Chapter 5: Departure and Pursuit
Three days passed since Rio invited Christina and Flora into the stone house, and five days since the two disappeared. Flora’s condition had fully recovered, and it was finally time for them to depart for Galarc.
“Conditum.”
They exited the stone house in the morning, and Rio chanted the spell to store the stone house back in the Time-Space Cache. The air distorted, making the huge boulder disappear in an instant.
“...”
Christina and Flora blinked in surprise. The Time-Space Cache had been explained to them at some point during the past three days, but the reality of it was so detached from what seemed like common sense, they still had trouble accepting what they saw.
Rio turned back around to them. “Shall we go, then?”
“Okay.”
“Thank you for your help, Sir Haruto.”
Christina and Flora both bowed their heads.
“I’ll carry you in the same way as I did three days ago... Is that okay?” Rio confirmed with Christina. In other words, Rio would carry Christina on his back and Flora in his arms.
“I don’t mind...” Christina nodded with a faint blush, recalling the time she had clung to Rio’s back.
“Speaking of which, how did you carry us here?” Flora had been unconscious until they entered the stone house, so she cocked her head curiously.
“Respectfully, I carried Princess Christina on my back and Your Highness in my arms. Would you be okay with a similar arrangement this time?” Rio explained to Flora.
“H-Huh? Oh, b-but... Right. O-Okay. That’s fine.” Flora blushed bright red in surprise, but she soon realized there would’ve been no other way for her to be carried. In fact, she had been carried similarly back when Lucius abducted her in Amande, so there wasn’t anything for her to be shocked about. Though, it was still embarrassing.
“Well, there’s no point in standing around forever. Princess Christina, please get on first,” Rio said, offering his back to Christina.
“Right... Excuse me.” With a faint blush on her cheeks, Christina climbed onto Rio’s back.
It should be fine today. I took a bath this morning, so there’s no need to be worried about my scent, she thought to herself. Even if she had to cling to Rio’s back, she wouldn’t have to lament over the same thoughts that plagued her three days ago. However, she was still extremely nervous. Would he be able to feel her heartbeat? That was one worry that rose within her.
Now that I think about it, in this position, my chest is constantly pressed up against Sir Amakawa’s back...
She was wearing a thin dress right now, so the sensation was more obvious than the gown she wore three days ago.
Th-That should be okay, right? I’m not that big to begin with... Yeah, it’s better off this way. Flora’s bigger than me, after all...
Christina’s face stiffened in a blush, her body freezing where it was pressed up against Rio’s back.
“Princess Flora—you’re next.”
“R-Right.”
“I’m going to pick you up,” Rio said, bending forward a little to place his arms under Flora’s back and knees to scoop her up lightly.
Flora blushed, looking down as she lay in Rio’s arms. “Eek... A-Am I heavy?”
“Not at all. Your Highnesses are both very light.”
“Thank goodness...” Flora sighed in relief.
“...” In contrast, Christina clung closely to Rio’s back in silence.
“I won’t go too quickly, but please hold on tight so you don’t get thrown off.”
“Okay!” Flora replied shyly but energetically.
For the record, the coat made of Black Wyvern leather had been ripped in several places during his fight with Lucius, so Rio had swapped it out for another coat. Flora grabbed on to it.
“Umm, I don’t mind if you grab my coat, but it’d probably be safer if you held on to me,” Rio pointed out awkwardly. If she didn’t secure her upper body by holding on to him, she could be jostled quite a bit by any sudden movements.
“Wha...? Oh, o-okay! L-Like this?” Flora nervously wrapped her arms around him.
“Flora, move your hands to where my stomach is,” Christina said from Rio’s back.
“Thank you, Christina.” Flora rested her face in Rio’s chest and wrapped her arms around his back.
We must look like quite the sight... Rio thought to himself, making an awkward face. If he lowered his gaze a little he’d see Flora’s face, and Christina’s breath was against his neck, tickling him slightly. But he couldn’t let it bother him—there was no other reasonable way of carrying them.
“That should be fine. Now, let’s get going—first stop, the Rubia Kingdom.”
It was an effort to just depart, but Rio managed to set off. He kicked off the ground and it was like his feet had grown wings, lifting him into the air at a leisurely speed. The scenery around them changed in a blink of an eye.
“W-Wow! This is amazing, Sir Haruto!” Flora yelled in excitement.
Meanwhile, Christina—who had enjoyed the same scenery three days ago—was just as wide-eyed again.
“Truly, it’s beautiful... It’s a different view than what you’d see in the airship,” she muttered in a daze.
“I’ll be moving at this speed, but let me know if it’s too fast.”
Their current speed was roughly thirty kilometers per hour. It wasn’t as fast as Rio’s running speed, but it felt faster than it actually was. The princesses weren’t used to flying, so this speed should’ve been just right for them.
“I’m fine.”
“Right.”
The two of them looked around the sky in great interest as they replied, seemingly comfortable.
“Please do enjoy the journey from the sky, then.”
Thus, Rio and the girls departed for the capital of the Galarc Kingdom without any issues. Or, so they thought.
“Well, then. It’s time for me to go too.”
Observing just one kilometer away from them was Reiss, who began his pursuit.
? ?
The journey through the sky continued several hours later, with Rio descending regularly to allow Christina and Flora to rest on the ground.
The frequent breaks were partially for Christina and Flora, and partially because the two of them didn’t know the exact amount of magic essence that Rio had. He had explained spirit arts to them, but he hadn’t told them his essence was practically limitless. They would have noticed he had a tremendous amount of essence from the many spirit arts he used during his battle with Lucius, but he hadn’t explained anything to them.
“We’ll be crossing the Rubia border soon. Let’s enter the next city we see to get an accurate grasp of our location,” Rio said to the two of them as he flew.
“Okay. If it’s a city, it should have a magic artifact for transmission, so we can head for the governor’s estate as soon as we confirm we’re within Rubia,” Christina said, proposing a plan for once they arrived in the city.
“Understood.”
It was mere minutes later that they spotted a city in the direction Rio was flying. It appeared to be a fortress city—it was surrounded by stone walls and a fort-like building stood in the center.
“I’m thinking of landing there. Does that sound good to everyone?” Rio asked Christina.
“Yes please.”
“All right. I can’t land in the middle of the city, so we’ll be descending by the road. It’ll be a short walk, so please bear that in mind,” Rio said, then began his descent to the road.
? ?
After a short walk down the road, the group arrived at the fortress city and immediately headed for the fort. It was a city in a small kingdom, so it wasn’t that large. They reached the fort after only a few minutes of walking. Rio led the way, followed by Christina and Flora. There were three guards in front of the gate, and one of them called out to them as they approached.
“Stop. Outsiders aren’t allowed past this point. This isn’t a tourist spot. Leave.”
Naturally, they were turned away at the door.
“I am Haruto Amakawa, honorary knight of the Galarc Kingdom, ally of Rubia. I wish to meet the governor. Can you pass on that message?” he said, having no set appointment. The guards exchanged looks with each other.
“P-Please wait a moment...”
The three guards turned their backs on them and started whispering to each other. Rio and the princesses were currently wearing casual travel clothes, so they didn’t look like nobility. But the guards’ reactions changed the moment Rio announced his title.
“Hey, isn’t the Galarc Kingdom...”
“It’s one of our allies, like he said. A huge one too.”
“Upon closer inspection, the girls behind him are really cute as well. They must be noble ladies or something.”
“Would it be better to let them in, then?”
“Yeah. But we’ll need some kind of identification first.”
The guards whispered back and forth to each other in a short amount of time, before they whipped back around and questioned Rio politely.
“Thank you for waiting. Do you have any proof of your identity?”
“Yes. This is the emblem His Majesty bestowed me.”
Rio took the emblem out of his breast pocket and showed it to them. The guards didn’t know what the crest of Galarc’s royal family looked like, but it was clearly an expensive object, so they deemed it to be authentic.
“Indeed, this will do. Who are the other two?”
“They are the ladies of high rank that I am escorting.”
In order to avoid causing a scene, Rio avoided revealing them as Beltrum’s royal sisters.
The guards exchanged another look with each other and one stepped out to guide them. “Please, come on through. I shall show you the way.”
“My apologies for the trouble.” Rio bowed politely and followed the guard leading the way. Christina and Flora continued after him. The two remaining guards stole glances at the girls as they passed.
“Hey... Did you see that?”
“Y-Yeah. I’ve never seen such beautiful girls before.”
“Their hair was the same color and their faces looked similar... Could they be sisters?”
“Perhaps.”
There wasn’t much to gossip about in a fortress city in the countryside, and the guards had a very idle job. There were even some days where no one visited the fort. Thus, the two guards left behind started chatting to each other in excitement at the beauty of Christina and Flora.
However, as soon as Rio and the others were out of sight, another person approached the gate. It was Reiss. The two guards began whispering to each other.
“Hey, someone else is here.”
“You’re right. He looks like a traveler, but there’s something creepy about him.”
During that time, Reiss came up to them.
“Hello. I’m Jean Bernard, advisor to Princess Sylvie and a noble of the royal court.”
In order to enter the fort after Rio, Reiss revealed his position in the Rubia Kingdom.
? ?
Rio and the princesses were led to a drawing room of the fort. The three sat down on the sofa and waited.
“Hello, hello, I’m sorry for the wait. I heard Galarc’s honorary knight was here? I’m the governor of this city, Marco Tonteri. I believe you said your name was...”
The door to the drawing room opened to reveal a plump man in his middle years. There was a layer of sweat over his forehead as he humbly sought a handshake from Rio first. When he spotted Christina and Flora, a faint light sparkled in his eye.
Rio stood up to accept the handshake from Marco. “Haruto Amakawa. I apologize for visiting unannounced.”
“Not at all. What business would an esteemed honorary knight have with a governor of the countryside like me?” Marco cocked his head in wonder. He glanced at Christina and Flora, who flanked Rio’s sides on the sofa.
“I have an urgent message I need to send to the capital of the Galarc Kingdom. May I use the transmitter in this city to contact the capital?” Rio asked.
“I see. If it’s the request of an honorary knight from an ally, then it would be my honor,” Marco agreed easily.
“Thank you very much. If I may ask, how long does it take for a message to reach Galarc from Rubia?”
“The message can arrive as early as today, but if you’re expecting a reply from the other side, then it will probably arrive tomorrow...”
If the message Rio was about to send reached Galarc’s royal castle, there was no way for Galarc to confirm the truth of the message. Since the receiver wouldn’t be able to verify the identity of the sender, the credibility of the message was an issue.
That being said, neither Galarc nor the Restoration would be able to ignore any news of Christina and Flora in their current state, so it would at least delay things from taking an unhelpful turn before they could make it back.
It was already afternoon. Sunset was still a fair way off, but it would start to darken in a few hours, so it would be strange for them to leave the city at this hour to continue their journey.
“In that case, may I visit the fort again tomorrow morning?”
They could afford to wait one night for a reply from the Galarc Castle before departing in the morning.
“Of course—that wouldn’t be a problem. Do you have any plans after this?”
“Not in particular. I’m actually in the middle of escorting these two ladies on a journey, but we won’t be traveling further today, so I was thinking of finding an inn for us.”
“I shall refrain from prying further, as it seems you have your own circumstances you’re dealing with... I cannot allow our guests from Galarc to go without shelter, but I’m afraid this fort isn’t furnished with guest rooms for nobility. I shall arrange accommodations for you at an inn, so please stay there,” Marco offered. Christina had explained on the road that it was noble etiquette to accept accommodation offers from a host if you didn’t have a prior arrangement—even though it would be more comfortable to stay outside the city in the stone house.
“We’ll accept your kind offer.” Rio bowed.
“It’s a simple city with nothing to see, so allow me to prepare some entertainment for you after you have finished sending your message. Would you like to join me for dinner?”
“Yes, thank you very much for the offer.”
He wasn’t very comfortable with talking to an unfamiliar noble, but declining the offer of someone doing them a favor would be rude. Besides, Marco had an overwhelming lack of information regarding Rio’s party. They managed to get this far smoothly just by the possibility of Rio being an honorary knight of a large allied nation, but Marco probably wanted to know a bit more.
If Rio rejected him here, they would seem suspicious. A conversation with Marco was unavoidable.
“Now, please write your message down on this paper. Ah, I’m sure you’re aware of this already, but transmission artifacts can only send a maximum of one hundred letters at a time, so please keep that in mind.” Marco handed Rio writing tools and paper for him to write his message.
“Thank you very much. If you don’t mind...”
Rio must have had his message decided in advance, as his hand moved without pause.
King Francois.
The two VIPs you want are safe. On the way back now.
Honorary Knight Haruto Amakawa.
“Please send this.” Rio held the paper out to Marco.
“Understood.” Marco accepted the paper and read over the words carefully. There was nothing written that shouldn’t be read—the message was going to be revealed to every city along the transmission line anyway, so there was nothing to worry about there.
Just then, a knock came.
“Excuse me.” A soldier of the fort hurried inside.
“I’m in the middle of a meeting with an important guest here.” Marco glared at the soldier to scold his lack of consideration.
“M-My sincerest apologies. There is a matter requiring your urgent attention, Sir.” The guard approached Marco in his chair beside the doorway and started whispering in his ear.
“What...? Ugh, all right. I’ll be there immediately.”
Marco puffed up with a sullen look and sighed. “I’m sorry to interrupt our conversation, Sir Amakawa—I haven’t even greeted your two acquaintances properly yet. I’m afraid some urgent business has come up.”
He bowed his head to his guests across from him.
“No, I’m sure you have many duties as a governor. We’re the ones who intruded without warning, so please prioritize your work,” Rio said on behalf of his side.
“Much obliged. I shall return after sending this message. Would you be all right with relaxing in this room until I am done?” Marco folded the paper and put it in his pocket.
“Yes, we would be happy to. Thank you for attending to the message.” Staying in the room would be the least tiring option for Rio and the girls.
“Please excuse me.”
With those words, Marco left the room with the soldier.
? ?
Marco exited the drawing room, leaving Rio and the girls behind. As soon as he did so, he was approached by the figure waiting in the hallway.
“Long time no see, Lord Tonteri.”
“Why, if it isn’t Sir Jean Bernard. It’s been a while,” Marco said.
It was Reiss, though he was using the alias of a Rubian noble named Jean Bernard.
“My apologies for calling you out in the middle of a meeting,” Reiss apologized politely.
“Not at all. What business would a noble of Princess Sylvie’s court have here?”
“I have something to discuss with you regarding the guests you were just dealing with.”
“Is that so?” Marco looked back at the drawing room door and tilted his head.
“There’s a young boy and two young girls. The boy is the honorary knight of the Galarc Kingdom named Haruto Amakawa—am I correct?”
“Y-Yes... How did you know that?”
“What is their purpose here? Did you hear anything about their plans?” Reiss asked with a sly grin.
“They wish to send a message to the Galarc Kingdom through our transmission artifact. I will be arranging an inn for them to stay at while they wait for a response, but it seems they plan on leaving this city tomorrow...” Marco took the message paper out of his pocket and held it up.
“I see. What was the message?”
“It’s a report for the King of Galarc. It says he’s secured two important figures and will be bringing them to the castle soon. I believe he means the two girls with him, but... Is there something wrong with that?” Marco asked, suspecting the implication behind Reiss’s prying.
“This is highly confidential, but...”
Marco waved away the soldiers nearby. “You lot can leave.”
Reiss made sure that there was no one left in the hallway. “For now, do not send that message to Galarc. But tell them that you have done so,” he ordered him.
Marco was taken aback for a moment, but then chuckled awkwardly. “You must be joking. If they find out I did such a thing, the Galarc Kingdom might retaliate against us, right?” he asked.
“It’s not a joke. I have no time to explain, either,” Reiss said in a completely serious tone. He then grabbed Marco’s head with his right hand.
“Wh-What?! The disrespect...!” Marco struggled for Reiss to release him, but Reiss’s right hand was like a vise around his head. A dim glow of light shone from Reiss’s palm.
“Ugh...” Marco’s body jolted, then collapsed towards the floor.
“Whoa, there... I see he’s as heavy as he appears.” Reiss gently caught Marco’s bulky body, lending him his shoulder to lean on. He then snatched the paper from Marco’s hand and started down the hallway.
“Is there anyone there?” he called. He turned the corner and went down the hallway.
“Yes...? Huh? Governor?”
A patrolling soldier spotted the two of them and rushed over. “You’re...a guest, right?” the soldier asked Reiss dubiously.
“Yes. My name is Jean Bernard, and I’m a noble of the royal court. I was discussing important matters with Lord Tonteri when he suddenly collapsed—it seems he’s been lacking sleep. Where can I find his bedroom?” Reiss explained the situation to the soldier in an exasperated tone.
“Huh...” The soldier cocked his head, wondering if that was even possible.
“Zzz... Zzz...” Marco snored in his sleep.
“Ha ha... I see. What a terrible snorer,” the soldier snickered inappropriately, before covering his mouth with a gasp. “Oh, please pretend you didn’t hear that.”
“Of course. I was just thinking the same,” Reiss agreed with a chuckle.
“Heh. Right, so the governor’s room is right over there. Let me assist you.” The soldier nearly snickered again, but quickly moved to support Marco on the other side of Reiss. They arrived at Marco’s bedroom in less than a minute and laid him down on the bed.
“Good work. With Lord Tonteri like this, I shall go to the deputy governor and explain the situation. You should head to the drawing room and inform Lord Tonteri’s guests that some urgent business has come up, then show them to an inn. Oh, and tell them that their message has been sent,” Reiss said.
“Understood, sir. Please come this way,” the soldier said respectfully, then began to show Reiss the way.
After that, Reiss went to find the deputy governor of the fort and explained the necessary facts. After carefully laying the groundwork to prevent problems from occurring later, he left the fort. Once he was out of the fortress city, he relocated to the nearby forest.
“Instans Motus.” Taking a teleport crystal out of his breast pocket, he vanished instantly. His destination was still within the Rubia Kingdom—a room of Jean Bernard’s house in the capital. It was essentially a vacant home with no one managing the premises.
“Now, it’s time to win over the hero and Princess Sylvie with Princess Estelle as the reward. I’ll also need to bring Arein and the others along. Time to get things done.”
Reiss left his estate and headed for the castle.
? ?
Thus, Reiss visited the Rubia Castle. His position as Jean Bernard was fabricated, but it had its uses within the castle as well. Most people didn’t know of his circumstances and respected him as a noble.
“Your Highness, Reiss has arrived. He’s waiting in the drawing room...”
Reiss had gone through the castle gate to meet with Sylvie. On behalf of her personal knights, Elena went to the room Sylvie had shut herself in to report the situation.
“I’ll head there immediately.”
Sylvie had been seated on the sofa gazing out of the window somberly, but when she heard Elena’s words, she stood up and sighed heavily. It took her a few minutes to relocate.
“Sorry to keep you waiting,” Sylvie entered the drawing room and addressed Reiss flatly.
“Not at all. Thank you for arriving so promptly,” Reiss said, standing up from his chair and replying with a friendly smile.
“Are you here for Renji?” Sylvie cut to the chase to ask whether he was here for his subordinate. She made her way to the seat across from Reiss and sat down. At that, Reiss also sat back down.
“That’s part of it, but I was thinking our relationship could move on to the next stage as well,” Reiss said with a grin.
Sylvie immediately frowned. “The next stage of our relationship...?”
“The current state of the Rubia Kingdom is extremely unstable, don’t you think?”
“Whose fault do you think that is?” Sylvie said coldly.
“It’s because the Rubia Kingdom is a minor nation, of course,” Reiss stated without fear.
“...” Sylvie glared at Reiss in seething anger. She could normally endure things with just a furrowed brow, but her aura was more hostile than usual today.
“With the king in such bad health, you’re handling half of this kingdom’s duties right now. I’m sure you’re more than just a little overworked,” Reiss said with a cool face, as though he was reciting his words.
“I’m in an irritable mood right now. I have no intention of entertaining your disdainful, long-winded speeches. Get to the point.”
“In that case, I shall ask frankly: are you siding with the Galarc Kingdom, or are you swapping loyalties to the Proxia Empire? I would appreciate a straight answer,” Reiss said boldly.
“I’m afraid I can’t make that decision by myself,” Sylvie answered.
“And I’m saying it’s about time you stopped making excuses. Like I said already, it’s time we moved to the next stage of our relationship.” Reiss wouldn’t allow Sylvie to brush off his question.
“In that case, stop putting on that act. Like I said already, get to the point.” Sylvie stared directly back at Reiss.
“I wasn’t putting on an act, but... Ah, I suppose this must be a bad habit of mine. Allow me to rephrase my question, then. Does the Rubia Kingdom have any intention of changing sides from Galarc to Proxia?”
“It depends on the conditions.”
“Well, that’s a welcome change from your attitude in the beginning. We haven’t known each other for that long, but I guess all our interactions have added up to something.” Reiss smiled pleasantly.
In contrast, Sylvie sneered. “Ha.”
“I suppose your change of heart is due to the hero’s defeat the other day.”
“I haven’t changed at all. I still hate you as much as ever. The ways of the Empire too,” Sylvie said, distinctly denying Reiss’s observation.
“I find that resolute disposition of yours to be extremely favorable. Your lack of a scheming side makes you very easy to deal with.”
“That’s because I hate people like you, who have nothing but a scheming side.”
“I hear that a lot.”
“Not that it matters now. Get back to the point,” Sylvie sighed.
“Straightforward is what you want, yes? Then if I may ask, what kind of conditions would make you swap sides from Galarc to Proxia?”
“There are several... But first, we do not want to form an alliance with a country we cannot understand. What merit does the Proxia side gain by having a minor nation like Rubia as an ally? Why are you so concerned about our kingdom?” She wouldn’t allow him to lie his way out of this, and she stared at him to emphasize that.
“Hmm... Then let’s have a bit of a heart-to-heart, shall we? The answer is extremely simple, though—the reason why Rubia caught my eye was because you started to form a favorable friendship with the hero, Renji,” Reiss replied smoothly.
“Wh-What...?” The unexpected answer left Sylvie dumbfounded.
“The Proxia Empire wanted a hero, you see, but unfortunately there weren’t any that were summoned within the country’s borders. So I kept an eye on all the heroes summoned in the nearby countries, and that was when I discovered him.” Reiss continued his explanation with no regard for Sylvie’s state of shock.
“I believe I found him shortly before meeting you, I think? But it was evident that Renji had a tricky personality to deal with. The fact that he was working as an adventurer meant he probably had no intention of allying with your kingdom, but just as I was trying to work out a solution, I learned that he had met you and developed a friendship. And so I thought I could use that,” Reiss concluded.
“Disgusting. You’re revolting,” Sylvie cut in.
“Oh, was I a little too direct? I thought you wanted to understand my intentions.”
“It’s fine... But I still don’t get it. What did you think you could use?”
“Of course, I thought I could use hostages.”
“You mean Estelle?”
“And you as well. People can function as hostages even without being abducted. In addition to Estelle, you’ve also become an irreplaceable existence to the hero Renji, you realize? Enough for him to fight for your sake,” Reiss said knowingly.
“Did you predict this situation from the moment you kidnapped Estelle...?” In other words, had he lured Renji into witnessing the hostage situation, then made him lose to Lucius in order to gain a subordinate?
“Yes. Thanks to that, as long as the Rubia Kingdom joins sides with Proxia, we’ll be able to suppress the risk of the hero rebelling. Wouldn’t you agree?” Reiss said smoothly, as though it was obvious that was the reasoning behind the Proxia Empire’s actions.
Sylvie spat out her feelings bitterly. “Honestly, you’re revolting...”
Apparently that was praise to Reiss, who thanked her with a smile. “I’m honored to receive such praise.”
“...” Sylvie frowned, unable to speak further.
“Have I fulfilled your condition of understanding my intentions?” Reiss asked.
Sylvie nodded with a furrowed brow. “I suppose you could say that...”
“In that case, allow me to offer some attractive benefits in anticipation of the Rubia Kingdom’s cooperation,” Reiss said, changing the topic. “First, if the Rubia Kingdom ever faces conflict with an enemy hereafter, the Proxia Empire will dispatch its Winged Knights to assist in dispatching the enemy forces. We’ll also send over enough demi-dragons to form a small squadron for your army. On top of this, we’ll provide a large amount of funds and resources to assist in the technological development of the kingdom,” he listed.
Sylvie gulped in spite of herself. “That’s an unbelievable offer...”
It was practically unheard of for a major nation to offer a minor nation such favorable conditions. The Galarc Kingdom certainly hadn’t done this much for Rubia.
“I can offer more benefits than that too. Such as returning the person you personally want the most, for example,” Reiss said suggestively.
Sylvie gasped. “You’ll hand Estelle back to us...?”
“Indeed. If you cooperate in resolving a problem I’m dealing with right now, I can return her as early as tomorrow—even without your answer on your kingdom’s official stance.” Reiss grinned eerily.
“...” Sylvie’s face stiffened—she was containing herself from reflexively agreeing with his conditions.
“How about it? The problem I’m dealing with is rather urgent, you see. Even if I receive the hero’s assistance, I still need to relocate to where my other subordinates are waiting. If I cannot receive an answer from you tonight, I’m afraid Princess Estelle’s return will have to be delayed to another day...” Reiss said, indirectly pressing Sylvie for an answer.
“I cannot make a decision without hearing the details. Tell me more,” Sylvie said with a serious expression.
Reiss chuckled, then began to explain the circumstances. “Why, it’s nothing that can’t be solved as long as the Rubia Kingdom allies with Proxia. You see, there’s a certain knight of the Galarc Kingdom staying within Rubian territory right now...”
? ?
That night, someone from the fort arranged an inn for Rio, Christina, and Flora to stay in. They were to check for a reply from Galarc in the morning, but if they left it until too late it’d be noontime, so they set off for the fort a little earlier. The inn they stayed at was the best one in the city, and they arrived at the fort in no time at all.
“Did you sleep well last night?” Rio asked Christina and Flora during the short walk.
“It wasn’t as nice as the bed in your house, but I slept soundly,” said Christina.
“Me too. I’ve grown used to taking baths these past few days, so the ones here felt unsatisfactory,” Flora answered with a giggle.
“I feel the same about the baths. Considering how we need to return to Rodania, you might be getting too used to them. There are no facilities like that in Rodania, after all,” Christina said with a wry smile.
Just then, the gate of the fort came into view. They crossed the bridge before the gate to find the same gatekeeper as yesterday standing there.
“Go on through.” He took a look at their faces and allowed them through without a fuss.
We just came yesterday, so it isn’t strange that he remembers our faces, but...wasn’t his expression a little stiff? Did he work through the night?
Rio noticed the guard’s face was oddly tense as he passed him. However, he didn’t pay it any further mind and led the way through the gate. There was an open courtyard past the gate where the sun shone brightly. There was no sign of anyone else in the courtyard, but when they progressed farther forward into the fort, they found three swordsmen dressed in coats. Furthermore, the fortress walls and watchtowers were lined with a crowd of soldiers. Among them was Marco, the governor who had welcomed them yesterday. He looked down on them with a conflicted expression.
What?
It was at this point that Rio raised his guard; he released his magic essence into the air and melded it into the atmosphere. He then activated his spirit arts to search within a radius of over ten meters.
Then, the door of the gate slammed down behind them.
“Huh?”
“Eek!”
Christina’s and Flora’s shaken voices could be heard from behind Rio.
There are soldiers outside the gate, but none behind us. They closed the gate, so they won’t be coming in. The enemy is only to the front and along the walls...
Rio had gathered his thoughts that far, when the soldiers on the fort walls drew back their bows and fired their arrows at once.
“Stay behind me,” Rio said to the two behind him. An uncountable volley of arrows came flying.
“Huh?!”
Rio drew his sword and created a sphere of wind around Christina and Flora, protecting them. The rain of arrows had their trajectory altered by the wind wall and stabbed into the ground. The soldiers gazed at the scene in dumbfounded silence.
“Bastard! How dare ya kill the captain!”
The largest of the three coat-clad swordsmen standing ten meters before Rio removed his hood and yelled at him.
He was the one with Reiss when we were moving from Cleia to Rodania...
Arein, Lucci, Ven. Lucius’s three subordinates. The three of them drew their swords and chanted a spell together.
“Augendae Corporis!”
They use their enchanted swords together with their physical ability enhancements to become twice as strong, if I recall correctly.
Rio immediately recalled the way they fought and poured magic essence into his sword. At the same time, Arein and the others split up and closed in on Rio from three directions. Rio braced his sword and swung it not at the three of them, but towards the sky overhead. A tremendous explosion thundered, sending a fierce gale of cold air through the area.
“Wha?!”
Rio’s attack had been directed at a boy holding a halberd. He had been hidden on top of the gate in order to ambush them. His eyes were widened at how easily his surprise attack had been defended against. Despite the fact he swung his halberd with the momentum of his fall from above, the boy lost in strength and was pushed back.
“Guh!”
He was thrown slightly off balance and landed back on top of the gate. It was then that Rio was able to see his opponent’s face—it was Kikuchi Renji, the Japanese boy summoned as a hero.
“The fifth hero...?” Rio murmured to himself as he spotted his clearly Japanese appearance and the divine-looking halberd in his hand.
Renji looked down at Rio with a sharp glare.
“Hey, rookie! That was pathetic!” Lucci yelled angrily at Renji.
“Hmph...” Renji snorted unhappily and lifted his halberd.
That distortion of mana and the cold wind from the first attack... He can control air.
Rio poured essence into his sword once more.
“Photon Projectilis!”
Arein and the men used the photon bullet spell to attack. With his attention on Renji, Rio came under concentrated fire. However, he concentrated the wind wall around him towards the front and blocked it.
At the same time, countless spears of ice fell from above—those came from Renji. Rio swung his sword and released a wind-clad strike to repel the spears.
“Tch.” Renji backed away in a hurry, hiding from the projectiles.
Neither the boy above, the three men in front, nor the soldiers on the wall are getting close. How troublesome. They’re focused only on provoking me. For a group that was waiting in ambush, they’re surprisingly cautious.
Rio analyzed the enemy’s tactics. Because he had to protect Christina and Flora, he was in a similar situation to when he fought Lucius. He’d be able to crush them individually if he could move freely, but with people to protect, his movement was limited. However, they weren’t as threatening as Lucius, who had been able to move through space.
“Are you two okay?” Rio asked the two behind him.
“Yes,” Christina answered. She held Flora in her arms to protect her.
“The three men in front of me are Lucius’s subordinates, and the one on top of the gate is probably the fifth hero. They also seem to have the Rubian soldiers of the fort on their side... I don’t understand what’s going on,” Rio said to them.
“Sir Amakawa, is there anything we can do?”
“Can the two of you use barrier magic? And preferably keep it up for thirty seconds?”
Christina and Flora exchanged a look before nodding. “Yes...”
“At my signal, stand back-to-back inside the gate and use that magic. I’ll reduce the enemy’s forces in thirty seconds.”
If the enemy wasn’t going to make the first move, then he would.
Christina gulped. “I understand. We’re ready whenever,” she replied.
“Then... Go!” Rio said loudly.
“Let’s do this, Flora!”
“Right!”
Christina and Flora stood back-to-back inside the gate. “Magicae Murum!” they chanted together. A magic circle immediately appeared before the two girls, creating a giant wall of light in front of them.
Rio felt the wave of magic essence behind him and sent a burst of wind at the three men coming to attack him.
“Ngh...”
The three of them leaped high and avoided the attack, but Rio kicked off the ground and approached Lucci, who was directly before him.
“Ha! This is for the captain!” Lucci grinned fiercely, swinging his sword at Rio’s approach. Their swords clashed with each other, but Rio won in strength and knocked Lucci’s sword away, sending him crashing into the wall.
“Urgh, damn it...” Lucci’s face twisted in vexation. At this point, Rio’s attention was turned to Ven, who was still in the air from his leap and couldn’t move. He sent essence into his sword and pointed the tip at him.
“Hah...!” He fired a blast of wind to blow Ven back to the wall. There didn’t seem to be any formidable opponents amongst the fort soldiers, leaving only Arein and Renji. At this point, only ten seconds had passed.
“Rookie! Get the princesses!” Arein landed on the ground and yelled at Renji on top of the gate.
“Tch...” Renji hesitated for a moment, then leapt down from the gate. He poured essence into the halberd in his hand to attack the magic barrier that Christina had up.
Christina stiffened. “Eek...!”
“What?!”
However, the tip of the halberd Renji swung down was frozen just inches before grazing the wall. Rio had squeezed himself between them and caught the halberd with his sword.
Lifting his blade vertically upwards, he deflected the halberd away. With a quick step backwards, Renji tried to gain distance from Rio, but Rio tackled Renji’s undefended torso with his back.
“Guh...!” The force was diminished thanks to the backstep, but Renji was still blown away dramatically.
“Wh-What’s with this guy...?” Renji picked himself up after rolling across the ground and questioned Arein beside him.
Arein glared at Rio in detestation. “Hah! He’s the one who killed the man you lost to.”
“What...?” Renji’s eyes shook.
“You can disperse the barrier for now. Stay hidden underneath the gate, but be careful of the enemies on the other side.”
Rio watched Renji and Arein as he stood before the gate, blocking their way to the princesses he was speaking to. He sent essence into his sword in order to be able to react at a moment’s notice.
“Okay.” As soon as they replied, Christina and Flora dispersed the magic barrier they had set up.
“It’s infuriating, but he’s got a monstrous amount of strength. Completely different from you. You couldn’t even protect Princess Sylvie and Princess Estelle, huh?” Arein said to Renji with a mocking sneer.
Renji glared back at him. “Shut up...” He then turned to glare at Rio.
I understand the mercenaries’ hostility, but why does the hero have so much aggression towards me? Maybe I should dig a little deeper, Rio wondered to himself, then made a decision.
“Are you the hero of the Rubia Kingdom?” he asked, looking at Renji.
“Hmph.” Renji merely huffed sullenly.
“I failed to inform you yesterday, but the two people with me are the Beltrum Kingdom’s Princess Christina and Princess Flora. Am I correct in assuming this attack is made with that knowledge?” Rio asked the governor hiding in a corner of the fortress wall. Arein had looked at the girls and called them princesses during the battle, so he believed the soldiers of the fort were cooperating with Arein while knowing the truth.
“Wha...” Marco’s face twisted in fear as he tried to open his mouth. But before he could, countless attack spells started raining down on the courtyard of the fort.
“Ngh...” Rio swung his sword and released a gust of wind to slice apart the attack spells and cancel them out. His view cleared to reveal female knights riding on griffins.
Hmm? Where have I seen that woman before?
There was one woman among them dressed in particularly ornate armor who looked familiar to him. Of course she would—he had met her at the banquet in the Galarc Kingdom. It was First Princess Sylvie.
“Impossible... You blocked that?” Sylvie looked down at Rio with widened eyes, her expression shocked.
“S-Sir Amakawa. The flag that the griffin squad is holding belongs to Rubia’s royal family! And the person over there is Princess Sylvie!” Christina yelled from below the gate, pointing at the griffins.
Which means the Rubia Kingdom is part of this whole situation after all. If the three mercenaries are here, then the Proxia Empire is involved too? Rio thought immediately.
“All units, attack from above! Kill that man no matter what!” Sylvie pointed her sword at Rio and gave the surrounding griffin squad the order to attack, then immediately fired a ray of essence light from her sword. The other female knights riding the griffins also used spells to bombard Rio with attacks.
A dozen or so griffin knights... While it isn’t more than I can handle, I may end up killing them. If the enemy is royalty, that might end up creating more trouble in the future... In which case...
It was time to retreat.
Rio stopped where he was and called out to the two princesses as he continued slashing away the rain of spells. “Princess Christina, Princess Flora. We’re withdrawing! Hold on to me when I give the signal. Understand?”
“Y-Yes!” the two behind him replied.
“Wh-What is with that man, honestly... We were so close to getting Estelle back too. If only I could kill him here...” Sylvie grimaced as she looked down at Rio on the ground. All the spells being cast had lethal force behind them, but they were being blown away with every swing of Rio’s sword. It was almost like there was an invisible wall of wind.
“Raaagh!” Renji roared, swinging his halberd at Rio from over ten meters away. A powerful blast of air cold enough to freeze the ground was released towards Rio.
“Sir Amakawa!” Christina yelled, sensing the danger. The cold air targeted Rio, whose attention was on the rain of spells from above. However, Rio released a violent burst of wind with a vertical slash, crushing the cold air Renji had sent. The air scattered across the courtyard and nearly blew away the soldiers on the walls.
“Wha?!”
“Guh...”
Renji and Arein were also in the courtyard and were almost swallowed up by the wind. It took everything in them to remain in place. The only ones who were unaffected were the griffin squad, but they were shaken by the disastrous sight of the courtyard.
“Wh-What are you doing?! Don’t ease up on your attacks! Fire!” Sylvie snapped back to her senses first and gave orders to those around her. The knights on the griffins chanted spells and made magic circles appear, but Rio pointed his sword upwards and created a dozen or so orbs of light. He fired them before the knights could finish casting their spells.
“What?!”
The trajectory of each orb was carefully controlled to directly strike every one of Sylvie’s griffin knights. He held back his strength in case there were any other important figures among them, but the orbs still had enough power to render the griffins incapable of flight. They descended to the ground unsteadily.
Rio used that chance to yell at Christina and Flora. “Now! Come to me!”
“Let’s go, Flora!”
“Right!”
The two hurried over to him and clung on to him tightly.
“Make sure you hold on tighter than usual!”
With that warning, Rio used the sword in his right hand as a catalyst to activate his spirit arts. A fierce wind wrapped around him and pushed his body upwards, accelerating his ascent into the air.
“Eek!”
Surprised by the unexpected speed of acceleration, Christina and Flora tightened their hold in a panic. They were going so fast, they instantly slipped past Sylvie’s side and out into the open air. Even the griffin Sylvie was riding lost its balance in midair in shock.
“Wh-What?!” Sylvie looked up at the skies in a panic.
Rio had ascended several meters above her already, accelerating as he began their flight through the air towards the southeast.
No Comments Yet
Post a new comment
Register or Login