Seirei Gensouki ~Konna Sekai de Deaeta Kimi ni~ (LN) - Volume 18 - Chapter 1

Chapter 1: The Pursuit Begins

Ten minutes later, Rio and Aria were outside of the capital, about three kilometers northwest of the city. They waited beside a boulder located past the grain-producing fields outside of the city walls, but before the forest that spread beyond it.

“She’s met up with someone in the forest—a man in his twenties. He seems to be her bodyguard,” Rio said to Aria, staring into the forest.

“I see...” Aria stared off in the same direction as Rio, her reply tinged with faint confusion.

I can’t see anything with the naked eye, so how did he...?

Their current position made it impossible for them to see Erica—their view was blocked by trees, and they had no way of knowing where in the forest she was located. There was no way of seeing anything past ten meters away, and they hadn’t even spotted Erica once during their pursuit.

Despite that, Rio continuously provided information as though he could see Erica inside the forest. Aria didn’t doubt his tracking abilities, but her confusion was understandable.

However, it was possible that Liselotte was located within this forest. Depending on the situation, they may even end up launching an ambush attack. With that possibility in mind, Aria refocused herself.

“There are two trained griffins beside them. Unfortunately, Liselotte isn’t here.”

“Is that so...”

It seemed that Erica wasn’t keeping Liselotte near herself.

“If they’re going to travel by griffins from here, Liselotte was probably transported somewhere else...”

Erica had made a beeline for this forest. It was unlikely for Liselotte to be anywhere nearby.

Then, sure enough, Rio’s bad feeling was right on the mark.

“It seems like they’re getting on the griffins and taking off.”

“Following them on foot will be difficult...”

It would be possible to run along if they enhanced their bodies with their enchanted swords, but their speed would fall in areas with varying elevation, and they would have to run while expending magic essence for extended periods of time.

Pursuing in an open area would create the risk of the other party noticing them, so they were greatly disadvantaged by being on the chasing side. Because of this, Aria had a grim look on her face, but...

“Then we’ll just follow them from the skies,” Rio said casually, as though that wasn’t an issue.

“I’ve heard that your enchanted sword can grant the ability to fly, but...”

All Aria knew was that Haruto Amakawa’s enchanted sword had the ability to control wind, which he could use to fly through the air. She had no idea of the specifics—how long he could maintain flight, how freely he could move about, and so on. She didn’t know the details of the ability, and she had never witnessed him fly in person.

“The saint is exiting the forest.” As soon as Rio spoke, two griffins appeared from deep within the forest. Two figures resembling Erica and her bodyguard were riding them as they rose into the sky.

“They’re flying northwest.” Aria could also see Erica on the griffin. With a fierce glare, she voiced the direction of their movement out loud.

“They’ve just left the capital, so they’re probably being wary of pursuers. Her eyesight will be raised dramatically through her Divine Arms, so we’ll follow while keeping our distance. Please inform me immediately if you sense anything strange,” Rio directed with a serious look.

“Right.”

“And so, I’d like to begin following them by air, but...”

When it came time for them to depart, Rio looked at Aria with an air of awkwardness.

“...What?”

◇ ◇ ◇

Some time later, in the skies above the outskirts of the capital...

“I’m sorry... I’ve become a complete hindrance,” Aria apologized weakly from Rio’s arms.

Since she didn’t possess a method of traveling through the air, Rio had to carry her in his arms as he flew. However, Rio and Aria weren’t quite friends. They were more than acquaintances, having sparred together at the training event hosted at the Galarc Castle, but they were nothing more than an instructor and an attendee at that event.

Celia and Aria had a personal friendship, but Rio just considered Aria to be Liselotte’s attendant, and Aria merely saw Rio as an important friend of her master’s. The two maintained a proper sense of distance from each other.

“No, I’m sorry as well...”

The two were pressed together, flying through the sky, making for a rather awkward situation. Neither of them had particularly talkative personalities, which made them feel even more conscious of each other.

“Why do you apologize, Sir Amakawa?”

“I believe it’s inappropriate for an unmarried woman to be in such close contact with the opposite sex.”

“You are aware I am not a noble, right...?” Aria blinked, showing a smile of faint amusement. It was the moment her expression, which had been strained with confusion until now, softened. That was enough to leave an impression on Rio.

“I don’t think being a noble is relevant...” Rio said with a frown.

“I’m saying such consideration is unnecessary, as I am not a noblewoman. If anything, it’s much more inappropriate for you, Sir Amakawa. You’re an unmarried nobleman carrying a woman you’re not engaged to.”

“That’s even less relevant to being a noble.”

“But there’s no denying that someone of your position should avoid getting involved with bad women. I fear my company will cause those around you to feel apprehension. I was so blinded by the saint, I completely failed to consider that when I asked to accompany you. Please accept my apologies,” Aria said regretfully.

“I don’t believe you’re a bad woman, so that assumption is incorrect to begin with. It’s very reassuring to have you here, so please don’t apologize,” Rio said gently, showing consideration for Aria’s feelings.

“Thank you... But why are you willing to go this far?”

Rio cocked his head in confusion. “What do you mean by ‘this far’?”

“As soon as the saint left the room, you acted on Lady Liselotte’s behalf before anyone else. You had only just returned to the castle, and were still lacking an understanding of the situation. Yet in spite of that...” Aria hesitated over her words apologetically, but Rio interrupted her bluntly.

“Liselotte had been kidnapped. That was all I needed to know of the situation. She’s an important friend to me, and to those around me.”

“...” His words were so confident, Aria blinked in surprise.

“If she’s in trouble, there should be something I can do about it. That’s why I just did what I could,” Rio explained.

“Thank you very much... For acting to aid my master.”

“It’s nothing to thank me for. You want to save Liselotte because you feel a stronger connection to her than just a regular master-servant relationship too, don’t you?”

“Yes...”

“Then your reason for acting is the same as mine. Let’s combine our strengths to rescue Liselotte.”

“Thank— No. Let’s rescue her.”

Aria was about to thank him again, but instead nodded resolutely.

“And so, could you tell me about the saint while we move? I only know that she’s a hero that kidnapped Liselotte right now.”

“The exact date and time are unknown, but it probably happened around the same time you and the others departed from the castle. The citizens of a minor nation to the northwest of Galarc revolted against the royal family. Leading the revolution was that woman, who created the Holy Democratic Republic of Erica in its place.”

“She led the revolution over a kingdom, huh... She mentioned the abolition of the monarchy to His Majesty too.”

Rio took in a light breath. It was clear that the saint was a dangerous person from their violent interaction in the castle, but her danger had risen to the level of overthrowing an entire nation.

“She claims to be bringing salvation to the people—to the weak. That’s why she wants the monarchy to be abolished and the country handed to its people. I believe she used the same justification when leading the revolution.”

“Considering the uproar she’s caused, she seems to have quite the initiative. No average person would ever consider leading a revolution to overthrow an existing government...”

Why would a woman who had been summoned from Earth feel the need to do something as ambitious as leading a revolution in another world? Why did she need to go as far as declaring war on other kingdoms? Rio considered the possibilities.

A revolution could not be created alone. It began with the ideas of one or more people who acted on their beliefs, gaining power by gathering like-minded comrades, creating a revolution as a result. Leading such a thing required a great amount of mental strength, far above that of the average person.

If revolutions could be started over mere discontent at royalty and nobility, they would be a common occurrence. It was the tremendous amount of resolution required that made it so difficult to execute one.

With his memories as Amakawa Haruto, who was born and raised in Japan, Rio could understand the issues of the class system of royalty and nobility. He had been the subject of plenty of prejudice from their children while attending the Royal Academy, but that hadn’t made him feel the need to start a revolution in Beltrum in retaliation.

The only part of himself he could apply to the saint in an attempt to understand her was his vendetta against Lucius. Not everyone sought revenge just because they resented someone—but Rio did, and pursued his vengeance.

That was because he couldn’t forgive him. There was something he couldn’t forgive, and that something caused strong enough emotions in him to enact his revenge. Did the saint have strong enough feelings about something to cause a revolution?

Did something happen after she was summoned, causing her to resent those in power and start a revolution? Or did this world just happen to summon a radical with extreme initiative by coincidence...? Rio tried to imagine what motives the saint would have for causing a revolution.

There was no doubt she was Japanese. That alone made it unlikely for her to be so dead set on destroying monarchies from the beginning. Amakawa Haruto had never seen a Japanese person set out to overthrow a government—and succeed—in his twenty years of life. She was just too different from his image of the average Japanese person. However, he still lacked information to profile the saint properly.

“Why was Liselotte kidnapped by the saint in the first place?” he asked, seeking more information about her.

“Everything started when she visited the estate in Amande. She sought the Ricca Guild’s power and came to recruit its president to her cause. She asked Lady Liselotte to lend her nation her strength.”

“Of course, Liselotte refused that, right? So the negotiations fell apart, which was when she caused a commotion?”

“That’s the general gist of it, yes.”

“May I ask what the two of them discussed at the time, for reference?”

“They began with the matter of scouting Lady Liselotte and the Ricca Guild, before she criticized the monarchy and declared that the country should be handed back to the people. Then...”

“Then...?”

Aria hesitated for a moment, making Rio prompt her to continue.

“Umm, I actually haven’t informed His Majesty of this part, but the saint saw through Lady Liselotte’s secret. She apparently heard the name of a product upon arriving at Amande and realized the truth. The saint apparently excels at lipreading.”

“I see...”

“After she brought up Lady Liselotte’s secret, the two of them started questioning each other in turn. Lady Liselotte mostly asked about the saint’s background, but the saint only asked about trivial matters like her name and age from her past life, where she lived, and so on.”

“Was there anything that struck you as odd in that conversation?”

“When the topic shifted to my master’s secret, the saint’s personality suddenly... It softened until she was like another person, like a woman with a bright and warm personality... She said that that was her true self before she became a saint.”

“Her true self before becoming a saint...” Something about that seemed off to Rio.

“She said she was creating a world with no weakness, and that in order to do so, she was creating a democracy of the people, for the people, by the people. I don’t know what she meant, but she said it was part of her grand revenge.”

“Grand revenge...”

That didn’t sound very peaceful.

In which case, something must have happened after she came to this world after all. Something so severe, it snatched away her peaceful values as a Japanese person... Since she’s advancing under the banner of abolishing monarchies, I guess it must be a grudge against people in power?

Rio himself had dirtied his hands with vengeance in spite of his memories as someone from Japan. Of course, those who were transferred here were different from those reborn here, and it was his judgment as Rio that had made the ultimate choice, but he had certainly experienced inner conflict he wouldn’t have felt without the memories of his former self.

Amakawa Haruto had only been able to enjoy his peaceful values as a Japanese person because Japan was peaceful. After personally experiencing the way human dignity and life were disregarded in this world, those peaceful values were naturally shaken. Rio was aware of that as well.

What if the saint had experienced something horrible enough for her to seek revenge and create a revolution? That was Rio’s assumption, but...

It’s pointless to hypothesize further at this point.

He decided to stop thinking about the saint’s situation. He wanted to get a picture of her before attempting to rescue Liselotte, but making her into an emotionally relatable person based on speculation didn’t seem wise.

“From what I’ve heard, it seems she views figures of power as her enemies... But since she kidnapped Liselotte after going out of her way to recruit her for the Ricca Guild’s power, it doesn’t sound like she sees Liselotte herself as a target of her resentment. Her willingness to do whatever it takes to achieve her goal is somewhat concerning, though...”

If she wanted Liselotte’s cooperation, she wouldn’t resort to violent means immediately. That meant she would be safe for the near future, Rio surmised.

“Yes. However, that woman merely appears to have an incoherent and forceful personality. I believe she’s actually calm and cunning, calculating everything carefully before taking action.”

“Are you saying she’s acting that way on purpose?”

“Yes. She may appear to be foolish, but she is no fool by any means. From her speech and conduct, it is clear she has received a proper education. She even said she was a scholar of some sort in her original world herself.”

“I see... If the series of events was completely calculated, it’s highly likely that she abducted Liselotte to wage war on the Galarc Kingdom. She didn’t seem to have any intention of negotiating from the beginning, and the declaration she made before leaving the castle only backs that up.”

“Indeed. I came to the same conclusion after seeing her attitude at the castle. She didn’t seem to have any intention of negotiating in Amande either.”

“What I don’t understand is why the saint wishes to go to war with Galarc. No matter how much she hates the monarchy, she must have a reason to go straight to war with a major kingdom. Otherwise it’d be self-destruction.”

Furthermore, Galarc was no normal major nation: it was a major nation with a hero. Satsuki’s existence should have spread across the world since the banquet. If she was aware of the Ricca Guild, she must have known about Satsuki as well.

Starting a war with Galarc unknowingly was thoughtless, but doing so knowingly just seemed suicidal. It was unimaginable for the representative of an entire nation bearing the fate of its people. It would be one thing if she wanted to lead the country and its people to ruin on purpose, but...

Could her reason for wanting revenge actually be...? No, it shouldn’t be... That’s too unlikely.

The possibility of that road of destruction being the exact revenge she sought flashed through Rio’s head.

However, the idea was so absurd, he ended up dismissing it. It was the exact opposite of the salvation she claimed she was bringing to the weak. She was the saint who had led the revolution and established a country. There was no reason for her to destroy it again—that would mean she was deceiving the people she had just saved. Which left...

Does she have a trump card up her sleeve? Something that makes her absolutely certain of her victory against a major nation. Something that gives her the confidence to pick a fight.

From the present amount of information he possessed, he had no idea what kind of trump card would give her such high prospects against a major nation. Rio felt an uneasy restlessness about it.

“By the way, did the saint arrive in Amande for negotiations alone?” Rio suddenly asked after breathing a sigh to expel his worries.

“Yes. Just like at the castle, that woman appeared in Amande by herself and asked for a meeting. She then high-handedly forced her opinions on us without listening to us.”

“I see... It seems she left Liselotte in the hands of a different squad after abducting her, then appeared in the castle without a single guard. In which case, she probably didn’t want them to be hindrances.”

Either that, or attending the negotiation alone gave her the ability to fabricate what had happened as much as she wanted. This saint was worshiped as the representative of a foreign nation, so her words would never be doubted. If she wanted to start a war, she could do so at any moment. That was another possibility.

The only thing that can be said for certain is that the saint seeks war with Galarc...

Rio gazed in the direction of Saint Erica in the distance, pondering the likeliness of war with a stern expression.

“Is something the matter, Sir Amakawa?” Aria noticed the grim look on Rio’s face and cocked her head in confusion, but Rio brushed her off with a smile and changed the topic.

“No, it’s nothing. Anything further than this is mere speculation, and overanalyzing things wouldn’t help. Were there any other things you noticed?”

“Let me think... I don’t know why, but the saint said she needed to keep her hero status a secret. On the last question the two asked each other, she answered in confirmation and suddenly attacked.”

“She needed to keep it a secret? So she had a reason she couldn’t declare herself a hero. If we were to interpret it plainly, it means she must have had plans to announce it at a better moment...”

“That, or if she was already planning to aggravate the Galarc Kingdom at that point, she just took the first excuse to attack. Of course, she may have intended on announcing it at a more beneficial moment as well...”

“We really cannot speculate too much, I see. It’s fine, we’ll leave the goals of the saint at that. All that’s left are her abilities, but...”

Rio casually glanced at Aria’s face as he carried her. Since she had been present at the meeting between them, that meant the saint had abducted Liselotte regardless of Aria’s presence. In other words, Aria had been bested by her. Given how well Rio knew Aria’s abilities, he wondered how things had gone down.

“If it was just in terms of close combat, her techniques were nothing overly impressive. It was like an amateur swinging a weapon blindly, only the weapon was powered up dramatically just by her holding the Divine Arms,” Aria said, recalling the fight with a pained expression.

“Even so, she wouldn’t have been an opponent for you, right...?”

“Everything was brought about by my negligence. I thought I had neutralized her with a hard blow, but I had not.”

“You applied enough force to neutralize the average opponent?”

“Considering how her body was enhanced by the Divine Arms, I struck her in the abdomen with enough force to send a heavily armored soldier flying through a shield. I followed that up with an even more powerful kick to the same area. When I confirmed she had fallen to the ground lifelessly, I assumed she had fallen unconscious.”

“That means even if she had a powerful enhancement solidifying her body, she should have taken damage...”

Unlike magic, which could only enhance one’s physical abilities, the sorcery from enchanted swords and spirit arts could reinforce the physical body itself.

The strength of that enhancement depended on the competency of the sword or caster, but it generally removed the pain from actions like punching a boulder or iron with bare fists, and greatly reduced the damage from blunt weapons against unarmored areas.

However, if someone similarly enhanced suffered a heavy blow, it was extremely difficult to reduce that kind of damage to nothing.

“It was as though that woman was completely unharmed. She pretended to fall unconscious to catch me with my guard lowered, using that opening to make her move. As you said, her Divine Arms may have applied a powerful physical enhancement. Her speed wasn’t impressive, but her strength definitely was.”

“I see...”

“The last ability to note is probably another effect of her Divine Arms—she was able to attack while creating phenomena that resembled earth magic. If you ever have to face her, please watch out for that.”

“Understood.” Rio’s expression hardened as he nodded.

◇ ◇ ◇

At the same time, in the skies above the outskirts of the Galarc capital...

While Rio and Aria pursued the saint from a distance, someone else was pursuing them from far behind. It was Reiss; he’d been tracking the saint since her visit to the Proxia Empire. He had witnessed her abduct Liselotte in Amande and march into the Galarc Castle alone, though he had no idea how far she was willing to negotiate with the kingdom.

The fact the Black Knight started pursuing her means the saint’s relationship with the Galarc Kingdom is done for. What an ideal turn of events.

Reiss analyzed the situation and grinned creepily.

The Black Knight departed at the same time a powerful spirit presence disappeared from the castle—most likely that humanoid spirit changing into spirit form to follow after the saint. And right now, Celia Claire and those close to him are in the castle. With the most troublesome two trailing after the saint, they should be shorthanded right now...

Reiss glanced behind himself at the capital beyond the horizon. With Rio and Aishia both gone, wouldn’t this be the perfect chance to grab a hostage? That was the thought passing through his mind.

However, our future response will greatly depend on how well the saint can use her hero powers. The Black Knight and his contract spirit are the perfect test subjects for that. I can’t pass up on the chance for our two greatest annoyances to eliminate each other—I’ll have to make sure they get the chance to face each other...

It was a once-in-a-lifetime chance. In order to make the most of it, he couldn’t afford to lose sight of Rio, and he had to conduct himself carefully.

I cannot risk them noticing my movements and becoming wary of the Proxia Empire. For now, I’ll continue shadowing them while thinking of a plan. He has quite the fearsome detection range, so I must take extra care...

With that thought, Reiss continued his pursuit.

◇ ◇ ◇

Meanwhile, at the Galarc Castle, Celia and Miharu had returned to Rio’s mansion on the castle grounds with Satsuki and Charlotte, where they explained what had happened to Latifa and the others waiting in the living room.

They shared that Liselotte had been kidnapped by a hero who called herself a saint, and that Rio, Aria, and Aishia had gone after her. Charlotte found it strange that Aishia wasn’t present, but they explained that Rio had called her along without stopping to explain things. The telepathy part was purposefully not mentioned.

“I can’t believe such a thing happened...”

The spirit folk girls were clearly in shock.

“Why would a hero do such a thing...? Aren’t saints meant to be good people? Why did she kidnap Liselotte?” Latifa questioned with a conflicted mix of worry and anger on her face.

“I don’t know what basis the heroes are selected on, but I guess this means there’s no guarantee the people who are summoned are good. There’s no telling what kind of person she was in her previous world either...” Satsuki said with a bitter expression.

“The title of saint doesn’t guarantee a good personality either. Especially since she’s only a self-proclaimed one right now. It isn’t uncommon for people to be hailed as saints just for getting caught up in the matters of politics and power. It pains me to say this about a hero, but I found her qualities to be far from those of a saint,” Charlotte said, not mincing her words.

“Argh, just thinking about her is making me angry again. What was her problem? Everything that came out of her mouth was absurd, and how dare she take Liselotte...!” It seemed like Satsuki’s rage had reached its limits. Unable to sit still any longer, she stood up from her chair to vent her anger.

“Let’s believe in them. Haruto and Ai-chan went together. They’ll definitely rescue Liselotte and bring her back.”

Miharu wasn’t being overly optimistic by any means—she was actually quite worried herself. But because she had utter faith in Rio and Aishia, she was able to soothe everyone present with her words.

“That’s right... I agree with Miharu too,” Celia said in agreement. “All we can do from here is pray for their safe return.”

Their words resounded in everyone’s hearts.

“Miharu, Celia...”

Satsuki looked touched.

“Onii-chan and Aishia would never lose to anyone when they’re together.” Latifa’s voice was cheerful once again.

“Right.”

“Agreed.”

“Indeed.”

Sara, Orphia, and Alma giggled along in agreement.

“It’s exactly as everyone says. The only thing we can do is maintain a normal life here for Sir Haruto to return to. There’s no doubt the nobles of our kingdom will have split views over this incident, so I’ll do what I can to minimize the effects on Sir Haruto and Liselotte,” Charlotte said eloquently as she expressed her enthusiasm.

Satsuki was able to pull herself together with that. “Thanks, Char... If there’s anything I can help with, let me know. It’s not my usual style, but I’ll do what I can as a hero.”

“That would be much appreciated. The nobles will only get more impatient as they wait for Sir Haruto to return.”

“And we don’t know when that will happen...”

Rio had begun his pursuit with no idea of Liselotte’s location. The amount of time it would take to rescue her depended heavily on her location. She could be within the country, or she could be far away in a foreign land.

“If Haruto’s return gets prolonged, we should probably get in touch with Gouki on his behalf,” Orphia said to Sara beside her.

“You’re right. He’d be concerned if his return was late.”

“Did he have plans to meet with someone?” Charlotte asked.

“Haruto had plans to meet with some acquaintances of his. Since he may not be able to fulfill that promise, we might leave the castle to update them on the situation.”

“I see. Let me know whenever you need to leave. I’ll explain things to Father for you.”

“Thank you very much.”

“Not a problem. I shall return to the castle now.”

“Oh, you’re leaving already?” Satsuki asked as Charlotte stood up.

“Yes. I need to ask Father about our plans for the future. I will let you know if anything new happens, so everyone may relax here.”

“I see... Thanks, Char.”

“This is merely my duty as royalty. Leave it to me.”

With those words, Charlotte left the room.