Chapter 3: Report
In the dining hall of Rio’s mansion, located on the Galarc Castle grounds...
It was just the day before that Rio and Liselotte made breakfast together, listened to Aishia’s investigation report after eating, and departed for the Galarc Kingdom that very morning. Rio had carried Liselotte and Aishia had carried Aria as they flew through the sky, arriving in the capital of Galtuuk in the span of one day.
Rio and Liselotte were currently reporting everything that had happened to them to Francois and the others. Liselotte started with what had happened during her abduction, explaining the state of things in the Holy Democratic Republic of Erica.
This was followed by Rio’s explanation of how he rescued her—that is, his fight with the giant creature called the beast of the land. He described how it had attacked him, wiping out Erica’s own allies in the process, and how the battle ended with him piercing Saint Erica through the heart. Yet despite this, the people of the Holy Democratic Republic of Erica believed she was still alive.
“And that is everything that happened up until my return,” Rio said, concluding his report.
“Hmm... I see it was the right choice to send you after all.” Francois, who had carefully listened to the entire report without interrupting, hummed in deep thought and commended Rio.
“But I have returned without resolving the issue. I apologize for my failures.”
“Saint Erica’s survival, and the monster called the beast of the land...”
“Yes.”
“Your apology is unneeded. Take pride in your results. The duty you were entrusted with was to retrieve Liselotte and set an example for the foolish nation that stepped out of line. You succeeded on both accounts. I knew from the start that these goals had the potential to provoke a counterattack—the scale of the counterattack being greater than expected is not a failure on your part.”
“Thank you for the kind words...” Rio bowed his head, his expression still concerned.
“If the Saint is truly alive, then the issue is rather headache-inducing. I’m sure the beast of the land is also a tremendous monster to be reckoned with.”
“If that monster were to attack, there would be nothing left of the capital. As long as the Saint’s survival is unclear, it would be best to watch out for any incoming attacks.”
“Suppose the capital were to become the battlefield... Would you be able to drive off the monster, having won against it before?”
“I cannot guarantee I would win a second time... Even if I could, the capital is highly unlikely to get by unharmed.”
“I see. If someone like you is saying that, then this cannot be dismissed lightly. But do you truly believe the Saint is alive?”
“It shouldn’t be possible...I think...” However, he couldn’t say he was absolutely sure. That was what his choice of words was implying.
“You’re certain you pierced your sword through her heart, no? You also confirmed her pulse had stopped. When you infiltrated the capital the next day, you were unable to spot the Saint alive anywhere.”
“Yes.”
“It seems most reasonable to assume the leaders of that country are hiding the Saint’s death, as you previously pointed out in your report.”
“Indeed, it is exactly as you say.”
“Hmm. Then let me confirm this: can you think of any means for a stopped heart to start beating again?”
“I cannot...”
It was possible to heal a heart the moment it was stabbed, but the damage he dealt to the Saint had been enough to kill her instantly. It would have been difficult to survive even if she had had her physical body enhanced when he stabbed her. Controlling one’s magic essence when fatally wounded was extremely difficult. She wouldn’t have been able to heal herself in such a state, and even if she activated the spell, she wouldn’t have been able to maintain it long enough to heal herself.
There was a possibility she was healed by someone else nearby, but even then, there was little to no chance of survival.
“I see. I agree it would be more reassuring to have some kind of confirmation that the Saint is truly dead, but you are aware of the difficulties of proving a death with no corpse, yes? You weren’t able to locate the corpse even after looking for it.”
“I can go and search for it again,” Rio suggested. He wouldn’t have the duty of escorting Liselotte back this time, so he could take his time investigating.
“You’ve just returned after fulfilling your duty. You may appear fully herald, but you were terribly wounded in battle, were you not? Remember that you need your rest as well,” Francois warned Rio with a somewhat exasperated sigh.
Indeed, leaving for the Holy Democratic Republic of Erica immediately upon bringing Liselotte back to Galarc was bordering on overwork. All the girls sitting present nodded along in approval to Francois’s words.
“But...” Rio hesitated under all of their gazes.
“If the need arises, I will make an official request for your assistance—but until then, restore yourself in this mansion. I have other options available to me, such as sending spies to hide in their capital or an official envoy to probe their attitude.”
“I understand...” With that, Rio finally backed down.
“I would also prefer for you to remain in this capital as a form of defense. As I mentioned earlier, there was a bit of an incident here that was unrelated to the Saint. I’d like you to focus on protecting the castle in the meantime,” Francois said, finally moving on to the incident that occurred while Rio was absent.
“What happened?”
“The castle was attacked three days ago.”
“By whom...?”
“The remnants of the Heavenly Lions.”
“What...?!” The moment the Heavenly Lions were mentioned, Rio froze. It went without saying that he believed it was his fault.
“I’ve heard that the group has some deep animosity for you, but there’s no clear evidence that the attack was for the purpose of revenge on you. That is how I see it, at least,” Francois immediately said. “We captured some prisoners, but they all died without warning. It was just like what happened to the attackers that appeared on the night of the banquet. You understand what I’m saying, right? This removal of witnesses is the exact way of the Proxia Empire.” Francois let out another sigh, this time out of irritation.
“But they targeted this mansion, didn’t they?”
He had seen traces of what had been combat scattered across the castle grounds on his way here, but the area surrounding the mansion was particularly damaged. In fact, a whole section of the building had been clearly destroyed.
In other words, they had attacked with the knowledge that Rio lived here—or so Rio assumed.
“Indeed, this mansion was targeted. They also made some statements that implied they were after revenge against you.”
Everyone in the castle knew that much, so Francois didn’t bother to hide the fact the mansion had been at the center of the fighting.
“Then surely...”
Surely that meant their goal was to have revenge on him, did it not? A dark shadow fell across Rio’s face.
“Even if their goal was to have revenge on you—so what? This is the royal castle of the capital. As the king, it is my duty and my pride to protect it. No matter what connection you may have with the assailants, it became the kingdom’s problem the moment they attacked the castle. My failure in preventing invasion is not your blame to take,” Francois stated clearly.
“Besides,” he continued. “There were many important figures gathered in this building at the time of the attack. Lady Satsuki, Princess Christina, Princess Flora, and Charlotte. Three princesses and one hero—if they were after someone to take hostage, it would only make sense for them to come here.”
All four of the girls named were present in the room. Francois looked around at each of them as he mentioned their names.
“Flora and I have been targeted by them before,” Christina added in support. “The Proxia Empire is connected to the Arbor family and the Beltrum Kingdom. There’s nothing strange about their coming after the leaders of the Restoration.”
Flora shot out of her seat to add her theory, defending Rio intently. “That’s right! It’d even mean that Sir Haruto’s mansion was targeted because we were here, making it our fault...!”
“Well, that’s one possibility. It could also be my fault the mansion was targeted,” Satsuki said, agreeing with them.
“The mercenaries of the Heavenly Lions targeted Sir Haruto’s mansion, where multiple figures of importance were present at the time. That is the objective truth. With more than one candidate for the attack, there is no need to point fingers at anyone. Everyone is innocent until proven guilty—if anyone is to blame, then it’s the attackers. That is why Sir Haruto’s apology is unnecessary.”
With a smile that wouldn’t take any objections, Charlotte shot Rio down before he could apologize further.
“Fortunately, there wasn’t much damage done, thanks to the efforts of Lord Gouki’s people and the girls here. If anything, I should be thanking you all.” Francois chuckled, looking around the room.
“Thank you very much, everyone...” Rio bowed his head, expressing his deep gratitude for everyone. No one immediately stepped forward to say something on behalf of the others, as they all accepted his words happily.
“Speaking of which, I don’t see everyone here.” Rio noted that Latifa, Alma, and the rest of the Yagumo group were not present.
“Let me just say this first—Alma was injured in this incident,” Sara replied first.
“Wh...” Rio’s expression instantly stiffened.
“You’re not allowed to apologize to Alma either,” Orphia interrupted. “Because it’s not your fault. Her wound has fully healed already; she’s resting in another room with Suzune just to be safe.”
“I understand... Then I shall thank Alma and Suzune later.”
“It isn’t something you need to thank them for either. We’re all friends here, and we just did what was natural,” Sara mumbled somewhat shyly.
“Hmm? Did you say something, Sara?” Orphia asked with a grin. She was sitting right beside her, so she had heard her words clearly.
“It’s nothing!” Sara feigned ignorance in embarrassment.
“Hehe.” Miharu and Celia giggled at the sight of the two of them.
“Komomo and the others are waiting outside the city. Everyone should be doing well, so there’s no need for concern,” Gouki said.
“I can see why you and Kayoko are here now. Thank you so much for coming...”
“We ended up intruding upon the castle in an unexpected manner, but I’m glad we were able to help.”
“Indeed.”
Gouki and Kayoko both bowed their heads respectfully. Unaware of the relationship between them, Francois and Charlotte watched on curiously. The couple was old enough to be Rio’s parents, yet they showed this kind of attitude towards him.
“They were amazing, you know? Gouki and Kayoko defeated all the mercenaries as soon as they arrived. It was a great battle!” Satsuki gave them raving praise.
“There were monsters that appeared along with the attack, but the Saga couple assisted in subjugating those as well,” Francois added.
“Monsters appeared?”
“Yes. Black orbs fell from the sky, releasing swarms of monsters. According to Lady Celia, the same monsters appeared during the attack on Amande.”
The monsters they were referring to were revenants.
“They were humanoid monsters that moved nimbly. The strong ones that appeared at Liselotte’s mansion,” Celia explained to Rio.
“Those things...”
“I don’t want to believe it, but it seems the Proxia Empire—or perhaps the Heavenly Lions—have a means of controlling monsters. That’s the only possibility I can see based on the situation.”
“So it seems...”
“However, there’s an even more troublesome monster out there. It wasn’t as formidable as the beast of the land you fought, but a giant skeleton knight appeared,” Francois said, referring to the Hero Killer Draugul.
That prompted a reaction from Aishia.
“A giant skeleton knight?”
Everyone’s gazes focused on her.
“Do you know something about it?” Rio asked.
“It might be Reiss... I ran into him while you were in the Paladia Kingdom.”
“Ah, back then...”
Rio remembered what she was referring to. It was around the time he had achieved his revenge against Lucius and returned to the Galarc Kingdom. Reiss had appeared before Celia and Aishia, whom he had left in Rodania. He fled when Aishia chased after him, turning into a monster when cornered—and was then defeated.
According to Rio’s memory, Celia had reported her encounter with Reiss to the Restoration, and it would have reached Christina and Francois’s ears. However, she hadn’t mentioned Aishia chasing after him. Doing so would require explaining how Aishia was guarding her in spirit form.
“Reiss is the man acting as the ambassador for the Proxia Empire, no? He was the one dispatched to the Beltrum Kingdom... Did that truly happen?” Francois asked Rio.
“Yes, it happened. But I’m not sure where to start explaining...”
If he were to explain things truthfully, he’d have to start with how Aishia was a spirit and everything else he had kept hidden until now. Rio struggled to answer.
“It was when Princess Christina and Princess Flora were kidnapped by Lucius. Do you remember when I reported that I saw Reiss?” Celia explained on behalf of Rio.
“I remember.”
“Indeed.”
Christina and Francois exchanged a look before nodding in turn.
“That was back when Haruto was absent, and Aishia was secretly guarding me,” Celia revealed honestly. Hearing that, Rio held his breath. But he didn’t think someone as intelligent as Celia would slip up like this, so he kept an impassive look on his face.
“Umm, they know that Aishia is a spirit,” Celia clarified, giving a short summary of the situation to clear Rio’s woes.
“Ifritah, Hel, and Ariel fought alongside us when the invaders attacked,” Orphia added. “That was how Lady Aishia came up.”
“So that’s what happened. No wonder...”
No wonder they had come to meet him at the gate earlier, Rio thought. The spirits had detected Aishia’s presence, and there was no need to hide that any longer.
“Well, that’s how it is,” Francois said heartily, making fun of Rio’s surprise.
“I’m sorry, I didn’t think it was good to speak about spirits freely...”
“No worries. Records of spirits exist in literature, but I’ve never heard of anyone seeing them in person. It’s clearly not a topic to speak about openly. It would be one thing if it were just uncommon, but the value in that rarity could bring even more trouble.”
In this world, in this era, rare talents and fortunes had to be hidden to stay out of trouble. That was one of the secrets to success.
“Indeed, it is as you say...” Unsure of how far the knowledge of spirits had spread, anxiety filled Rio’s face.
“There were many people who witnessed the spirits during the fight, but only a select number of trusted figures know that they were spirits. Don’t worry about it.”
Rio sighed in relief. “Thank you for your consideration.”
“No problem. We can’t have any more needless trouble happening around you. That aside, she really looks no different from a regular human... Besides her appearance, which is so unhuman she almost looks divine... I mean. Let’s get back on topic.”
Francois was nearly captivated by Aishia when he turned to look at her, but the steel reasoning power of a king prevented him from trailing off-topic. He returned his gaze to Rio and asked, “What were you saying about Reiss?”
“We believe that the skeleton knight may have been Reiss’s true identity. That was the form he took on when he fought Aishia. We’ve also seen him summon monsters.”
“So Reiss’s true form is a monster?”
“The transformed skeleton knight didn’t leave an enchanted gem, so he may not be a monster... If he has the ability to summon monsters, he may be a being of a higher existence than just a regular monster.”
“Hmm. If there are spirits that look no different to humans, there may be monsters that look no different to humans as well.”
Controlling monsters is taboo for anyone who believes in the Six Wise Gods. It’s heresy. His existence would even be considered on par with the King of Fiends from the Divine War, as recorded in the sacred scriptures.
Francois thought in his head, refraining from deviating the conversation.
“Right,” Rio nodded with a contemplative look.
“Now that I think of it, I may not have finished him off. That might be why there was no enchanted gem,” Aishia added beside him. Rio listened to her words, then turned to Gouki who actually fought the knight.
“Did he leave an enchanted gem when you defeated him?”
“No, I didn’t see anything of the sort. Did anyone else?” Gouki asked, looking around at Celia, Sara, Orphia, and Kayoko who had fought with him.
“Nothing...”
“I don’t recall anything like that.”
“Nope.”
“Me neither...”
It seemed that no one had seen it.
“Did you fight as well, Celia?”
“Yes, I did,” Celia said, blushing proudly.
“Wasn’t it a strong monster, though?”
“I can fight as well, you know? Although I do need to be protected while casting my magic...”
“I knew you were an amazing sorcerer, but...”
“Oh, it was a tremendous spell,” Gouki praised, having seen Celia use her magic in person. “She blew up the shield we were struggling against in a single blow, taking out half the body with it. If Lady Celia wasn’t there, it would have been a much harder battle.”
“It was stronger than anything we can cast, wasn’t it?”
“Yes. It truly was a sight to see.”
Orphia and Sara both sang praises of Celia as well.
“Th-That doesn’t matter right now. We’re in His Majesty’s presence, so please continue with what you were saying. Something about Reiss’s identity, right?”
Celia urged Rio to continue speaking, hiding her embarrassment.
“Yes, err... As you may have heard from Sara and the others already, spirits are extremely sensitive to the presences of others.”
Despite his confusion, Rio resumed his explanation.
“Presences, you say?”
“You can think of them as invisible waves, unrelated to magic essence. Perhaps as spiritual existences, they can feel the souls of other creatures? That’s how I see it, anyway.”
“I see. And?”
“Presences tend to have similarities within their species. Spirits feel like other spirits, humans like other humans, and monsters like monsters. However, Reiss sometimes feels like a spirit, and sometimes feels like a monster...”
“Hmm. So when she saw him transform into the giant skeleton knight, she felt a presence that wasn’t that of a monster?”
“Yes, though there’s no way to be certain... Aishia actually defeated that skeleton knight back then. We wondered if Reiss died in that battle, but...”
“Considering there was no enchanted gem left behind back then—and the reappearance of the same knight now—he may still be alive?”
“Yes.”
“I see... But to think that a giant like that could be defeated alone... It seems I’ll never cease to be surprised.”
Francois had only watched things take place from the ground, but the menacing sight of the Hero Killer Draugul had been burned into his eyes. He had seen how it flew around unaffected by the intermediate and high grade spells, so he was amazed that Aishia had defeated it alone.
“Spirit girl—Aishia. I wish to ask you a question,” he said to Aishia.
“What...would you like to ask?”
Aishia replied plainly at first, then added more polite words to show respect for the king.
“In your eyes, how strong was that skeleton knight?”
“He had tough defenses. But once I got past that, he wasn’t too hard to defeat.”
“The people gathered here are strong enough to represent their respective nations. How would they compare to him?”
“In a one-on-one battle, no one here would fall behind in terms of overall strength. They might not be able to defeat him without breaking through his defenses, but that doesn’t mean they’d lose.”
“I see. In that case, it would be best for someone to act as a decoy while another prepares a powerful magic spell to break through. What do you think of this strategy?”
“That would be the best option if you were taking him on in a group. However, if your attacks were ineffective, it might be difficult to stop him from rampaging about. He’s highly mobile, so it’d be a challenge to hit him from afar. You’d have to be careful there.”
“It sounds difficult, but now I can adjust our training regime in preparation for future monsters like him. Thank you for the valuable opinion.”
“Sure thing... I mean, you’re welcome.”
“Incidentally—I know you defeated it by yourself, but how would Haruto have fared?”
Francois knew that Rio was strong, but he didn’t have an exact image in his head. He figured this was a good chance to ask about it.
“...”
Aishia looked at Rio to check if she was allowed to answer. Rio nodded to convey that he didn’t mind.
“It wouldn’t be a problem for Haruto. He could even take on multiple at once.”
“Multiple at once... Ha ha ha! No, I apologize. I should have guessed, but he truly is a remarkable man. It seems I underestimated you yet again,” Francois said to Rio cheerfully. First the King’s Sword Alfred, the strongest man of the Beltrum Kingdom, then Lucius, the veteran commander of the Heavenly Lions. The boy named Amakawa Haruto had overcome such influential figures to prove himself. And now he had defeated a beast of even greater size.
He had known that Rio was stronger than those renowned across the world, but it was clear that there was still no limit to his strength.
“I have one more question, spirit girl. If that skeleton knight were to fight the beast of the land, who would win?”
“The beast of the land.”
“An immediate reply, hmm?”
“Not even an army of skeleton knights could take on the beast of the land. The most they could do is buy time.”
“I see. The beast of the land must be quite the monster. I can see why Haruto is wary of the Saint’s survival,” Francois said, sighing tiredly. He then turned to Rio. “According to your report, it seemed like the Saint was in control of the beast. And it’s possible the beast is a spirit, you said?”
“Yes.”
“I’ve learned a lot over the course of defending the castle from this incident. Things about spirits, and things about spirit arts. Lady Sara explained how the power hidden in the Divine Arms closely resembles the phenomenon of spirit arts.”
“Indeed,” Sara confirmed.
“If the beast of the land is a divine beast summoned and controlled through the Saint’s hero powers, would it be correct to assume Lady Satsuki could do the same?”
“I considered that possibility as well...”
Rio looked at Sara and Orphia’s faces, nodding together. The two had the same thought after hearing Rio’s report earlier. Their gazes all gathered on Satsuki.
“Wait, what? I don’t know how to summon such a scary-sounding beast!” Satsuki protested in confusion.
“What about Sir Hiroaki, Princess Christina?” Francois asked Christina, the representative of another organization with a hero.
“Such a thing has never been mentioned to me...”
“In that case, we cannot say for sure whether it is a hero ability. Even if the beast of the land is a spirit, the Saint may have formed a contract unrelated to her powers as hero, no?” Francois asked, turning back to Rio.
“I doubt it’s truly a spirit, but the possibility exists.” “Why do you doubt it?”
“As I said earlier, spirits can sense the presences of other spirits. Aishia said the beast of the land felt similar, but fundamentally different from a spirit’s presence.”
“Right...”
“Besides, a spirit with that much power should be humanoid in shape.”
Isn’t that right? Rio looked at Sara and Orphia to confirm. As spirit folk, they knew more about spirits than he did.
“Yes, that should be the case... But there are people more knowledgeable than us about spirits, so Orphia and I will find the time to go ask them about it,” Sara offered. She was probably referring to the elders of her village.
“I see... Then I shall leave the investigation of that matter to you,” Francois agreed.
“There’s one thing I’d like to check too...” Rio started, raising his hand.
“What is it?”
“Has there been any record of a beast like that appearing in the literature about heroes?”
“There’s no such mention in any of the sacred scriptures or apocrypha. I also had all the pseudepigrapha searched through after Lady Satsuki was summoned, but the possibility still exists. I’ll have them investigated once more.”
Firstly, sacred scriptures were scriptures that were personally inscribed by the Six Wise Gods and transmitted widely until the present. They contained accounts of the Six Wise Gods and the heroes, as well as an extremely simplified history of the Divine War. Rio had seen them in person at the Royal Academy, but their contents were abstract and the texts themselves were very short.
Additionally, apocrypha were the supplementary texts that kingdoms produced to explain the abstract contents of the sacred scriptures. The religious belief in the Six Wise Gods was controlled by the royal families of each kingdom, so they usually recorded the origin of the royal family and other matters convenient to the ruling class. They also included additional descriptions where necessary.
Furthermore, because the apocrypha were different for every kingdom, wars had previously occurred over their contents. Thus, there was now a diplomatic and unspoken understanding that no kingdom would interfere with the apocrypha of another.
Finally, pseudepigrapha were the supplementary texts written by civilians without the approval of the kingdom. They weren’t treated as heresy just for being written without approval, but the authors would be punished if they wrote anything inconvenient for the kingdom. Thus, most pseudepigrapha were written anonymously and released in single volumes, with very few in circulation. They were referred to as pseudepigrapha for their lack of credibility.
In short, apocrypha were the texts produced by the kingdom, while pseudepigrapha were the texts created by civilians. If Hiroaki were here right now, he’d probably call both a type of historical fantasy novel.
“There aren’t that many in our possession, but I’ll ask the Restoration to search through the pseudepigrapha in Rodania as well,” Christina chimed in, offering her assistance.
“That would be helpful,” Francois said, nodding. “Now, I would like some time to organize my thoughts. If there’s nothing else to discuss, let’s call it a day.”
He tried to wrap up the discussions for the day, when—
“Umm, this might not be the place to ask, but I do have a matter that should probably be approved by the king as well.”
Satsuki raised her hand.
“What is it, Lady Satsuki?” Francois asked.
“I’d like to ask Haruto for a favor,” she said, turning to look at Rio.
“Yes...?” Rio looked puzzled, having no idea what Satsuki could want from him.
“You mentioned how the Divine Arms’ abilities are extremely similar to spirit arts. I’d like you to give me proper instruction on how to use my powers.”
“Are you saying that because you want to become stronger?”
“Yes. I... I want to be stronger.”
“May I ask why?”
With the beast of the land in mind, Rio had been thinking of explaining the existence of spirits to Francois and asking for his permission to seek Satsuki’s assistance anyway. Thus, this development was most welcome to him—but that was only if he considered himself. He still wanted to know how serious Satsuki was and what she was thinking.
Besides, there was also the issue of what the Galarc King thought about Satsuki’s pursuit of greater power.
“I was frustrated. When this mansion was being raided by the attackers, everyone else was fighting while I hid somewhere safe... I joined the fight eventually, but I was only able to watch on when the skeleton monster appeared. That’s why I want to become stronger. I want to be able to fight with everyone when something happens.”
Satsuki laid bare the feelings in her heart. All that was left was to confirm Francois’s intentions.
“Practically speaking, will your instruction in spirit arts actually draw out the abilities of Lady Satsuki’s Divine Arms?” Francois asked Rio.
“Yes... I’ve given her some simple advice before, and that was enough for her to show visible improvement. If I were to teach her properly, she would probably improve far more dramatically.”
“I see... In that case, I would like to make the same request. Would you be able to provide proper instruction to Lady Satsuki?”
“After fighting the beast of the land, I was hoping to ask Satsuki for her help in finding out more about Divine Arms anyway. It would be my pleasure to accept.” Rio placed his right hand over his chest respectfully.
“Then it’s decided. You may use the rear garden of the castle if you so wish, but if you would prefer to train somewhere out of sight, then you may leave the castle as well.”
“I can leave the castle?”
Satsuki’s eyes widened. Although it was for the sake of training, the others also showed signs of surprise to hear that she was allowed to leave so easily.
“You’ve never been prohibited from leaving in the first place, no? I would express my disapproval if the situation were unfavorable, but that doesn’t apply to cases where you have a proper reason for going out and understand the risks.”
“Well, that’s true...”
“I thought I had made my trust in you clear. I would prefer it if you informed me of your plans before leaving, but I won’t oppose your outings if Haruto is accompanying you. You may arrange the details with Charlotte later.”
“Yes, please do.” Charlotte nodded happily. It was clear from her expression that she was hoping to take advantage of the opportunity and leave as well.
“Then let us end talks for real this time. I’m sure the Cretia family has much to discuss. Please lend them a room in the mansion to catch up with each other,” Francois said to Rio and Charlotte, showing consideration for the family that probably wanted to have a proper reunion in private.
“Then allow me to show you to a spare drawing room. Princess Christina, Princess Flora, please remain here. Will that be acceptable, Sir Haruto?” Rio owned the house, so Charlotte sought his permission.
“Of course.”
And so, the group dispersed.
“I will return to the castle first. Charlotte, come see me in my office after you’re done showing them to the room.”
“Understood.”
“And Haruto, may I ask you to escort me there?” Francois asked, getting up from his seat. He had his own personal guards, so he usually didn’t ask Rio for an escort.
“Sure... Gladly.”
The unusual request caught Rio off guard, but he agreed quickly with a smile.
◇ ◇ ◇
After Francois left the mansion, he ordered his usual guards to follow from a distance. Thus, he and Rio began making their way to the castle.
“I didn’t say this earlier, but there’s something else I’d like to share with you,” he said abruptly to Rio, who was walking diagonally behind him.
“What is it?”
“Before I do, I’d like you to keep what I’m about to tell you a secret from Lady Satsuki. I do not wish to give her needless worry over an uncertainty. Understood?”
“I understand.” Rio had figured there was something else Francois wanted to discuss privately from the moment he asked for an escort, but it seemed to be a heavy topic.
“A thought came to mind when you mentioned the Saint might still be alive. Could it be that heroes cannot die? Or at least not to a sword through the heart.”
“Why do you think that...?”
“When Lady Satsuki was summoned, I had all the pseudepigrapha in the kingdom gathered. One of them stated that the heroes were tenacious with bodies that seemed immortal. I recalled that when you mentioned it.”
“Immortal, you say? In the unaging, undying way?” Rio was taken aback by the fantastical terminology.
“Indeed. However, at the end of the day, the source is a pseudepigraphon written by an unknown author. I dismissed it for the lack of credibility, but your fears reminded me of the text.”
“In other words, you believe the Saint might still be alive, Your Majesty?”
“Who knows? It is hard for me to believe that someone can survive a sword through the heart. And if the heroes were truly immortal, the ones that fought in the Divine War should still be alive now.”
If immortality meant eternal life, then they wouldn’t be able to die of old age.
“No one knows what happened to the heroes of that time, right?” Rio asked.
Such as where they died, or where they went.
“There are folklores of the heroes establishing the kingdoms, but there are no specific details of what happened to the heroes after the Divine War in any of the ancient texts.”
If they vanished after the war, is it possible they returned to their original world?
Rio thought in his head.
“It’s strange how there’s no record of what happened to the key figures of the Divine War... Is it possible for me to view these ancient texts as well?” he asked, seeking permission to read the apocrypha and pseudepigrapha. He was unlikely to find an answer to the aftermath of the heroes, but it was possible he could discover something new. Pseudepigrapha in particular were texts that kingdoms didn’t want to be seen, so they weren’t available for everyone to view.
“Very well.” Rio received permission without any resistance from the king.
“Thank you very much.”
“Of course. It has to do with the reason why I summoned you here like this.”
“By which you mean...?”
“It has to do with the heroes’ powers. There were many anecdotes of the heroes in the pseudepigrapha, but it is difficult to determine what is true or not due to the abstract nature of the ancient scriptures. Immortality is one such example—I shouldn’t utter this even as a joke, but I don’t suppose you’d be willing to stab Lady Satsuki to confirm?”
“No...” Rio shook his head, gulping.
“Your instruction may awaken the power sleeping within Lady Satsuki. I fear the control of a monster like the beast of the land and the possession of an immortal body might be too much for a young girl to bear. It is enough to destroy a human’s heart.”
“...”
“Lady Satsuki is smart, honest, and possesses a strange charm that draws others to her. However, she is only a normal girl. At least, that is how I see her. What are your thoughts on this?”
“I feel the same way.”
“In that case, I make this request of you as a man. I’d like you to guide her as necessary so that she isn’t swallowed if her power grows to be too much. Can you do that for me?” Francois stopped walking and turned around to face Rio.
“Is it... Is it something I can do?” It was an important role. Rio couldn’t agree to it without due consideration.
“I believe you can. You too have far more power than a single person can bear, yet you haven’t been swallowed by it. You didn’t accept my request immediately, and I wish to entrust this to you precisely because of that.”
“I understand...”
“I’m counting on you.”
Seeing Rio nod politely, Francois bowed his head deeply in return. While they were talking, they had arrived right before the front entrance of the castle.
“We’ve arrived at the castle. Accompany me for a while longer.”
It seemed Francois wasn’t done speaking; he walked into the castle without waiting for Rio’s response. As the king, Francois stood out even at the best of times, and Haruto Amakawa was the hottest topic nowadays. They attracted much attention as they walked through the castle together, eventually reaching Francois’s office.
“Go on, have a seat.”
“Thank you.” Rio sat down on the lower seat that Francois, who had sat down first, offered.
“Hmm...” Francois nodded in silence for a moment. Rather than being undecided on a topic, it seemed he was hesitating over how to approach the topic he had in mind.
Time passed like that until Charlotte arrived at the office. “Excuse me.”
Francois gave her permission to enter the room.
“That was rather fast,” he said in slight surprise. Only a minute had passed since they sat down.
“I had a feeling there was something very interesting to be discussed, so I entrusted Princess Christina and Princess Flora to Lady Celia.”
“I see. Well, have a seat.”
“Thank you.”
With an eager and cheery reply, Charlotte sat right beside Rio on the three-seater sofa. She was practically clinging to him.
“...”
They weren’t even betrothed. No, even if they were betrothed, doing such a thing in front of her father, King Francois, was somewhat troubling. Very troubling. Rio casually shifted to the side to gain some distance from Charlotte, but she merely shifted over to fill that gap.
If he moved aside any farther, his actions would be seen as unnatural to Francois, who was seated across from them. Rio gave up on distancing himself further.
“Heheh.” Charlotte smiled impishly.
“Hm...” Francois watched the two of them curiously, but eventually began to speak. “I have some questions about the existence of spirits and spirit arts. Lady Sara and her friends gave me a brief explanation of the topic while you were absent. I searched through ancient texts afterwards and found mentions of casters of such techniques existing in the Strahl region in the past.”
Rio pulled himself together and answered through feigned composure. “Yes, though the techniques have been lost from Strahl for a long time. I’ve barely encountered any spirit art users throughout my travels of the Strahl region.”
“Barely, meaning there has been at least one?”
“That would be Reiss.”
“I see... I think I can understand the reason why spirit arts became obsolete in Strahl: because sorcery and magic are the miracles given to mankind by the Six Wise Gods. Worship of the gods would have prioritized sorcery and magic over spirit arts. And if magic is easier to learn than spirit arts, it would be more convenient to use for military purposes as well.”
“It is exactly as you say.”
“However, there is a group of people who have passed down the use of spirit arts to the modern era.”
Francois paused, staring closely at Rio seated opposite him. “You are one of them,” he said, stressing his words.
“Yes...”
“It seemed that the Yagumo nations we were once connected with had no knowledge of the Six Wise Gods and used no sorcery or magic. Instead, they had techniques that were similar to spirit arts. The ancient texts also said that elves, dwarves, and werebeast species excelled at such techniques.”
“...”
At first, Rio couldn’t see the point of the conversation, or why Charlotte had been summoned to sit in on it, but now he had an idea of what Francois was getting at.
“That was when I wondered—could Lady Sara and Gouki’s groups all hail from outside the Strahl region?”
He had just discovered that users of the lost art of the Strahl region had gathered around Rio in droves. Someone as wise as Francois would naturally consider that possibility. Charlotte seemed to be similarly intrigued about it, as she looked up at Rio’s face.
“You need not answer if you do not wish to do so.”
Just as Rio was about to answer, Francois spoke over him.
“No, it is as you have guessed. Everyone originally lived outside of the Strahl region.”
He had deduced this much already. Rio didn’t attempt to cover up the truth. He had trust in Francois and Charlotte.
“As I expected... In that case, will you tell me about your relationship to the Saga couple?”
This was the true question that Francois wanted to ask Rio. A couple old enough to be his parents was treating him with deep loyalty. It was impossible for it not to pique interest.
“The circumstances are a little complicated. I’m afraid I must ask that you keep this an absolute secret.”
“Hmm. Just to confirm, is it something that Charlotte may listen to? My daughter’s at that age where she’s brimming with curiosity. I invited her to sit in on this conversation as she would only probe around if I tried to hide it from her.”
“It was my intention to explain things to Your Majesty and Princess Charlotte anyway. I also wish to inform Satsuki, so I’ll talk to her again later.”
“Very well. Make sure you keep this confidential, Charlotte.”
“Of course,” Charlotte agreed in a truly pleased voice.
“Firstly, my parents are immigrants from the Yagumo region...”
And so, Rio disclosed his relationship with Gouki and Kayoko, and the circumstances of his parents. The explanation took several minutes. He had already explained it once to Miharu and Celia, so he was used to talking about it.
“I wondered if there were special circumstances surrounding your identity, but I hadn’t expected royal blood...” It was certainly a shocking revelation. Francois sighed heavily to suppress his surprise.
Rio raised his hand, seeking permission to speak. “Your Majesty. May I ask one more thing?”
“What is it?”
“There are more than ten others that traveled to the Strahl region with Gouki. I’d like to invite them into my mansion. Would that be an issue?”
“That mansion belongs to you. You are free to invite whoever you wish.”
“Thank you very much.”
Rio bowed at the approval that was readily granted.
“Why not just make them your vassals?” Francois suggested. “That complies with their own desires, does it not?”
“That’s...”
“I understand you do not want that. However, I plan on rewarding them for their meritorious deed in defeating the giant skeleton. If you have any intention of employing them as vassals, I can bestow on with the rank of an honorary knight. That will make their lives far more comfortable if they are to live in the castle—something which you should know well yourself, no? Well, you can discuss this with them.”
Rio paused, then nodded stiffly. “I understand...”
“And that just leaves... Right. There’s something I wished to ask you. Charlotte, you may excuse yourself first.” Francois suddenly changed the topic.
“All right...” Despite her confusion, Charlotte stood up and exited the room. The door clicked closed behind her. Just what were they about to discuss?
“Do you have any interest in marriage with Lady Satsuki or Charlotte, or perhaps both?”
Rio fell speechless, freezing for a long moment. He eventually snapped back to his senses and squeezed out the words, “Surely you jest.”
“I see. Well, just keep it in mind.” Francois smiled suggestively.
“...” Rio couldn’t reply.
“You may return to the mansion now. Please instruct Lady Satsuki well.”
With those final words, Francois showed Rio to the door.
◇ ◇ ◇
“Please excuse me.” Rio left Francois’s office.
“I was waiting for you, Sir Haruto. That was quick.”
Charlotte was waiting outside, beaming from ear to ear.
“Yes... It was just a brief question.” He refused to inform her that he had been offered her hand in marriage.
“What did you talk about?”
“You’ll have to ask His Majesty...”
Charlotte held her curiosity to the forefront, stepping forward forcefully. Rio faltered for a reaction.
“Ahem.” A light cough resounded. There was a middle-aged noble standing a short distance away from Charlotte. This man was the head of the second major duke family in the Galarc Kingdom, on par with the Cretia family—Clement Gregory.
“Oh my, I almost forgot you were there, Duke Gregory. If it’s my father you’re after, he’s still in his office. Why don’t you go inside?” Charlotte asked.
“I’d like to have a word with that man too,” Gregory said, glaring at Rio. Even to a bystander, it was clear he felt animosity towards Rio.
“How can I help you?” Rio had greeted Duke Gregory briefly during the banquet. He hadn’t felt any particular hostility back then.
“Sir Haruto has just returned from a long journey,” Charlotte interrupted in an annoyed tone. “He’s very tired, so could you please keep it brief?”
“Then, Sir Amakawa. Where were you during such an important time? The Heavenly Lions attacked the castle in your absence. It seemed their attack was focused around your mansion, but what is your relation to them?”
Duke Gregory rapidly began interrogating Rio, though it would be of no surprise coming from the head of a duke family. Despite being in the Second Princess Charlotte’s presence, he wasn’t about to read the room and back down easily. His position allowed for that.
“I...”
“Excuse me, Duke Gregory.” Charlotte cut in before Rio could reply. Her expression was cheerful, but the gaze she turned to Gregory was cold.
“This topic has already been discussed with my father. Sir Haruto was out on a mission to rescue Liselotte. He’s just returned from fulfilling that mission. Someone as quick-eared as you should be aware that Liselotte has returned, no?” she stated.
“So it was you...” Duke Gregory looked discontent that Rio had gained another achievement to his name.
“...”
Without saying another word, Charlotte knocked on the door to the office. She forcibly ordered the knight guarding the door to open it. “Open up.”
“Yes, Your Highness.”
“Father, Duke Gregory has come to pay you a visit.” She waved Duke Gregory into Francois’s office.
No Comments Yet
Post a new comment
Register or Login