Chapter 6: Hero Q&A
The next afternoon, Satsuki, Masato, and Takahisa were led by Charlotte and Lilianna to visit the dining room in the castle. Francois had something to talk to them about, so they were going to have lunch together with him.
“Please come this way.”
A knight opened the door to the dining room and Charlotte gestured for them to enter. When Satsuki and the others entered the room, they found it was already occupied by other visitors: Beltrum’s First Princess Christina and Second Princess Flora, the hero Hiroaki, Roanna, and Duke Huguenot.
“Princess Christina! Princess Flora!” Satsuki ran up to the girls she already considered her good friends. Christina and Flora’s expressions brightened in return. They stood up to greet her.
“Long time no see, Lady Satsuki.”
“It’s an honor to be in your company again.”
Satsuki frowned sadly, unable to find the right words to say. “I heard about what happened in Rodania. You must have suffered a lot.”
“Thank you for your kind words. We were saved by Professor Celia and Sara’s group, so please give them our regards later,” Christina said. Flora bowed her head beside her.
“We’ll invite you two to the mansion on another occasion, so please come visit again,” Charlotte said, joining the conversation.
“We’d be glad to.”
“Of course.”
The siblings replied over each other.
“It’s nice to see you again too, Hiroaki. I’m glad to see you’re unharmed.” Satsuki sat down nearby and looked over at Hiroaki. While the relationship between them wasn’t the worst, it wasn’t exactly good either. Neither of them normally bothered to talk to the other when they had nothing to say. In situations like this, Satsuki was the one who usually greeted him first, only to be met with a displeased face.
“Yeah. Thanks.” Hiroaki glanced over at Satsuki without getting up from his seat. His reply was curt, but it wasn’t hostile. Satsuki’s eyes widened faintly at that.
“Good afternoon, Sakata. Do you remember me? I greeted you once at the banquet.”
Takahisa approached Hiroaki to give his greetings as well.
“You’re... Right, you’re the hero from Centostella. So that little one over there must be the new hero.”
Hiroaki seemed to remember Takahisa.
“Hello, I’m Sendo Masato.”
“Sakata Hiroaki,” Hiroaki replied with a light shrug.
“Everyone. My father will be arriving soon, so please take your seats,” Charlotte called out to everyone, having received a signal from the knight beside the door who was tasked with announcing arrivals. As Satsuki and the others all took their seats, Galarc’s King Francois entered the dining room.
“Thank you for gathering today, everyone—please take your seats. There are some topics on the agenda that are unsuitable for a meal, so let us all enjoy the food first.”
As soon as Francois was done speaking, food was carried into the room. Thus began the lunch party with four heroes, but the atmosphere in the room was far from bright. Everyone was eating their meal—if anything, the meal was what kept their mouths occupied from speaking. Then, once everyone was finally done eating...
“Now, let us get to business. The reason why I have gathered the heroes here today is none other than to discuss the fall of Rodania. Lady Satsuki would have heard about this already, but it has been reported that the hero of ice assisted the Beltrum Kingdom in the attack on Rodania,” Francois began, looking around at everyone’s faces.
“The problem is the power that the ice hero displayed. In a single blow, the hero of ice froze a hundred-odd Aerial Knights protecting Rodania, making them fall from the skies,” he continued.
“...”
Faces stiffened as the group felt some form of nervousness.
“This number cannot be dismissed lightly. The hero was facing a flying army spread throughout the air, yet still managed such devastation. Princess Christina estimates that if he had used that power against an army on the ground, he could have taken out over a thousand soldiers.”
“A-A thousand?!”
Everyone besides Satsuki, Masato, and Takahisa—who had already heard this earlier—was lost for words at that number.
“If that power could only be used once per battle, then the nation would merely consider it a severe threat that cannot be overlooked. However, if that power could be used multiple times, or if an even greater power existed... We could potentially be facing a national crisis.”
“What do you mean by potentially?” Satsuki asked nervously.
“I am referring to the potential of a hero deciding to use their power against us. Heroes possess the power to kill a thousand soldiers in a single move. If such a power could be used repeatedly, mobilizing the army would just be sacrificing lives for nothing.” Francois pointed out the danger of the heroes outright.
“Wh-What are you saying?! We’d never do that!” Takahisa must have felt as though he had been criticized for being a hero, so he stood up and yelled at Francois in protest.
“Of course, I believe that no one of a sound mind would do such a thing. I have trust in all the heroes here today,” Francois replied calmly.
“Please return to your seat, Sir Takahisa.”
Pacified by Lilianna’s quiet words, Takahisa sat back down with a bitter look.
“I must emphasize this to avoid any misunderstandings: I do not see the heroes present here as a threat. I view the hero of ice, who intentionally used his power in the conflict of another nation, as the threat. I ask for your understanding of that before I continue,” Francois said, carefully looking each hero in the eye.
“It’s okay, I understand,” Satsuki said.
“Me too,” Masato replied.
“Hmm...” Hiroaki shrugged to convey his understanding without any words.
“...Right.” Takahisa nodded.
“As the leader of this kingdom, I wish for a means to estimate the power of the hero of ice. Obviously, the ice hero cannot be contacted directly. That is why I have gathered the heroes that are friendly with our kingdom here today. I have already explained this to Sir Hiroaki, but I would like to ask you all to show us your strongest move,” Francois said, finally explaining the true reason for the lunch party.
“Does that mean that Sakata...” Satsuki looked at Hiroaki.
“Yeah, I’ve agreed to cooperate. The ice hero on the enemy side is a problem for the Restoration as well. Which makes it my problem.” Hiroaki’s statement showed a strong sense of responsibility towards the Restoration.
“Huh...” Satsuki gazed at him curiously, seeing him in a new light.
“I would also like to emphasize that this is a request. You are by no means forced to participate. Refusing won’t lead to any hardships or loss on your part either. I am willing to wait if you wish to take a few days and consider your answer, and I am open to answering any of your questions,” Francois said to the heroes.
“Then...I’d like to ask something.”
Satsuki slowly raised her hand.
“What is it, Lady Satsuki?”
“Regarding the power of a hero... As the hero of the Galarc Kingdom, you could have measured my power at any time you wanted. Isn’t that right?”
“With your agreement, yes.”
“But you never asked me for permission. You’ve never even asked me to demonstrate my hero power. I think we’ve discussed something similar before, but why is that? Could you explain once more, in front of all the heroes here?” Satsuki looked around at the other heroes as she spoke.
“Indeed, I could have asked you to demonstrate your power to prove yourself a hero. But it was clear from the situation at the time that you matched the legends of the heroes...” Francois said, chuckling as though something was amusing.
“There were a number of reasons why I didn’t ask, but the main reason is that I consider the heroes to be of equal status to the rulers of a nation. I wanted to form a good relationship from the beginning, so I didn’t want to make any demands I wouldn’t have wanted made of me. As is natural when interacting with someone of equal status,” he added in explanation.
“...” Satsuki silently waited for Francois to continue.
“Would you not find it improper? How much force you have doesn’t matter. There’s no political, financial, or other necessity for a demonstration. Asking you to show off your power out of pure curiosity would be boorish, wouldn’t you agree?”
“I get what you’re saying, but was there really no necessity?”
The powers of a hero should have had plenty of military use for the kingdom. Satsuki asked why Francois didn’t have any interest in a roundabout way.
“The Galarc Kingdom is prosperous. There’s no war ongoing, and the kingdom is not at risk of ruin. We have no intention of invading anyone else. What would we do with a legendary power during such peaceful times? Although I will admit I had some curiosity towards the power,” Francois said honestly.
“If you were curious, why didn’t you investigate it?” Takahisa asked from the side.
“As I said already, because that would be improper. And, as I also said, because I wished to form an equal relationship with Lady Satsuki. It’s easy to be repulsed by people who act improperly with you, no?” Having an interest in something didn’t automatically mean it was necessary to investigate, was Francois’s thinking.
Takahisa continued to stare at Francois skeptically as though to say, “You say that, but you still wanted to investigate it,” but Francois was unaffected by his rude gaze.
“It would be one thing if Lady Satsuki volunteered to test her power herself, but I would never make such a request of her out of curiosity alone. At worst, Lady Satsuki could become wary of me. Even if there had been a necessity for the power to be investigated, I would have made the request after a certain amount of trust had been established first. And that is why I am here now,” Francois stated openly. He then looked at the heroes. “There’s another thing I wish to ask all of you.”
“Yes?” Satsuki replied on behalf of everyone.
“I have only witnessed Lady Satsuki’s behavior up close, but when it comes to the true power of the heroes, would I be wrong to say that the rest of you haven’t investigated the full potential of your powers either? It seems to me like even if you had the opportunity to release all your power, none of you would ever try to test your limits and desire even more power,” Francois said.
“That’s because I have no intention of using it!” Takahisa answered first, expressing his strong sense of morals.
“I am in agreement with Takahisa there. I never planned on using it either.”
“Same here.”
Although they were less heated in their replies, Satsuki and Masato agreed with him.
“Well, yeah. The moment we get a little serious, we can produce a devastating attack. It’s not like we want to throw ourselves into war, so what are we gonna crave further power for? The power itself is completely intuitive, so it’s not like there’s an instruction manual either.” Hiroaki agreed with the three of them while giving his own opinion.
“If I could add one thing, then I was also worried you’d be wary of me if I asked to find out more about my hero power. It wasn’t that I had no interest in the power of a hero, but I thought it’d be a problem if I displayed my power too much,” Satsuki said, adding a different perspective.
“Bwa ha ha! I do appreciate that thoughtful side of you, Lady Satsuki.” Francois laughed heartily.
“I appreciate you for being a thoughtful king too, Your Majesty.”
“Then let us speak more frankly with each other. I will be honest with you—I feared what would happen to the kingdom if someone with exceptional power appeared. If you didn’t want to use the true power of a hero, then it was more convenient for the kingdom if you kept that power sealed. The Galarc Kingdom was under stable rule before the presence of a hero, so there was no need to use that legendary power—just borrowing your influence was enough,” Francois said, revealing his true feelings.
Things may have been different if the power of the hero were controlled by Francois’s will, but the ones that possessed the power were heroes of equal status to the king. The free will of a single girl was different from the will of a nation’s king.
As the ruler of the kingdom, it was only natural to fear a power that couldn’t be controlled, one great enough to destroy the kingdom. In modern Earth, it was the equivalent of an individual possessing a nuclear weapon instead of a nation.
“If we cooperate with the kingdom on this... We might be found to have as much power as the hero of ice, right?” Satsuki suddenly asked.
“Indeed.”
“Would we not be considered a threat afterwards? Won’t you be wary that we’ll turn our power against the kingdom? I’m sure it’s frightening for the kingdom to have an individual with so much power.”
Considering the massacre the ice hero Renji had committed, it was already proved that the powers of the heroes were a threat. Satsuki took that into account as she questioned Francois earnestly.
“Whether you are seen as a threat or not will depend on the level of trust we have. In your case, I’ve had plenty of time to confirm your character from the moment you were summoned until now. That’s why I decided to trust you and make the request for you to test your hero power to your heart’s content. This is the answer I have reached.” Francois stared directly into Satsuki’s eyes as he answered her.
“Since Your Majesty has gone about this in such a courteous way, I’m in. As the hero of the Galarc Kingdom, I vow to display the full extent of my powers,” Satsuki said, promising her cooperation.
“Are you sure? As I said before, I am not seeking an immediate answer.”
“I have similar trust in you as the king. I also consider Char to be an irreplaceable friend. With people like you in charge of Galarc, I’m happy to give my answer here and now.”
“I see... Thank you,” Francois said, giving Satsuki an appreciative look.
“H-Hold on a minute, Satsuki. Isn’t that a bit rash of you? You should think a bit more before giving your answer,” Takahisa said hurriedly.
“Takahisa...”
“What if his request doesn’t end at displaying your power? What if the situation changes and he asks you to use that power? If we use our power in a war, we’ll end up killing a huge amount of people. Isn’t that right?”
Instead of looking at Satsuki, Takahisa shot Francois an accusatory glare.
“If the hero of ice ever threatens our kingdom with his power, I may ask Lady Satsuki to stand at the forefront as a deterrent. However, it will purely be as a deterrent. I would only ask her to use her power against the enemy army as the very, very last resort. And even then, I would yield the final decision to Lady Satsuki herself. I have absolutely no intention of using the power of a hero as an aggressor. My focus is purely defensive, to use the power as a deterrent.” In return, Francois answered while looking at Satsuki instead of Takahisa.
“You’re saying you won’t use the power of a hero for war?”
“That phrasing implies that I won’t use heroes for war at all. What I said is that I wish to use their power as a deterrent,” Francois immediately corrected.
“There’s no guarantee you’ll stop at just a deterrent, though,” Takahisa muttered with a frown. He wasn’t as inclined to believe in Francois as Satsuki, which was probably why it seemed that she was being deceived in his eyes.
While there was a trusting relationship between Satsuki and Francois, the same couldn’t be said for Takahisa and Francois. Takahisa was summoned in the Centostella Kingdom, so there was nothing that could have been done about that, but...
“That may be true. But I have already conveyed my policy towards the enemy military. You seem to be under the impression that the kingdom is actively seeking to participate in war, Sir Takahisa. While there are indeed some nations that exert their energy in war, it all comes down to the leader—and I can promise you that I do not enjoy war. There are times where I have no choice but to consider it as a means of diplomacy, but I would never do so willingly,” Francois said after a small sigh.
“Why is that?” Takahisa continued voicing his doubts.
“First of all... While I wouldn’t go as far as to call it pointless, the economic cost is far too heavy. Mobilizing the army costs a massive amount of resources. Weapons have to be forged, citizens enlisted, food sourced, troops dispatched, supplies transported... There are too many things to enumerate,” Francois explained as his first hesitation.
“Although it can depend on the scale, war is a burden on the entire kingdom. It also causes the citizens to accumulate stress. Yet victory brings very little compensation. The discontent throughout the nation remains after the war, so the aftermath of war brings more than just an economic cost,” he continued, offering the perspective of the citizens that were forced into war.
“People aren’t thoughtless pawns. Once victory is achieved, rewards for great merits and compensation for damages will be an inevitable topic. Every decision made will be met with criticism and accusations, building more discontent. And those who contributed the most to the victory will gain the power to create new factions.” With a tired face, he added his final point as a finishing blow.
“I don’t know about other kings, but I would require the circumstances to outweigh those demerits before I would willingly seek out war myself. That, or for the circumstances to have very little demerits in the first place. Well, I suppose the power of the heroes could be forcefully used in that regard.”
“Wait, then...!” Takahisa started to speak, but—
“Just because I can, doesn’t mean I will. I wouldn’t do that,” Francois declared first.
“Why...?”
“Like I said already, my focus is purely defensive, to use the power as a deterrent. I also said that I wish to form a good relationship with Lady Satsuki. Even if the heroes truly have the power to ruin a nation, that doesn’t mean they actively wish for destruction, no?” Francois said, calmly dissecting the argument point by point.
“An individual can be tormented by too much power in their hands. Doing this would be like entrusting the deterrent force of a kingdom to a single person. Lady Satsuki’s mental burden has to be taken into consideration as well. I wish to emphasize that I will not force her into doing anything,” Francois said, looking at Satsuki pointedly.
“That’s enough, Takahisa. I know you’re worried for me, but my answer won’t change.” Satsuki tried to soothe him with a sigh.
“But...”
“I trust the Galarc Kingdom under King Francois’s reign. If the hero of ice threatens this kingdom, I can’t turn a blind eye either way,” she stated clearly to Takahisa’s reluctance.
“So you’d fight that ice hero if he attacked?”
“That’s right... If I felt like I had no other choice, I would.”
“Why?” Takahisa asked, unable to understand her.
“Because it’s my problem too. If the hero of ice overpowers the military, the enemy will march upon this castle.”
“Sure, it might affect you—but that isn’t a reason for us to fight as well.”
“So you wouldn’t fight if the Centostella Castle were being invaded?”
“Making extreme hypotheticals just derails the point...”
“It’ll be too late when that hypothetical becomes proven, and I don’t think it’s that extreme either. The hero of ice has a track record of attacking Rodania. Many people died, and Christina and the others had to flee for their lives.”
Satsuki glanced at the group from the Restoration as she made her argument.
“But if you keep going down that path, in the end, you’ll be using your power against other people. If we use our power, people will die. They’ll drop like flies. I don’t want that. Killing someone just for threatening you is plain barbaric...” Takahisa became emotional and argued back with clear disgust in his tone.
“I see. You don’t wish to fight because you don’t want to kill people.”
“Isn’t that only natural?”
“Right, natural. I don’t want to kill anyone either. I don’t enjoy fighting. But if I don’t protect myself, who will protect me? We can’t live in peace if we don’t protect ourselves.”
“That doesn’t mean you can kill people for it. Peace is meaningless if you have to commit crimes to obtain it. Trying to fight power with power will only result in more lives sacrificed. If both sides refuse to yield an inch, the fight can only end when one side is completely destroyed.”
“What you’re saying sounds far more extreme to me... And personally, I don’t believe peace can exist without power. There needs to be a power in place to act as a deterrent to keep people from killing each other.”
Neither Satsuki nor Takahisa would budge on their stances. Until...
“So, hero from Centostella.”
Hiroaki, who had been observing them silently until then, interrupted in an irritated tone.
“Are you talking to me?” Takahisa tilted his head with a dubious look.
“Yeah, you. Say there were ten people in a room with ten weapons. One of those people is you. Now, six of those people are good people and friendly with you. But the remaining three are assholes. They pick up weapons and threaten the rest of you. What would you do?”
Hiroaki suddenly questioned Takahisa with a made-up situation.
“What? Again with the unrealistic hypotheticals?” Takahisa frowned.
“Just answer,” Hiroaki insisted.
“The law exists for a reason. I shouldn’t have to do anything, because no normal person would commit such a violent crime.”
“Unfortunately, there are idiots in this world that ignore the law. If people like that pick up weapons to threaten you, what would you do?”
“I’d negotiate with them before it reached that point and leave the room.”
“What if the three people with weapons said no, they’re not letting you get away?”
“I’d convince them,” Takahisa replied without hesitation.
“And if you failed?”
“I won’t give up. I’ll make sure they listen.”
“...Are you serious? You’d probably be killed for being annoying at that point. I guess if you don’t want to put up a fight, then it’s your life... But what if the chick you loved was in there and those armed guys were trying to feel her up? Would you still try to talk things through? Satsuki and King Francois are saying they wouldn’t let those guys have their way. They’d pick up the weapons to protect those dear to them. And I’m in agreement with them.”
“Escalating the situation until people kill each other is exactly the kind of meaningless sacrifice I’m talking about. Picking up weapons to avoid fighting is contradictory and absurd... There has to be another option other than fighting!”
“That’s why to avoid unnecessary sacrifice, we... It’s no good. This guy has no sense of reality. Are you sure he isn’t just some coward that doesn’t want to dirty his own hands?”
Hiroaki sighed heavily as his frustration pent up while he spoke.
“Wh-What do you mean by that? You people are the ones who aren’t looking at reality. You’re treating people’s lives like nothing. You don’t see people as people!” Takahisa said angrily.
“That’s just your opinion. And all I did was give my opinion. Say, can we just exclude this guy due to a difference in values, King Francois?” Not wanting to talk to Takahisa any further, Hiroaki turned to Francois.
“I was never going to force anyone into participating in the first place,” Francois replied with a shrug. “The need to measure the power of a hero came up, so I made the request to those of you who wish to cooperate. Everything about deterrent forces and so on is irrelevant to the present. There’s no need to decide those things at this very moment. Sir Takahisa is the hero of Centostella—do you have any opinion to offer, Princess Lilianna?” he asked, seeking Lilianna’s thoughts.
“I am not in a position to force Sir Takahisa’s hand either.”
Until now, Lilianna had been watching over the discussions in silence. There was nothing that could be read of her emotions from her expression. But Takahisa seemed to sense something, as he shut his mouth after one glance at her beautiful eyes.
“I see...” Francois uttered with a sigh.
“Then it’s decided. Satsuki and I will participate. What about you, new hero?” Having lost interest in Takahisa, Hiroaki turned to Masato.
“I will cooperate too,” Masato accepted readily.
“H-Hey, Masato!” Takahisa couldn’t overlook Masato’s answer.
“What? You have no right to be giving me orders, bro. After listening to everything you all discussed, I’ve decided I’m in agreement with Satsuki,” Masato replied boldly.
“Do you even understand the situation?! You might end up killing someone!”
“That wasn’t the point. We’re talking about how to deal with the ice hero if he decides to attack more nations. If you have no intention of fighting, then just sit there and shut up. Criticizing the people fighting for you while you hide in the safety zone is what a coward would do.”
“I-I have the right to freedom of speech. And I don’t want to hear that from you either, Masato. Are you saying people who participate in war are superior? That kind of thinking leads to totalitarianism.”
“I don’t get what you’re saying. I’m not talking about who’s superior or whatever that totali-thing is. I’m talking about defending against an attacker. If things will end in fighting either way, then I want to be able to resist before that happens,” Masato replied, heating up the argument between the two brothers.
“Huh. Hey, Satsuki?” Hiroaki called out to Satsuki beside him.
“...Yes?”
“Are they brothers?”
“Yes, they are. The older brother is Sendo Takahisa, and the younger brother is Sendo Masato,” Satsuki said, introducing the two of them.
“Wow, so the younger one’s got a better head on his shoulders.” Hiroaki sneered without bothering to lower his voice.
“Wha...” Takahisa frowned at him, offended by his words.
“Pretty boy hero, what you’re doing is totalitarianism itself, you know? You’re trying to force Satsuki and Masato into sharing your opinion, right?”
“What... That’s not it! All I want is—”
“Neither Satsuki nor Masato are ordering you to fight, you realize?” Hiroaki jeered.
“Guh...” Takahisa gritted his teeth and clenched his fists bitterly.
Realizing that any more of this would just be a squabble, Satsuki interrupted as mediation. “Okay, how about we stop there? The topic this time is whether we’ll help with the investigation into the maximum output of our hero powers. Sakata, Masato, and I will cooperate. Takahisa doesn’t have to do anything he doesn’t want to do. We were told there’s no penalty for not participating, and I think we’ve discussed our respective views enough now.”
“Right. I don’t care whether that guy participates or not anyway. I have no interest in talking him into it,” Hiroaki agreed, backing down easily.
“I’m—I’m not wrong...” Takahisa muttered with a sullen look.
“Then we shall proceed with Sir Hiroaki, Lady Satsuki, and Sir Masato as participants. It’d be troublesome if the nobles in the castle caught word of the investigation and created a fuss, so it will be conducted in secret somewhere away from the public eye. I am still in the midst of selecting an appropriate location, but assume that the experiment will be conducted within the next few days.”
With Francois’s conclusion, the question-and-answer session between the heroes came to an end.
◇ ◇ ◇
Meanwhile, in the mansion where Miharu and the others lived...
After seeing Roland off in the morning when he departed for the Beltrum Kingdom, Celia got straight to analyzing the mask. Even after eating lunch, she shut herself in her room and continued casting magic on the mask on her desk. Sora watched her from where she sat on the bed.
“Celia, thirty seconds have passed since you began analyzing,” Sora said to Celia’s back.
“Okay. Phew...” Celia stopped her analysis and sighed heavily.
“It’s time for the one-hour break between every analysis,” Sora urged.
“I’m starting to get used to it, so I think we can start shortening the length of the breaks.”
“No. You have to keep this pace for the time being so that Sora can monitor your health. We will lengthen the breaks if your fatigue is accumulating,” Sora said, managing Celia’s health strictly.
“That’s rather protective of you. I expected you to rush me more.” Celia chuckled, giving Sora a look of surprise.
“The Dragon King asked Sora to ensure you weren’t pushing yourself too hard. Besides, the progress will be even more delayed if you collapse midanalysis. That would be even more bothersome.”
“I see... Then I’ll take that break now.” Celia smiled, pleased to hear she was being valued so much. She got up from her seat and flopped face-first into her bed, burying her face in her cushions.
“So how was it? Have you started to understand it yet?” Sora asked.
“You ask that every break. My answer’s the same as before—I’ve still got a long way to go,” Celia replied, rolling over onto her back with a giggle.
“Well, it is an artifact created by one of the so-called Wise Gods. We knew it wouldn’t be easy to analyze from the start.”
“From the feel of things, I’ll need to analyze for a few days to make any progress. I don’t want to take weeks, months, or years doing it, so I’m going to aim for some kind of result before you have to leave with Rio on his journey. Better hope that it works.”
“Well, Sora can spare a brief prayer for you.”
“Hee hee. Thanks.” Celia’s mouth turned upwards in a smile directed at the ceiling. Just then, someone knocked on the door.
“I wonder who that is? I’m coming!” she called out, hurrying over to the door.
“Oh! Hello Suzune.”
Latifa was standing on the other side. “Hi Celia. Sora.” She shot them a friendly grin.
“What’s up, Suzune?”
“Satsuki came home just now, so I wanted to invite you both to tea with everyone in the dining room.”
“That sounds nice. I was just in the middle of a break anyway. What do you think, Sora?” Celia asked, looking over at Sora enthusiastically.
“Tea? What’s so fun about huddling in a room together to drink tea?” Sora looked dubious at the idea of something so annoying.
“I-It’s fun! You can drink delicious tea with someone else and hold a friendly conversation.” As someone who loved her tea time, Celia couldn’t overlook a response like that.
“That’s right!” Latifa agreed. “We all made sweets together! They taste really good too!” she added in support.
“Sweets? There are sweets as well?” Sora’s eyes widened in interest.
“There are! We made lots!”
“Lots of sweets? Well then. Let’s go, Celia.”
“Goodness...” Celia laughed, exasperated at how easily Sora had been lured by the promise of sweets.
“Wh-What is that look for? Research requires a lot of thinking, so it’s important to keep your sugar levels up. Sora’s just concerned for you, Celia.”
Sora made sure to emphasize that the sweets weren’t for herself.
“All right, I get it. Let’s get going.”
Celia giggled, exiting the room. Sora followed her until they reached the dining room where everyone was gathered.
“I brought Celia and Sora over!” Latifa reported to the room at large. Gathered in the room already were the familiar faces of Miharu, Aki, Satsuki, Masato, Sara, Orphia, Alma, Sayo, Komomo, and Charlotte.
“Welcome back, Lady Satsuki and Masato,” Celia said to the two who had just returned. She immediately noticed how Takahisa and Lilianna were absent, but she chose not to mention that.
“We’re home, Celia. And Sora too.”
“Hello.”
Satsuki and Masato greeted her back.
“And when will you stop referring to me with a title like you do to everyone else?” Satsuki pouted sullenly.
“Not this again, aha ha... It’s just a hard line for me to cross, considering our positions...”
Satsuki had asked Celia to change the way she referred to her many times now. Celia had tried so before, but she had to return to using a title the moment they were in public, which naturally led to her using that form of address in their daily life too.
“But you still call Masato by his name after he became a hero.”
Satsuki normally didn’t care about that, so she must have felt jealous after hearing Masato being called by his name after becoming a hero.
“That’s true. I’ll have to call him Sir Masato from now on.”
He had been just a regular boy to her before, but now he was a hero like Satsuki. Becoming a hero didn’t change how she felt about him, but she did have to refer to him by a title in public from now on. However...
“Please don’t call me that, Celia!” Masato protested strongly.
“But I can’t address a hero without a title in public...” Celia said hesitantly. She had to keep in mind her status as a noble.
“What if you just called them by their names at home?” Charlotte suggested. “It’s not like anyone’s watching, and that’s what Lady Satsuki and Sir Masato prefer.”
“But you address everyone with a title yourself, Princess Charlotte.”
“I address everyone equally, so the way I refer to people isn’t an indicator of our closeness. Although there are exceptions like Liselotte. But thanks to that, no one has ever said, ‘You call this person by their name, so why don’t you call me by just my name too?’ to me.” Charlotte grinned.
“Good point... You’ve really thought this through. I guess that’s Char for you,” Satsuki mumbled with strong admiration.
“And there are ways to express familiarity besides changing the way you address someone. Like how I show my true self in front of everyone here.”
“H-How calculating... But I’m honestly happy to hear that.”
“Thank you very much. I love everyone here, you know?” Charlotte said with a mischievous expression.
“Of course, of course.” Satsuki nodded bashfully.
“In noble society, every person has a rank. It can be difficult to navigate around addressing everyone differently, which is why I find it easier to address everyone in the same way. However...” Charlotte paused. “A difference in address doesn’t necessarily mean a difference in familiarity. I don’t think Lady Celia considers Lady Satsuki to be any less of a friend when she addresses her with a title,” she continued.
“Th-That’s exactly right, Princess Charlotte. You have a wonderful way with words.” Celia nodded to show her agreement. “And so, if I could continue to refer to Lady Satsuki in this way...”
“No. That is a different matter to this. What’s wrong with using names at home? Besides, it’s fun to watch Lady Celia so troubled by it,” Charlotte said, obstructing Celia’s attempt to maintain her form of address with a smile.
“You just said something good, so don’t go ruining it like that...” Satsuki sighed, covering her eyes with her right hand. But there was a smile on her face at how typical that was for Charlotte.
“What is there to fuss about when it comes to how to call someone? Weirdos. More importantly, it’s time for sweets. Where are they? Sora came to eat sweets.” Sora had been watching their exchange curiously until now, but her attention moved on to sweets.
“Over here, Sora.”
“H-Hey. Don’t pull, Sora! Gosh.”
Latifa took Sora’s hand and led her over to the largest table in the dining room, seating themselves down beside each other.
“He he. We made lots of sweets just for you, Sora,” Miharu said, pushing over a serving card loaded with trays of sweets.
“Hmph. Ayase Miharu...”
When Sora noticed Miharu approach her seat, she warily eyed her like a stray cat on high alert.
“Y-Yup, that’s me. Why do you call me by my full name?”
“Because,” Sora said bluntly, ignoring Miharu’s confusion.
“You don’t have to call me by my full name, you know? Just Miharu is fine.”
“Huh?! That’s unfair, Miharu! Hey Sora, you can call me Suzune as well, okay?”
Miharu and Latifa said, encouraging Sora to say their names.
“Oh! And I’m Komomo!”
“You can call me Sayo too.”
“In that case, you can call me Orphia.”
Everyone nearby started introducing themselves as well.
“H-Hah? What’s up with all of you, swarming Sora so suddenly...” Sora looked around at their friendly faces. “Wh-Why does Sora have to call your names? Sora doesn’t care about that, she’s here to eat sweets! Sweets!” she yelped to hide her embarrassment.
When she saw how Sora was being surrounded by everyone, Celia giggled in amusement. “Oh my, how lovely. It’s nice to see you getting along with everyone, Sora.”
“Sora is not! Hmph!” Sora puffed up her cheeks.
“He he. Here’s some sweets, Sora,” Miharu said, placing a tray down before her.
“Whoa! There’s a sweet scent coming from it! It looks good! What’s it called?” Sora asked, eyes sparkling.
“There are cookies, madeleines, and scones. You have to add a bit of honey and cream for the scones to be sweet.”
“Can Sora eat already? Sora’s going to eat now.”
“Sure. Eat up.”
Once Miharu passed the trays to the others, she sat down beside Sora.
“Whoa! These cookies are so good!” Sora tossed cookie after cookie into her mouth, munching as though they were the most delicious sweets she had ever eaten.
“Thank goodness.” There was no better reaction to receive for one’s homemade cooking. Miharu smiled happily.
“These cookies are Miharu’s original recipe,” Latifa said from beside Sora.
“Ayase Miharu’s own recipe? Hmm... Nom nom.”
Sora glared at the cookies with a conflicted expression. But the cookies themselves hadn’t wronged her, so she continued munching away.
“Your throat will feel dry after eating so many cookies. Here, have some milk.”
Instead of tea, Miharu poured some milk into a cup and offered it to Sora.
“Milk? Oh, cow milk. Does that go well with cookies?”
Sora tilted her head skeptically. But her throat was indeed feeling dry, so she took a sip from the cup.
“Glug, glug... Whoa, they go perfectly together!” she shouted happily, drinking the rest in one gulp.
“It’s like I’ve got a new little sister,” Latifa said with a carefree smile, gazing at Sora’s face from the side.
“Right. Is this what it’s like to have a little sister? I think I can understand how Miharu feels now,” Aki agreed. She was also watching Sora from the seat across from her.
In fact, everyone in the room was watching Sora stuff her face with sweets with pleasant expressions on their face.
“Wh-What is it? Stop staring at Sora.” Sora glared back at them with a ring of milk around her mouth. As someone who had lived alone until now, she felt uncomfortable being at the center of attention. She couldn’t understand why every single person here was looking at her with a friendly gaze.
“Sorry Sora, you’re just so cute. And you’ve got milk around your mouth, here.” Miharu picked up a damp cloth and gently wiped Sora’s mouth for her.
“W-Wah! What are you doing, Ayase Miharu?! Don’t treat Sora like a child!”
Sora tried to brush away Miharu’s cloth, but Miharu promptly finished wiping Sora’s mouth with a skilled hand.
“Oh, she called Miharu by her full name again,” Latifa pointed out enviously.
“It’s not that strange. Sora calls other people by their names too. Like Celia,” Sora mumbled in embarrassment.
“He he.” Celia sipped her tea from a seat a slight distance away, beaming happily.
◇ ◇ ◇
The tea party came to an end an hour later. Stuffed full of sweets, Sora returned to her room alone.
Celia had been summoned by Charlotte to assist with something. Satsuki, Masato, Sara, Orphia, Alma, and Gouki were with her for the same reason. The others were going to remain in the dining room and continue chatting, but Sora hurriedly excused herself by saying she was tired.
“Honestly...what’s with all of them?” she mumbled to herself as she sat down on her bed. Everyone kept trying to talk to her out of curiosity the entire time, making the air extremely suffocating. If the sweets hadn’t tasted so good, she would have left in a huff much earlier.
So why was it? When she looked back on the tea party, she seemed to feel an emotion besides irritation. But she wasn’t able to verbalize that emotion successfully.
“Hrmm...”
The hazy feeling accumulated within Sora with nowhere to go.
“I’m back, Sora. I’m coming in.” Just then, Celia opened the door and entered the room.
“Oh, you’re finally back.” Sora jumped up from the bed and pointed at Celia. She hadn’t been waiting for Celia or anything, so why did she feel happy? Her heart was beating faster for some reason.
“What? It’s only been thirty minutes since you returned to the room first. Were you waiting for me?” Celia looked up at the clock in surprise.
“N-No, Sora wasn’t. What were you talking about?” Sora diverted the topic in embarrassment.
“Oh, I was asked to be a witness to something. It’s confidential to the residents of the mansion, but it’s something Rio should know about, so I was going to talk to you about it...”
“Hmm. Then let’s wait until Aishia comes to check up on us, so you can tell us all together.”
◇ ◇ ◇
That night, in the forest outskirts of Galtuuk and at the entrance of the stone house set up beside the spring...
“I’m here again...”
Celia stood facing Rio with a somewhat awkward, somewhat embarrassed expression. She fidgeted restlessly as she avoided Rio’s gaze with a blush.
She had just clung to him boldly the night before to say goodbye, thinking she wouldn’t be able to see him off when he departed for his trip in a few days. Vivid memories of the moment resurfaced in her mind, and the embarrassment was more than she could bear. Despite that, her joy over seeing Rio again surpassed that, which was why she was standing here again tonight. She was a young lady in love.
“I brought her here again,” Aishia stated in her usual tone.
“We’re back, Dragon King!” Sora greeted Rio happily, delighted to be in his presence again.
“Welcome back, Sora,” Rio replied gently. He then turned to Celia. “And welcome, Celia. Thanks for bringing them here, Aishia.”
“S-Sorry, I didn’t think I’d come two days in a row,” Celia apologized, her face slightly flushed.
“I feel like I said this yesterday, but please don’t apologize. There are no days where you’re not allowed to visit, so I’m really happy to see you again today. Really.”
While it did create a risk of being seen when they moved to and from the mansion, Aishia and Sora were the ones handling transport. They were extremely careful in that regard.
“There’s something I’d like to report to you. Are you available to talk for a bit?” Celia asked, looking up at Rio’s face.
“Of course. Let’s move to the living room.”
Thus, the group relocated to the living room just like the day before, sitting in the exact same seat order. There, Celia explained to Rio about the experiment Charlotte had asked her to witness.
“I see. An investigation into the strength of a hero’s power...” Rio placed a hand against his chin in thought.
“There’s no chance of something like the beast of the land appearing and losing control, right? I have no idea what to do if that happens...” Celia mumbled nervously.
“It isn’t impossible, but I don’t think anyone will lose control of their power. Nor do I think a monster like Saint Erica’s beast will appear either,” Rio said vaguely, choosing his words carefully.
“Really?”
“The Divine Arms that the heroes possess have transcendent ones—upper high rank spirits—dwelling within them. And the upper high rank spirits’ relationship with the Seven Wise Gods is, well...”
“Ah, right. Sora told me all about Miharu and Lina yesterday and today. She also explained the reason why the Divine War happened... I also heard from her how the Six Wise Gods sealed the six upper high rank spirits inside the Divine Arms, and how the heroes can die when they use that transcendent power.”
“In that case, I’ll omit the explanation surrounding that. The Six Wise Gods placed a limiter on the Divine Arms so that the upper high rank spirits sealed within can’t appear.”
“So they won’t lose control of that power?”
“Yes. Every hero uses their Divine Arms as a catalyst to form a special contract called a spirit bond with the upper high rank spirits within. Control of the Divine Arms should be in the hands of the hero, but if they output too much power, the limiter will create several drawbacks for them.”
“What kind of drawbacks...?” Celia asked fearfully.
“A hero could assimilate with the upper high rank spirit through the spirit bond. The higher the power output, the higher the rate of assimilation. While that rate can be temporarily increased and reduced again, assimilation itself is the act of becoming an unstable, nonhuman existence. There’s a chance of the upper high rank spirit seizing control of the body if it goes too far. That was how Saint Erica lost control of her Divine Arms in her final moments.”
“So that’s what happened...”
“The limiter is what prevents the spirit from seizing control of the body so easily.”
“Is it possible to regain control after losing it?”
“Honestly, I don’t know. It’d be nice if the limiter helped with that too, but if it doesn’t, the hero would have no choice but to wait for the spirit to return their body to them. Or they can attempt to seize it back with force.”
However, after fighting Saint Erica, it seemed that even if the limiter worked, control of the body would remain with the spirit for a considerable amount of time.
“So it’s dangerous to lose control of the body after all? If that’s how Saint Erica lost control of the earthen upper high rank spirit, I mean.”
“If Miharu or Aishia are nearby, they’ll be attacked without question due to their ties to Lina—Miharu for being her reincarnation, and Aishia for receiving her divinity. I’m not sure what will happen if they aren’t nearby... The upper high rank spirits hold a grudge against the Six Wise Gods for sealing them in the Divine Arms, so they may act violently. If they used their transcendent power like that, it’d be an absolute disaster.”
“Not only will they destroy everything around them, but the heroes will die too. Should I stop the investigation from proceeding, then? I can tell them that it’s dangerous to bring out the power of the heroes. But how do I explain things in a believable way...?” Celia asked worriedly.
“There’s no need. As I said just now, there should be a limiter to prevent them from losing control of their bodies. And there’s a need to know how much of their power they can draw out. I will observe from the shadows as well, so let them proceed with the investigation.”
It was a rare opportunity for the closely guarded heroes to leave the castle and use their Divine Arms to their full potential out in the Wilderness. Rio wanted to watch and find out how the current heroes compared to Saint Erica.
“All right,” Celia agreed obediently.
“I don’t believe anyone will be able to summon a monster like the beast of the land yet. Satsuki clearly wasn’t at that stage when I last saw her, and neither was Sakata. This is probably due to the limiter—but the problem is how Saint Erica removed that limiter and lost control of her power. I’d like to know the answer to that.”
“The phenomena that the Divine Arms create are all spirit arts in the end, right? What if they raised their ability at spirit arts?” Celia theorized.
“The ability of the hero has to match the performance of the weapon. I considered that myself, but...”
There was indeed a high chance of the heroes getting better at handling their Divine Arms if they practiced their spirit arts. Rio had thought of this possibility himself. Perhaps it was the answer to how they could avoid losing control of their bodies to the upper high rank spirits. However...
“Is there something bothering you?”
“For some reason, it felt like Saint Erica fought by relying entirely on the ability of her Divine Arms. I can’t imagine she learned spirit arts from anyone either.”
The question that rose in Rio’s mind was whether spirit arts ability was truly the key to removing the limiter on the Divine Arms. He also questioned whether there was another way to remove the limiter besides increasing ability in spirit arts.
“Right. There are no spirit art casters in the Strahl region, so it would be pretty hard for Saint Erica to find someone to learn from...” Celia had the same questions as Rio.
“In contrast, the hero of ice fought entirely using his spirit arts. Reiss was probably the one to teach him, and from what I saw of that one strike he made on Rodania, he’s able to draw out quite a lot of his power.”
“I see...”
“That’s why I want to see how much power Satsuki and the other three heroes can draw from their Divine Arms at this moment in time. There may be assumptions that can be made by comparing them to Saint Erica and the hero of ice.”
For example, although they hadn’t spent much time on it, Satsuki and Masato had learned the very basics of using spirit arts already. They could potentially draw out more of their power than Hiroaki or Takahisa, who had never practiced such a thing.
“Got it. I’ll let Aishia know when we find out where the investigation will be held.”
“Okay. Then Aishia can head over during the day tomorrow to keep an eye out for things in her spirit form.”
“Leave it to me,” Aishia agreed immediately.
“Thank you, Aishia. Just to confirm, Celia—Miharu won’t be present, will she?” Rio asked.
“No, she shouldn’t. The plan is to leave her back at the castle.”
“Then can you stay back at the castle too on that day, Aishia? I’m sure it’ll be fine thanks to the limiter, but it wouldn’t hurt to be too careful against upper high rank spirits.”
“Sure. I got it.”
“Instead, I’d like you to come with me, Sora. Is that okay?”
“Of course!” Sora agreed energetically.
“But I might not be allowed to bring Sora with me... The investigation is going to be held in secret, so I don’t think I’ll be permitted to take her without a good reason...” Celia said, voicing her worries.
“I’m thinking of departing for that trip afterwards, so she can leave the mansion and return here the day before that. I’m sorry to be taking you away from the mansion just as you’re getting used to living there... Will you be lonely without everyone, Sora?” Rio peered into Sora’s face.
“Everyone will forget about her a few days after she leaves the mansion, right?” Celia frowned sadly.
On top of being forgotten from the world each time they used their powers, transcendent ones and their disciples also struggled to leave lasting impressions of themselves on other peoples’ memories. As a transcendent one, that effect was immediate for Rio. As a disciple, the effect happened after a few days for Sora.
“Why are you the one looking so sad about it? Sora doesn’t care at all. She’s already used to it. Traveling with the Dragon King is far more important,” Sora said with a completely unbothered look. Not even Sora herself knew whether that was a show of courage or the genuine truth.
“I’m sorry... It’s all because you’re my disciple,” Rio said regretfully. As the disciple of the Dragon King, the rules of god applied to Sora as well, preventing her from making friends like a regular person. He had made her accompany Celia in order to become acquainted with everyone living in the mansion, but that may have caused her more pain now that she had to part with them.
“D-Don’t apologize! If the Dragon King didn’t save Sora, she would have starved to death ages ago! And unlike the memory erasure of the transcendent powers, strong impressions can still be recalled from time to time! Especially for a disciple like Sora!” Sora explained in a fluster. However, her fluster just made it seem more as though she was lying to make him feel better.
I’ll definitely do something about the rules of god. So that I can introduce Sora to everyone properly one day.
Rio silently vowed that to himself.
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