

“You’ve done well supporting Flora. Please tell me about everything that happened in my absence later.” 

“Of course,” Roanna replied, happy to receive Christina’s appreciation. Then, she turned to Celia. “Professor Celia, I’m so glad to see you again too. I hope we can speak a lot later on as well.” 

“Yes, it’s been a while, Roanna. I’m glad to see you again too. Princess Flora, long time no see,” Celia replied, beaming. 

“Indeed, Professor Celia. And, umm, well...” Flora replied to Celia with a fleeting smile, stumbling as though she was searching for the right words. Rather than gauging Celia’s reaction, it was more like she wanted to ask something. 

“Hmm...?” Celia seemed to realize that and cocked her head curiously. 

“Let’s go, then.” Hiroaki prompted them to move, cutting off the conversation. 

Flora ended the conversation sadly. “Okay... Please tell me your story later, Professor Celia.” 

“Lead the way... Cosette, was it?” Hiroaki addressed Cosette as though he had to recall her name. However, Liselotte’s attendants had all caught his attention as top tier women, so he had memorized every one of their names and faces. He pretended he had to recall it because of an indescribable sense of shame that he felt. 

“It’s an honor for an attendant like me to be remembered. Please, come this way.” Cosette smiled pleasantly, but immediately started leading them without any idle chatter. Hiroaki watched her back while humming to himself. 

Hmm, Liselotte’s attendants sure have a high sense of professionalism. 

Even when he complimented them, they seemed happy but evaded him with grace, and never fell for his attempts to catch their attention. He suspected it was because they were on duty, but thanks to that he’d had no chance to gather any personal information. 

Since they rejected him in the name of their work, they were a bad match for Hiroaki’s style of waiting for an invitation. Which meant Hiroaki had to actively attempt to interact with them, but he hated having others realize he was one-sidedly trying to get in good graces with someone still indifferent to him. He had to be in the superior position at all times, which was why he passively waited for offers. 

If only I could catch Liselotte, then her army of attendants would come along as a bonus, Hiroaki thought as he walked after Cosette, continuing to watch her back. When he thought of it that way, Liselotte’s existence was truly appealing. Remembering that she was with Haruto right now made his resentment return, though... 


Wait a minute... Could Liselotte’s curt attitude also be caused by a professional mindset like her attendants? Maybe she doesn’t want to involve her personal feelings when interacting with me during her work... 

Such a thought suddenly came to Hiroaki’s mind. It wasn’t impossible, considering how focused her attendants were while they were on duty. 

Ah... 

Hiroaki’s footsteps came to a stop. 

Roanna immediately stopped too, peering at Hiroaki’s face beside her. “Sir Hiroaki?” 

“No, it’s nothing.” Hiroaki shook his head and started walking again. Behind him followed Roanna and Flora, then Kouta and Rei. 

Christina had been watching Flora’s back as she left, but then she addressed Celia as she started entering the other meeting room. “Then, we shall go inside the room as well. Until later, Professor Celia.” 

This left Celia and Aria as the only ones remaining. 

“After you,” Aria invited Celia inside the meeting room in an attendant-like manner. 

“Geez, what’s with that? It’s just the two of us now, so you don’t have to be the attendant,” Celia said a little uneasily. 

“Hehe. Now, let us go inside. I’ll prepare some tea.” Aria showed a rare glimpse of a soft smile and entered the room with Celia. 

 

Meanwhile, Rio had arrived at the room Liselotte led him to. 

“I hope you don’t mind if we use the room I’m staying in. Please, go inside,” Liselotte said, opening the door and inviting Rio inside first. 

Is it okay for a man to enter the room of a noblewoman? She doesn’t have her attendants around, either... 

There had been situations where they met one-on-one in meeting rooms before, but Rio still wasn’t quite familiar with the etiquette of nobles. However, since Liselotte was okay with it, he was probably just overthinking things. More than anything, the fact they were alone like this was proof of Liselotte’s trust in him. 

It would be weird for him to hesitate for too long, so Rio answered Liselotte’s trust by bowing slightly before entering the room. “Excuse me.” 

The room was like a studio apartment with a simple kitchen, bed, wardrobe, table, and chairs to sit on. 

“I’ll prepare some tea for you now. I’m afraid there isn’t much space, but please have a seat.” Liselotte pulled out the seat at the head of the table and offered it to Rio. 

“Thank you very much,” Rio said as he sat down. 

“No problem at all,” Liselotte said cheerfully, standing in the kitchen behind Rio. She began preparing tea with skillful movements. 

It feels kind of strange... Rio thought as he watched Liselotte’s back. She had a strong image of being a noble lady, so seeing her pour tea was rather domestic. 

“Do you often prepare tea by yourself?” Rio asked her as she heated water with a magical artifact. 

“Yes, whenever I’m alone. I’ve rarely ever prepared it for anyone else though, so I can only hope this is good enough,” Liselotte said shyly, her cheeks a faint shade of red. 

“It’s tea poured by you. I’m really looking forward to it,” Rio chuckled. 

“Gosh, don’t put more pressure on me.” 

Thus, they chatted idly until she was done and Liselotte returned with a tray in hand. The tea still needed to steep for a while, so they didn’t pour it out right away. 

“Now, let’s get down to business—but first, I’d like to thank you for coming here.” Liselotte bowed her head at Rio as a preface. 

“Not at all.” Rio returned the bow. “Like I said earlier, I had things I wished to discuss with you too... Though it’s more of a request from Satsuki.” 

“Oh my, from Satsuki?” Liselotte blinked. 

“Yes. The topic of Japanese food came up at the banquet, if you remember. Naturally, the food would taste better if we all ate together, so I wanted to invite you along, since you were present at the time.” 

“It would be my pleasure.” 

If Liselotte had been in the capital before meeting Rio here, she may have met Satsuki and heard already, but apparently that wasn’t the case. Liselotte grinned happily. 

“The problem is when, where, and who else to invite along...” 

Rio, Liselotte, Satsuki. The three of them were usually in separate locations, which made it rather difficult to make plans. There weren’t any convenient methods of communicating like in modern Japan where they could just call or text. 

There were magic artifacts capable of long distance transmission, but the information would openly leak to anyone else with the same artifact within transmission range, so it couldn’t be used for private matters. 

Codes existed, but communication was limited to those who knew the code, and there was a risk of the messages being deciphered. Highly confidential information was always to be passed through word of mouth—this was general knowledge. 

If important people were to hold a dinner featuring unusual cuisine, it wouldn’t be strange for masses of nobles to hear about it and request their participation. 

“Which means the planning will need to be done privately,” Liselotte immediately presumed. 

“Yes. I don’t want the gathering to be too big, as it would be hard to enjoy the nostalgic tastes while worried about eyes surrounding you.” 

“I completely agree,” Liselotte nodded firmly. This was her chance to enjoy food she hadn’t tasted since her previous life—she wanted to enjoy her fill without worrying about her surroundings. 

“Which means, at the very least, Satsuki and Miharu would be included. Are there any others you would like to invite?” Rio asked, starting with the attendees. 

“Let’s see... There’s no one in particular I’d like to recommend from my acquaintances... But I’d like to talk to your friends more. Especially Lady Celia and Lady Aishia. They helped out during the attack on Amande, yet I’ve barely spoken to them at all.” 

“Celia and Aishia... Would that include Sara and the others too?” 

“Yes. I’m sure Satsuki would want to meet them too, if they’re friends of Miharu as well... Also, if possible, I’d like to meet the girl who was always riding the bus in our past lives,” Liselotte requested. 

Satsuki has actually met everyone already, during that time she snuck out of the castle while we were there for the banquet. Which only leaves Latifa, but... 

Rio owed Liselotte a lot, and they were at least friends now. He would feel bad if Liselotte was the only one unaware of that fact during their dinner. And above all, he would feel guilty making the others act like they were meeting each other for the first time before Liselotte. It would probably be best to explain things. 

However, the problem that came to Rio’s mind was Latifa. 

He wasn’t certain, but there was a strong possibility the one who sent Latifa to assassinate Rio years ago was Duke Huguenot. Stepping into that territory might bring up traumatic memories for Latifa, so he had purposefully avoided that topic since coming to the Strahl region and becoming acquainted with Duke Huguenot. 

Until now, she had mostly stayed inside the stone house and hadn’t been brought to any events involving nobility, but— 

This may be a good opportunity for her to grow. To erase her past scars. 

He recalled what Elder Ursula had said at the meeting before coming to Strahl with Latifa. 

Was it really okay to make her mostly housebound, even though they had come to Strahl? Shouldn’t he let Latifa experience more things, for the sake of her future? 

He didn’t know what was correct. But if Latifa wanted to meet Liselotte, he wanted to respect that as her older brother. 

Rio thought about everything carefully before giving a rather optimistic answer. “It may not be possible to arrange, but I understand. I’ll ask everyone about it.” 

“Really? Thank you so much!” Liselotte beamed happily. 

“Not at all. Actually... that elementary school girl is my little sister,” Rio revealed. 

“R-Really?” Liselotte was shocked. 

“Yes. We’re not related by blood, but she was reborn into a rather complicated environment. Certain events led to me becoming her guardian. She’s a bright girl now, but she may harbor negative feelings towards nobility, especially certain nobles of the Beltrum Kingdom... That’s why she lives with some close acquaintances most of the time and doesn’t go out much,” Rio explained to Liselotte, hinting at Latifa’s dark past. 

“Oh...” 

“However, I want to do whatever I can for her. If she wants to set out into the outside world, then I want to support her. I wouldn’t have any objection to introducing you to her. That’s why I should be the one asking you—please meet with my little sister? I’m sure she’ll be delighted.” Rio quietly bowed his head. 

“I understand... In that case, leave all the arrangements to me. I’d love to meet her as well. I’ll prepare a venue where she’ll be comfortable. I’ll also make sure her name and face aren’t revealed to outside parties,” Liselotte nodded firmly, taking on the role of the organizer. 

“That would be very reassuring. Like I just mentioned, I especially want to keep her away from the nobles of Beltrum Kingdom. At least, as long as she doesn’t want something to the contrary...” Rio said with a slightly troubled look, his words carrying deeper meaning. 

A shadow fell over Liselotte’s face. “Whatever happened must have been terrible...” 

“Yes. I can’t say anything, which I am sincerely sorry for... I shall discuss things with her regarding that first, so that she can explain things to you herself if she ends up meeting you in the future.” 

“I understand. Then let’s limit the participants to Satsuki, your sister, and your friends. That way the only people she would be meeting for the first time are Satsuki and myself.” 

“Regarding that...” Rio fell silent for a moment, before resolutely speaking. “There’s something I must inform you. It was rather difficult to tell you before, but I believe it is the right thing to do now that we’re holding a dinner. If possible, I’d like to keep it between ourselves.” 

“Of course. What is it?” 

“My friends and Satsuki have already met.” 

Liselotte looked clearly confused. “Umm... Was there a chance for that to happen somewhere?” 

“Yes. Secretly.” 

“Secretly... So His Majesty was unaware...?” 

“He is unaware of this fact.” 

“Then... When? How did they meet?” 

“They met while we were in the capital for the banquet. It was outside of the castle. We snuck out without anyone noticing.” 

“H-How...?” 

“By flying.” 

“I... I see.” Liselotte looked fairly shaken, but accepted his words as reality. 

“I’m sure you’re surprised, but you seem to have accepted it rather easily despite that.” 

Flying out of the castle was a concept so ridiculous, it would normally be dismissed immediately. It might have been possible if they had left riding griffins, but that wasn’t recommended at night and could catch the attention of the guards with the sound of their wings. 

“I heard that you used your enchanted sword to fly when you rescued Lady Miharu from the enchanted ship last time.” 

“So you knew already...” 

“Yes. Although I didn’t expect you to sneak out of the castle.” 

“My apologies. I attended through your invitation, yet behaved in such a risky manner.” Rio bowed his head in such a way as though it was being sucked downwards by gravity. 

“No, I have a guess as to why you did it... But why did you reveal this to me?” Liselotte asked, looking at Rio’s face. 

“Neither I nor the others are particularly skillful people. I don’t believe we would have been able to lie to the face of someone we had grown friendly with.” 

Liselotte paused in wonder. “Thank you very much...” she said somewhat shyly. 

“Why are you thanking me?” Rio blinked. 

“I’m just happy to be told that to my face... At any rate, I’m now aware of the situation. If that’s the case, how about we hold it in my house in Amande?” 

“At your estate? Satsuki will be there, right?” 

He couldn’t bring her out of the castle by flying like last time, and Amande was too far away from the capital. They would definitely notice if she went missing, he thought. 

“We can’t have you bring her by flying again, no? I intend on going through the proper route of asking His Majesty for permission to invite her over.” 

“I see, in that case... Is it possible?” 

“There’s a good chance it could happen.” 

“If you say so, then it must be a fact. Can I leave it in your hands? I’ll need to let the others know.” 

“Yes, you can count on me. Do you have a preferred time as to when we should hold it?” 

“If you can host it within the next month or two, I’ll arrange things on my end. Any longer and I may need to travel again, however...” 

“Then I’d better make a move before you need to leave again. I just so happen to plan on going to the capital next to make my report on this incident, so we may be holding it sooner than expected. I know you’ll be heading to Rodania after this, but what will you do afterwards?” 

Liselotte wondered if he would stay in Rodania, or if he would accompany her to the Galarc Kingdom’s capital. 

“I don’t have any plans of staying in Rodania in the long term, but Celia... I plan on leaving after I’ve confirmed her safety, as I owe her a lot,” Rio answered. Though she hadn’t said so out loud, Celia would surely remain in Rodania. It was a little sad to think they couldn’t live together anymore, but there was nothing they could do about it. Celia was a noble of Beltrum, after all. 

While part of him wanted nothing more than to head for the Proxia Empire right away, he had to take some time and make sure there were no problems regarding Celia’s circumstances. That’s why he had no intention of rushing out of Rodania. 

The fact he calls her name without a title means they’re fairly close, right? I wonder what kind of relationship Sir Haruto and Lady Celia have... 

Liselotte was curious about it, but it wasn’t good to pry into things purely out of curiosity. And so, she exercised her self-control. 

“I see...” Liselotte responded, though she still had a curious look in her eye. 

“Aishia’s also looking after Miharu and my sister at the moment, so I’ll have to meet them to tell them about the dinner. But it would be best if that waited until after I meet you either in Amande or Galtuuk so that I can confirm the details of the dinner with you. You can decide the date based on what suits you and Satsuki.” 

“By the way, if you were to bring Lady Miharu to Amande right now, how many days would it take?” 

“If we walk normally it could take one to two weeks depending on the weather, but if I carry her while I run, we could arrive in two or three days.” 

“What a wonderful time reduction... Out of curiosity, but how many days would it take you to travel from Amande to Galtuuk?” 

“If I’m alone? Two days.” His fastest time would actually be if he flew, but— 

“T-Two?!” It seemed that to Liselotte, even two days was plenty of a surprise. 

“As you know, I can use my enchanted sword to fly. As long as I’m not hindered by bad weather, I can reduce my travel time dramatically.” 

That was why the number he had given accounted for the weather. The Wilderness had especially abnormal weather, so it wasn’t rare for him to spend some days safely waiting out the weather in the stone house. 

“Then... Let’s say it’ll be some time between three weeks to two months from now. Would that work for you?” 

“That won’t be a problem.” 

“Then I shall move ahead and presume the dinner will take place in that time frame. If transporting the ingredients is too much of an effort, I can prepare an enchanted ship depending on your location...” Liselotte hummed. 

“There’s no need for that.” Rio shook his head, then looked thoughtful. “Hmm... I should inform you about this as well.” 

“What is it?” 

“A method of transporting items. If we’re going to be trading alcohol with each other in the future, it would be best to clarify this. Only those close to me know about this, but I trust you would be able to keep this a secret.” 

“I’m quite honored you think so, but...” 

Just how was he transporting things? 

“This is what I use. Dissolvo.” 

Rio extended the hand that held the Time-Space Cache and recited the spell. The space around his wrist warped and a ceramic bottle appeared. 

“Wh... What is that?” Liselotte froze with her eyes wide open, barely managing to get her question out. 

“It’s an ancient artifact called the Time-Space Cache. There are certain limitations to its use, but it can store things in a subspace isolated from time and space. As you can see, you can take items out whenever you need them,” Rio explained. 

His disclosure of the magic artifact’s existence to Liselotte wasn’t a completely impulsive idea—he had been considering doing so since they signed a contract during the banquet for Liselotte to sell Rio’s homemade alcohol. This was a good opportunity to reveal it. 

“An ancient artifact that can store items in a subspace isolated from time and space... Based on that information, it sounds like you can store food without it rotting?” Liselotte asked cautiously, unable to believe what she was hearing. 

“Yes, that is correct.” 

Liselotte’s voice audibly shook with surprise. “That is quite an unbelievable item you have there...” 

An enchanted sword that could control wind, artifacts that could change hair color, and high-grade sake that could make a noble groan with a single sip... Just how many treasures did he have hidden? She was starting to feel more exasperated than impressed at this point. 

Possessing this many impressive goods was abnormal in itself, yet because she was aware of Rio’s irregular strength, even this abnormality was faint in comparison. 

An artifact that can transport goods without taking up space?! I want it! I want it so badly! But I can’t say such unreasonable things to Sir Haruto! 

The Time-Space Cache was an item any merchant would kill for. Liselotte nearly blurted for him to give it to her, but swallowed her words with difficulty. Because it was an ancient magic artifact, it was probably impossible to manufacture or acquire. 

“There’s alcohol in this bottle, if you’d like to have it.” Rio placed the sake bottle on the table as an offering. 

“W-Why, thank you very much.” Liselotte bowed her head. 

“And so, I’m able to transport goods using this artifact. There’s no need to worry.” 

“I understand.” Liselotte smiled wryly, accepting that her worries were needless. 

“Also, Dissolvo.” Rio held his hand out over the table and recited the spell once again. A plate of finely cut chocolate appeared. “This is Miharu’s homemade chocolate.” 

“Miharu’s...” Liselotte gulped. Unfortunately, there were no snacks in this room, and the only thing on the table was their tea. This would be the perfect snack to go alone with it. 

“You chant Conditum to put it away,” Rio said flatly, storing the chocolate plate back inside the Time-Space Cache. 

“Ah...” Liselotte let out a half-surprised, half-disappointed sound. 

“Dissolvo. Please have it with your tea, if you’d like,” Rio chuckled as he brought out the plate again. He had only put it away as a demonstration of the artifact’s effect—he intended on giving her the chocolate from the start. 

“T-Then, I shall gratefully accept one...” Liselotte shyly reached for the plate of chocolate. Knowing how delicious Miharu’s homemade sweets were, she couldn’t resist. “I-It’s so good!” 

Rio also reached for one so that Liselotte wouldn’t feel self-conscious while she ate. A sweet but not-too-thick flavor spread in his mouth. 

“It’s delicious,” Rio commented. 

“Mmm!” A sound of joy slipped out from Liselotte, who nodded enthusiastically as she beamed. Her lovely reaction made Rio smile softly. 

“Come to think of it, you said you had something you wanted to discuss too?” 

“I wanted to ask you about the two Japanese boys that traveled with you. I don’t know if they’ve realized it yet, but the moment they hear the names of Ricca Guild’s products, they’ll notice the use of Earth words in the product names.” 

In order to prepare for that, she wanted to know what kind of people they were like. Once Liselotte answered Rio’s question, she lifted her teacup in a picture-perfect show of etiquette. 

“I see... It hasn’t been that long since I’ve met them myself, but I don’t think either of them are bad people. Kouta is a honest person with a strong sense of justice, and Rei can be a little silly at times, but he watches his surroundings carefully and is always considerate of Kouta. The only thing you have to be wary of is that the two of them are completely normal Japanese high school students, so they’re not really familiar with this world...” 

Perhaps that was why Rui was so worried about Kouta and Rei, Rio thought. 

“Do you know what they plan on doing after this?” 

“I don’t think either of them have decided yet. But it’s very likely they’ll end up joining the Restoration, I believe...” Rio answered, thinking back to how their conversation with Rui made it seem like they left the castle in a spur of the moment decision. Christina had also said they were stowaways on the enchanted ship. 

“I understand. Thank you for telling me this.” 

“I hope it helped.” 

“Yes. I have no intention of telling them about my past life for now, but depending on how it goes in the future, I may reveal things to them.” 

They had only just met, so this was probably the most appropriate decision. 

“Out of curiosity, how would you have explained your company’s secret if someone untrustworthy asks about the products?” Rio inquired with interest. 

“The explanation I have prepared is that the production method was recorded in ancient documents that were discovered. I’ve also prepared those documents.” 

“You’ve covered it all.” 

Since there were Japanese people who had transferred into this world in the present, it wouldn’t be a stretch to think similar people had done so in the past. 

“It was a huge pain to create, though.” Liselotte smiled bitterly, recalling how she made the documents. She couldn’t let anyone realize the handwriting was her own, so she had Aria pen the documents on her behalf, but it took quite some time to make it look convincing. 

“Would you like me to indirectly mention that to the two of them?” Rio suggested. 

“I appreciate the concern, but I want to try talking to them myself. I’ll see if I can arrange some time to have a chat with them,” Liselotte shook her head, turning down Rio’s offer. After that, they continued their conversation for a little longer. 

 

A few minutes later, they finished their chat and Rio left the room to find Cosette and Chloe waiting in front of Liselotte’s room. 

“Hello, the two of you are here as well?” he called out to them. 

“Good day, Sir Haruto. We were waiting for you. None of us recalled showing you to your room and we couldn’t find you anywhere in the fortress, so we were wondering if you were with our master,” Cosette answered with a cheerful grin pasted on her face. 

Why was Sir Haruto in Lady Liselotte’s room? With just the two of them. She looked at her master with an expression of protest. 

“Oh, good timing. Chloe, show Sir Haruto to his room,” Liselotte said, smoothly ignoring Cosette’s gaze. 

“Yes, ma’am. Sir Haruto, please come this way.” Chloe immediately moved, inviting Rio along. 

“Well then. Liselotte, Cosette, please excuse me here.” Rio gave his farewells without realizing the exchange going on behind the smiles of the master and attendant. 

“Please enjoy your time here and rest,” Liselotte replied with a bright expression. Then, as soon as Rio and Chloe disappeared down the corridor and out of sight— 

“Hey, why didn’t you let me show Sir Haruto the way? And more importantly, why were you two meeting alone? In Lady Liselotte’s room, no less,” Cosette protested. 

“There weren’t enough people, so I simply dealt with it accordingly. I also had something to discuss with him. You knew that too, which is why you were waiting in front of my room, no?” 

“Hmph. Still, inviting someone into the room of a high-ranked noblewoman with no attendants around is a clear display of favor towards them. Why haven’t I heard that you have Sir Haruto in your sights? That means I have no hope!” 

“I don’t recall saying that I liked Sir Haruto in that way, though.” Liselotte’s reply was nonchalant, as if to say that she shouldn’t misunderstand. 

I wonder if it’s even being conveyed... My favor? she questioned, evading Cosette’s gaze. She had been raised with zero experience in love in both her previous and present life, so she lacked knowledge in that area. 

“I know you don’t recall saying it. We don’t recall hearing it either, after all. The problem is whether you favor him or not,” Cosette pressed Liselotte forcefully. 

“Enough of this—we’re going. I want to see the two boys that arrived with Sir Haruto. You—come along.” Liselotte started walking briskly, a faint blush on her cheeks. Cosette puffed up her cheeks with a “Hmph!” and followed after her. 

 

Around the time Rio arrived at Liselotte’s room, Christina and Duke Huguenot were meeting in a drawing room. 

For Charles and Sir Emarle to be taken prisoner... Princess Christina sure obtained some outrageous souvenirs. Princess Flora is easier to deal with, and the way she sits still without moving is truly convenient, but... Her demerits have enough merits to overlook. The problem is the amount of power she’s given, Duke Huguenot thought in the time before the conversation started. 

“I shall now excuse myself here. If you need anything, I will be waiting outside the room.” 

Natalie had been preparing tea for them, but she naturally couldn’t stay and listen to the conversation between two foreign nobles, so she voluntarily exited the room. This left Christina and Duke Huguenot alone to finally start their conversation. 

“If I may express my amazement, Your Highness: for Charles Arbor and Sir Alfred to both be captured as prisoners... It’s a splendid feat,” Duke Huguenot said as soon as the door closed. 

“The one who apprehended them was Sir Amakawa, not myself,” Christina replied coolly. 

“However, getting acquainted with him and tasking him with your safety was all Your Highness’ skill. I thought it was such a shame that the Galarc Kingdom acquired him already, but then Your Highness brought him out as a trump card. And I hear the three other girls are also skilled enchanted sword wielders? Celia is the genius sorcerer from our kingdom, too. There’d be nothing more delightful than to have them all join the Restoration, wouldn’t you say?” Duke Huguenot raised both his arms. 

The Restoration had been concerned by their lack of reliable personnel who were skilled in combat and sorcery. If that insufficiency could be amended in a single go, he would have no choice but to welcome them all wholeheartedly, even though Christina had the potential of becoming a thorn in his side. 

“It’s still too early to say that. Professor Celia aside, Sir Amakawa and the other three girls are not nobles of the Beltrum Kingdom. I am indebted to them, but they are still outsiders. There’s no guarantee they will continue cooperating with the Restoration in the future. You shouldn’t assume otherwise,” Christina warned stiffly. 

“However... Didn’t Sir Amakawa kidnap Celia from the ceremony in order to strike a blow to the Arbor faction’s influence and serve in guarding Your Highness?” 

They must have had some political interest in common for him to have offered his support, and so there should be a way to continue receiving his support, Duke Huguenot implied in his question. 

“The common interest that made Sir Amakawa and the girls cooperate with us is unrelated to our goal of reducing the Arbor faction’s power.” 

“By which you mean...?” 

Christina hesitated, wondering if she should stay quiet about Haruto and Celia’s relationship, but realized the way they interacted with each other made it fairly obvious. With that thought, she decided to say it—it also made her story coherent and served as a warning. “Professor Celia’s rescue.” 

“I could tell Celia and Sir Amakawa are close by watching them, but what exactly is their relationship?” 

“Professor Celia is Sir Amakawa’s savior. Although, it seems that now she is the one feeling more indebted to him.” 

“Well, it would be difficult to repay a debt as large as Sir Amakawa’s achievements... However, he isn’t the kind of person to think his debt is repaid so easily, is he?” Duke Huguenot asked, implying that this was their chance to get him on their side. 

“Right... That’s why there’s no way he’d oppose us as long as Professor Celia joins the Restoration. But if we ever harmed her in any way, that sword of his would be pointed right at us without a hint of mercy,” Christina cut in sharply. 

“Of course, we have no intention of harming Celia...” Duke Huguenot shrugged his shoulders with a nihilistic smile. 

“Naturally. But there’s no guarantee that someone else in the Restoration won’t harass Professor Celia in order to gain Sir Amakawa’s cooperation, is there?” 

“We wouldn’t allow something like that, but...” Duke Huguenot didn’t deny the possibility. 

“You need to keep a thoroughly watchful eye on things, so that no such fools appear. Professor Celia will be under my protection hereafter, so I will be merciless in my judgments against anything strange.” 

Whether that was an order or a warning was unclear. 

“That sounds rather overprotective. Will you be giving Celia your patronage, then?” Duke Huguenot asked jokingly. 

“Isn’t that a given? Sir Amakawa easily brushed aside the elite squad of knights and sorcerers that Charles led, shut down Alfred and Sir Shigekura in a head-on fight, and made 5,000 soldiers tremble in fear. It would be best to keep a favorable relationship with someone like that. Which is why Professor Celia will be the most important person in our connection to Sir Amakawa. I thought you would have understood this much.” 

“I am aware of this, but I know many are anticipating Sir Amakawa’s assistance as well. In my humble opinion, we should be pursuing a favorable relationship more proactively...” 

“I agree... That’s why I won’t go as far as to say that we should give up. However, I can’t approve of persistent attempts to solicit him when he isn’t interested. This is a matter of showing Sir Amakawa our good faith in order to win over as much of his trust as we can. That’s why I’ll say this again: you need to watch that no such fools appear,” Christina said, strongly emphasizing her point. 

“Understood. Being too persistent and creating animosity would indeed be a foolish plan. For the time being, I shall keep it at an invitation to Rodania and a seat at the celebration.” Duke Huguenot placed his hand on his chest and nodded respectfully. 

That’s quite some enthusiasm on her part, but I understand her reasoning. He defeated a hero—one of the living legends in this world—and Sir Emarle, Beltrum’s strongest. Possibly Strahl’s strongest. His achievements this time will raise his name even further... He’s a piece that I want to obtain no matter what. 

Duke Huguenot thought to himself with his face ducked down. However, he understood that using forceful methods against Haruto, who was currently as famous as a hero, would be a bad move. He was a desirable combat force, and Duke Huguenot would have all the options in the world if Flora had been the one opposing him, but he couldn’t take such risks against Christina. 

I wonder what kind of face this man would make if he knew the incident his son made a mess of was what drove such a person out of the Beltrum Kingdom? And how would he move afterwards...? No, there’s no proof Sir Haruto is the same person. There’s no point in thinking about it, Christina thought, then immediately erased those thoughts herself. 

This much warning should be enough to hold Duke Huguenot back. All that’s left is Flora. Perhaps she... 

There were several things about the earlier discussion that bothered Christina—she’d have to confirm them later. She ended that train of thought there and returned her focus to the person sitting opposite her. There were still things she needed to ask. 

“In addition to this, I’d like to hear about the events that occurred while I was away.” 

“Why, the most notable event would be Your Highness’s arrival with Charles Arbor in tow as prisoner, but...” Duke Huguenot placed a hand over his mouth in thought. “First, as I’m sure you’ve heard already, Princess Flora was kidnapped by a man named Lucius in Amande. And...” He stared closely at Christina’s face. 

I heard about that from Sir Amakawa on the way here, but I’ll ask Flora for the details later. 

“And? What else?” Christina asked while concurrently thinking to herself. 

“Princess Flora and Sir Hiroaki are now engaged.” 

Christina’s expression flickered. “...What did you just say?” 

“After the banquet, marriage offers for Sir Hiroaki increased rapidly. This was decided just the other day, when we decided that it would be bad to prolong the decision of Sir Hiroaki’s first wife. Sir Hiroaki and Princess Flora have both given their agreement, and King Francois of Galarc has been informed,” Duke Huguenot reported eloquently. 

“Has it been announced publicly?” Christina asked in a stiff voice. 

“No. It hasn’t been announced yet, and not even Liselotte should be aware of it yet. The plan was to make the announcement upon arriving back in Rodania.” 

“...” Christina fell silent. Political marriages were the natural duty of women in royalty and nobility, but marriage was still too early for Flora. That’s what her heart was telling her, but was she just being a needlessly worried sister? 

Flora surely didn’t have any other choice. She must have accepted the engagement prepared for her without knowing anything about what marriage involved. 

“Is there anything problematic about it?” Duke Huguenot asked innocently. With Hiroaki’s agreement and Francois’ knowledge about the engagement, not even the First Princess Christina could make an objection so easily. The duke was asking this while knowing that. Besides, it was only logical to offer something commensurate when trying to obtain beneficial personnel. 

If Princess Flora and Sir Hiroaki’s engagement works out, it’ll make it easier for me to intervene. It was worth rushing the engagement. 

Duke Huguenot chuckled amiably. 

“...No, I was just a little surprised.” Christina shook her head with the utmost calmness. There was no telling what Hiroaki would hear if she got emotional and said the wrong thing here. That’s why she had no other choice right now. 

If only... If only I had come a bit sooner... 

She would have been able to take her place. She would have been able to lighten Flora’s burden. Christina cursed her own helplessness from the bottom of her heart. 

 

Meanwhile, in the meeting room beside Christina and Duke Huguenot, Celia and Aria were holding their long awaited reunion. 

“I feared for you when you were abducted from your wedding ceremony, but I’m so glad to see you safe and sound. Though I never imagined we would reunite in such a way... No, I suppose it would be more accurate to say we’ve already?” Aria smiled. 

“Ahaha... I couldn’t reveal myself as Celia Claire to anyone at the time. I’m sorry,” Celia apologized, feeling ashamed for deceiving her old friend. 

“There’s no need to apologize. If anything, I should be the one thanking you. You helped Amande when we were being attacked even at the risk of revealing yourself.” 

“I only did what was right. And the one who decided to help was Haruto. You should thank him, not me.” 

“Sir Amakawa isn’t someone I can casually request a meeting with, but if I ever have a chance to speak with him privately I shall do exactly that.” Aria nodded her head deeply, agreeing. 

“Ah, right... He’s really that remarkable now. Then I’ll mention it to him too,” Celia mumbled earnestly, pressing her hand against her chin in thought. Then she giggled as though she felt pride in that fact. 

“Yes, please do... You know, you look really happy when you talk about him,” Aria pointed out with a chuckle. 

“R... Really?” Celia was taken aback, blushing faintly. 

“Are you unaware of it?” 

“I-I’m the same as always. Totally normal. It’s only natural to be happy when someone close to you is being acknowledged.” Celia feigned a prim face as she spoke to a somewhat exasperated Aria. 

“If I may be so bold to ask... Are you and Sir Amakawa in love with each other?” 

“I-In love?!” Celia suddenly turned bright red. 

“It seems complicated circumstances are involved in the sequence of events where Sir Amakawa saved you, so naturally, there’s no need to answer if you cannot. However, as an old friend, I cannot help but feel curious about those circumstances.” 

“H-Haruto and I aren’t like that, we’re not in love or anything...” Celia said, trailing off in embarrassment. 

“I see. His feelings aside, it seems you have feelings for him.” 

“I said you’re wrong!” 

“Right, right,” Aria chuckled in understanding. 

“What about you, then?” Celia pouted her lips and probed into her old friend’s love affairs. 

“Unfortunately, my job is too busy and leaves me no time for love.” 

“But your job gives you plenty of opportunities to meet men, right?” 

“I won’t deny that, but good matches are practically nonexistent. In any case, I’m not working in order to meet men in the first place.” 

In reality, she had received many offers from men, but Aria’s resolve was strong, and she turned aside all kinds of invitations in the name of social politeness. 

“You haven’t changed at all. Don’t be so focused on your work that you miss your chance to marry,” Celia said tiredly. 

“That goes for the both of us.” 

“Ugh...” She had brought that upon herself. The retort was sharper than the enchanted sword Aria wielded. 

“At any rate, we’re both getting on in years. Let’s take care not to have any regrets.” 

“R-Right...” Celia mumbled, nodding in agreement. 



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