Chapter 6: Encounter
Meanwhile, at a different place and time, while Rio was gathering information in the city of Rodania, the enchanted airship Liselotte was on had made progress along its course, crossing the kingdom boundary between Beltrum and Galarc. At this point in her journey, Amande was right before her eyes.
“Lady Liselotte, we will be arriving in Amande shortly.” Notice of their upcoming arrival at Amande reached the private room where Liselotte and Aria were lounging. The two beautiful attendants that had come to report to her bowed their heads respectfully.
“Finally. Once we return to the residence, our first matter of duty is taking care of all the accumulated paperwork. I’ll be relying on your help, too, Natalie and Cosette,” Liselotte grinned cheerfully, addressing the attendants who had come to give her their report.
“Geh...” One of the maids let out a noise.
“Is something the matter, Cosette?” Liselotte seemed to have picked up the noise perfectly clearly, as she turned to address the maid who had uttered it with a grin.
Cosette smoothed over her expression with a hearty laugh. “No, my lady. I was just wondering if it would be better to have dinner first, as it will be dark by the time we arrive at the end of this tiring journey,” she offered.
“Denied. I have to make up for the time lost in my work. You fully enjoyed yourself during the break in Beltrum, did you not?” Liselotte shook her head and smiled at Cosette.
“Aww, but we were shut away in the guest house there. I didn’t even get to go shopping,” Cosette whined back, pouting her lips.
“But you were able to rest up without having work to do, no?” Liselotte said with a sigh.
“That’s enough, Cosette. Everyone suffered under the same conditions,” Natalia, the rather serious-looking maid next to Cosette, chided.
Liselotte sighed with exasperation before teasing the hint of a reward. “Well, I suppose you have a point. Once everything calms down, I’ll give you a chance to go on leave.”
“Really?!” Cosette’s face brightened.
“Yes. That’s why I need you to put in the effort a little longer. Natalia, you too,” Liselotte grimaced as she encouraged her subordinates.
“Understood! Leave it to us!” Cosette agreed readily. Beside her, Natalie chimed in.
“Thank you very much.” She bowed respectfully. The prospect of a holiday had a faint smile tugging at her lips.
“Then, let us prepare for our descent...” Liselotte began to say to wrap things up, when the enchanted ship shook, making her scream.
“Kya! What was that?!”
Aria immediately jumped to give directions; it wasn’t normal for the airship to sway this heavily, after all. “Investigate the cause immediately. Natalie, Cosette.”
“Lady Liselotte! Lady Liselotte!” From the corridor on the other side of the door came the frantic sound of running footsteps, accompanied by the voice of a young girl calling Liselotte’s name.
“That’s Chloe’s voice, isn’t it?” Aria promptly went to open the door. Chloe, the attendant in training, appeared in a panic.
“Lady Liselotte!” Aria must have intuitively realized Chloe’s flustered state was related to the shaking of the airship, as her voice came out in a soothing tone. “Calm down. What was that tremor just now? Did something happen?”
At her question, Chloe paused in her flustered panic and took a deep breath. “U-Umm, there’s, there’s trouble! A-A dragon, a black dragon appeared!” she said.
Although Aria couldn’t help the way her eyes widened, she asked her question calmly. “...A dragon caused the airship to shake so much?”
“Oh, the captain said he’d make an emergency landing in a nearby city, so the shaking was probably from him lowering the altitude of the ship... The dragon was spotted pretty far in the distance,” Chloe explained hastily.
Aria gathered her thoughts instantly and gave Liselotte directions. “...Lady Liselotte. Some things still aren’t clear, but this is an emergency situation. Let us head to the captain in order to prepare for the worst. Please, come this way.”
“Yes, let us go.” Liselotte swiftly stood up and moved next to Aria.
“You three come along, too, and protect Lady Liselotte,” Aria ordered Chloe, Natalie, and Cosette.
“Yes, ma’am!” the three attendants responded without delay, and the group made their way to bridge.
As soon as Aria entered the bridge, she called out to the man standing beside the captain at the steering wheel. “First officer, status report on the current situation.”
“Yes, ma’am! While we were on course for Amande, an enormous creature resembling a black dragon was spotted flying towards the north. We are now rerouting away from the area,” the first officer said, pointing northwards from the wide bridge window.
“That’s...” Liselotte and the others looked in the direction he’d gestured towards, and they all gulped.
In the skies to the north where the first officer had pointed was a dragon-like creature with jet-black skin. There was quite some distance between it and the airship, but its size made it easy to spot even with the naked eye.
“Fortunately, it has yet to notice our presence. We are currently lowering our altitude as much as possible. However, we determined that flying to Amande would be dangerous, so we’re landing in a nearby city first. Is this acceptable?” The first officer explained the situation calmly despite breaking into a cold sweat, seeking Liselotte’s approval for their current response.
“Yes, it was a prompt and correct decision. Could you tell me our current position?”
“We’re in the forest area towards the west of Amande, above Count Claire’s territory.”
“West of Amande. Does that make Nor our destination city?”
Nor was a small city located to the west of Amande. It didn’t have any particular industries it was known for, so it merely functioned as a rest stop for people to stay on their way to Amande.
“Yes, we will be arriving momentarily. The captain is steering us in that direction right now, so I ask that you please be patient for just a little while longer.” The first officer glanced at the zealous expression of the captain before bowing his head deeply.
? ?
Several minutes later, Liselotte’s enchanted airship made a safe landing on a lake in the outskirts of Nor.
Relieved that they landed on the water safely, Liselotte gave her thanks to the captain. “That was a wonderful landing, captain. I am most grateful to you.”
The elderly captain bashfully shook his head. “Not at all... It is merely my job. I am glad you were unharmed, princess,” he said humbly.
“I see there is another enchanted airship docked at this lake. What would you like to do, Lady Liselotte? I believe the symbol on that flag belongs to the house of Duke Huguenot.” Aria asked as she looked out the window of the bridge. There was one more airship floating next to the airship Liselotte and the others were on.
“Duke Huguenot may be on board, yes. For now, we should hear what their crew has to say. After that, we can continue our preparations to disembark. Is that possible, captain?”
“Of course. Leave it to me.” The captain held his right hand against his chest respectfully and bowed.
After that, under the experienced directions of the captain, preparations for disembarking were made. At the same time, Natalie the attendant led several of the airship’s crew members to make contact with the other airship. Within a quarter of an hour, the small boat Natalie had departed on returned to Liselotte’s airship.
“After discussing with the other side, we have ascertained that the airship belongs to Duke Huguenot. On board along with the Duke was the hero, Sir Sakata, and Second Princess Flora, but they have all gone out to visit the governor of Nor at the moment,” Natalie explained concisely.
Liselotte’s eyes widened faintly. “...The hero, hmm. No one was hurt, right?”
“No. They landed on the water without incident, it seems.”
“...I see. That’s fortunate, then.” Liselotte sighed in relief before turning to the captain next. “How are the preparations to disembark going, captain?”
“They have been arranged. However, the lake does not appear to be very large, so I fear the waters may be a tad too shallow. It would be preferable to alight via the smaller boats...” The captain assented, seeking Liselotte’s judgment on whether it would be an issue.
“I don’t mind. Let us depart right away. It seems they’ve come out to greet us anyway.” Liselotte nodded, looking over where there was a small crowd of people waiting on the land next to Nor, flustered. She shrugged her shoulders.
? ?
Liselotte and the others boarded a small boat that sailed over to the land. “Why, this is a surprise, Lady Liselotte. Welcome to our city. It has been a long time,” the man serving as Nor’s governor greeted respectfully.
He had probably assumed Liselotte was on board the airship when he spotted the Ricca Guild’s symbol on the flag. There was no way he would forget the face of the great lord’s daughter, so he wasn’t all that surprised.
Liselotte was also familiar with the man’s face, as she returned his greeting politely. “It has indeed been a while, Baronet Bochsa. If it weren’t for this situation, I would have loved to have a relaxed chat with you, but...”
“The dragon-like creature comes first, yes. I’m sure you may be aware already, but actually...” Baronet Bochsa turned to look behind him.
“’Sup, Liselotte.”
Sakata Hiroaki, the young man who was summoned as a hero, interrupted Baronet Bochsa and boldly announced his presence from behind the soldiers, raising his right hand and casually calling out to Liselotte. At the same time, he spotted the party of attendants Liselotte had behind her and let out a whistle at their beauty.
“It is nice to see you again, hero.” Liselotte replied to Hiroaki with a sociable smile.
“Ah, you don’t have to address me like we’re strangers, you know? I don’t mind if you call me by my name instead of ‘hero’ all the time. I told you this before, didn’t I?” Hiroaki said, turning a rather expectant gaze towards Liselotte.
Liselotte gave a friendly smile and shook her head sadly. “While your offer is most generous, I am afraid I cannot do such a thing.”
“Sir Hiroaki, we are in the middle of an emergency. Let’s save the casual conversation with Lady Liselotte for a more appropriate time.” Roanna Fontaine — a cute girl in her mid-teens with blonde hair in curled ringlets — came over and scolded Hiroaki.
“Oops... You have a point. Darn it.” Hiroaki gave a small shrug of exasperation.
Liselotte bowed her head deeply. “Lady Roanna, it’s good to see you again. And Princess Flora, Duke Huguenot — you as well. I’m glad to see you all safe. May I ask where all of you were heading?”
“Hahaha. Though we hadn’t made an appointment, we were actually in the middle of heading to Amande to meet with you when we spotted that black dragon on the way. That’s why we landed here in a hurry. We only just arrived moments ago,” Duke Huguenot replied openly, traces of a sigh mixed in with his words.
“In that case, would you know if any damage has been caused?”
“No, it seems like it has only been flying around the skies of this area so far. Though we don’t know what it’s after...”
“...Thank you. It seems we’ll need to have a proper discussion to organize what information is available and how to deal with it.” Liselotte sighed worriedly before turning to Baronet Bochsa beside her. “Baronet Bochsa, could you kindly provide us a place for that?”
“Of course. It may not be the most ideal, but I am more than willing to invite you all to my estate.”
? ?
After that, Liselotte and the others were led to the dining hall of Baronet Bochsa’s estate. Though the tea was being prepared not by Baronet Bochsa’s servants, but Liselotte’s attendant girls.
“Now, I know this is a gathering of people of different affiliations, but with the circumstances as they are...” Liselotte began the emergency meeting as the chairman.
The main attendees of said meeting were Aria, Baronet Bochsa — who governed Nor — the commanding officer of the Nor soldiers, and the visitors from Beltrum: Duke Huguenot, Hiroaki, Flora, and Roanna. The upper staff of the airship crews were also in attendance. While Duke Huguenot’s group were technically foreigners, the situation called for an open exchange of information.
“The first matter of concern is that dragon-like creature’s identity and objective. If you’ve noticed anything at all, no matter how small, please speak up. The first person to notice it was someone on your ship, Duke Huguenot. Is this correct?” Liselotte said, seeking information as she looked around the room. In order to consider the potential damages and measures to deal with it, she wanted as much information as possible.
Duke Huguenot sighed and began to speak with a burdened expression. “Yes, our captain did. I was also in the bridge at the time and saw it immediately. It was flying through the northern skies at a tremendous speed when it suddenly started to circle the area instead.”
“The northern skies... before it circled around here? It sounds like it could either be searching for something, or perhaps demonstrating something.” Liselotte contemplated worriedly, placing a hand against her mouth.
“Ah, just a question...” Hiroaki raised his hand.
Liselotte reapplied a smile to her face. “Yes, hero. What is it?”
“Is that a real dragon? You’ve been calling it a ‘dragon-like creature’ for a while now.”
“...We cannot be sure. There are harmful creatures very similar to dragons that exist — we call them demi-dragons.”
Hiroaki’s eyes widened in interest. “Oh? How’s it different from a real dragon?”
“According to some people, demi-dragons are the descendants of dragons. Their power is highly inferior to that of a real dragon, but they come in a wide range of variants — some demi-dragons may be small, while others may be large,” Liselotte explained.
“Oh, so the usual. They’re not as strong as real dragons, but still pretty strong.” With no basis at all, Hiroaki guessed at the strength of these creatures.
“They’re definitely not just ‘pretty’ strong. The smaller variants of demi-dragon that the Proxia Empire employs the use of are savage and tenacious with skins of steel. And when it comes to the larger variants, they’re practically natural disasters. There have been entire cities in the past that have been annihilated by larger demi-dragons, you know?” Liselotte shook her head furiously, emphasizing the threat.
“Then no matter if it’s a large demi-dragon or real dragon, that thing flying over there is bad news?”
“Yes. I believe it is probably a demi-dragon, but it certainly is far more than any human can handle,” Liselotte nodded with a darkened expression.
“Hm? Why do you think it’s a demi?” Hiroaki asked curiously.
“Neither creature appears near human settlements very often, but true dragons are very rarely witnessed in comparison to demi-dragons. As far as I know, there hasn’t been a true dragon spotted in this area for the last several hundred years. Even when dragons are sighted, most of them turn out to be demi-dragons that were mistaken for dragons. Statistically, a demi-dragon is far more likely.”
“Haha! So an amateur can’t tell the difference, since there aren’t any to spot in the first place,” Hiroaki guessed smugly.
“It is exactly as you say,” Liselotte nodded.
“Ah, but it’s big enough that you can make out its features even from afar. Since it’s most likely a larger variant, can you tell what type it is exactly?” Hiroaki was gradually correcting his understanding of the situation, as his expression grew more serious.
Duke Huguenot spoke up. “No one observed it from up close, so we cannot be certain. But if it’s a larger variant of demi-dragon, there is one species which has a much higher probability of appearing. Isn’t that so, Liselotte?”
“A wyvern, you mean?” Liselotte answered fearfully.
“Yes. However, the wyverns we know of have green skin. I have never heard of a black skinned wyvern before. Which means...”
“A subspecies of wyvern, or possibly a superior subspecies... is highly likely. If not, then it could possibly be a true dragon, or perhaps a new species of demi-dragon too...”
“I’d rather not consider those as possibilities...” Duke Huguenot said with a bitter grimace.
“Does anyone present here have any idea where that dragon-like creature may have come from?” Liselotte asked the room at large.
“...”
There was no favorable response — just a heavy silence that fell over the room.
“Didn’t think so.” Liselotte smiled in resignation, having expected nothing in the first place. “Which means we have to move under the assumption that we will be no match for it. It would be one thing if there were damages already, but the current situation means we must avoid provoking it. For now, what we can do is send out a warning transmission to nearby cities via artifact transmitters, then evacuate the residents in case the worst happens. What does everyone else think about this?” she offered, looking around the room once again.
With their opponent being a literal walking disaster, the safest option was to observe carefully without stimulating it. However, they couldn’t just twiddle their fingers and wait, so at the very least, they had to make evacuation preparations.
Incidentally, artifact transmitters were, as their name implied, magic artifacts that could be used to send long distance signals, allowing people with the same artifact within a 30 kilometer radius to send and receive voice messages. Because it required an enormous amount of essence to send a signal and lacked confidentiality — anyone with the same artifact could intercept a voice message as much as they wanted — it couldn’t be used for exchanging secretive information, but it was a vital tool in times of emergency.
“I am of the same opinion. If it leaves without fuss, then that is for the best. We have no choice but to observe quietly. Attempting to exterminate it would be absurd. There’s no telling how much damage that would cause.” Duke Huguenot said, supporting Liselotte’s line of thinking without pause.
“What do you think, Baronet Bochsa?” Liselotte asked. Officially, the highest position of responsibility in this city went to Baronet Bochsa, not Liselotte.
“...Yes, I agree. We will send a message to the residents to prepare for evacuation. In the worst case, we will evacuate the entire city, so preparations will be made accordingly,” Baronet Bochsa nodded heavily.
“Understood. Then we will defer to Baronet Bochsa in regards to the evacuation of the Nor residents. Please see to their safety.” Liselotte bowed her head deeply at Baronet Bochsa, not as the governor of Amande, but the daughter of the great lord. After all, she was asking him to look after her father’s territory and its citizens.
“Of course. I will make the utmost effort I can, for the sake of Duke Cretia who entrusted this city to someone as inexperienced as me. Please leave it to me.” Baronet Bochsa placed a hand over his heart respectfully and bowed.
Liselotte showed a faint smile on her face. “What will you do, Duke Huguenot? I’m afraid we do not have the personnel available to assign guards to you, so personally I would recommend you take Sir Hiroaki and Princess Flora as far back to Beltrum as you can...”
As nobles of a foreign country, they were outsiders here. While Liselotte hadn’t invited them to visit her herself, it would cause an international incident if they died on her territory.
“Hmm...” Duke Huguenot seemed to understand that situation too, as he nodded in contemplation. “Hey hey, what are you gonna do, Liselotte? Don’t tell me you plan on staying here,” Hiroaki interrupted in a hurry.
Liselotte shook her head with a wry smile. “...No, I will head to Amande. While I’ve left a contact in my place, I am still the governor of the city, so I have a duty to communicate with the neighboring cities and plan a countermeasure.” The current situation was no laughing matter for Amande, either.
“But... wait. Are you going to go by airship? Wouldn’t you provoke it if you flew away in that? You just said we shouldn’t provoke it, right?” Hiroaki’s eyes widened in surprise as he objected to Liselotte’s decision.
“Yes. That is why I will travel by land. Fortunately, if we leave Nor tomorrow morning, we should arrive at Amande before dark,” Liselotte replied in a completely calm tone.
“...You’re going to Amande by land? While taking your maids? The others are all just the airship crew, right?”
“That is correct. The crew have to take care of the airship, so I’ll have them remain in Nor.”
“But traveling to Amande with just your maids has to be tough, since you’re all girls...” Hiroaki looked troubled as he expressed his disapproval.
“There’s no need for worry — all my attendants have received combat training. And, though you may not believe it, I know enough self-defense to protect myself, too.” Liselotte tilted her head with a troubled face.
“...Sir Hiroaki, you’re bothering Lady Liselotte with your insistence. The duty of a noble must be carried out regardless of gender.” Roanna, who had been listening silently until then, warned Hiroaki against pressing further.
“But, Roanna...” Hiroaki felt highly uncomfortable with the idea of it, as he continued to show objection to Roanna’s warning. “...No, it’s fine. Yeah, I got it,” he murmured after a pause.
Liselotte was relieved to hear he was convinced. “Do you understand now?”
“I’ll go along with you, Liselotte,” Hiroaki declared.
“Huh?!” Liselotte’s eyes widened in shock, and Roanna reprimanded Hiroaki in a panic.
“Sir Hiroaki!”
“Wait. Just listen, Roanna. As a man — no, as a hero — I can’t flee to safety and leave Liselotte in danger like this. As a hero, I have to be the one to protect Liselotte.” Hiroaki sighed and looked at Liselotte, strongly emphasizing his hero status as he spoke.
Roanna tried to object immediately. “However...!”
“Wait there, Roanna. There is no need to dismiss Sir Hiroaki’s idea so adamantly.” Duke Huguenot admonished Roanna calmly.
“I-Is that really fine, Duke Huguenot? For Sir Hiroaki to...” Roanna objected with frustration.
“Sir Hiroaki is a hero. It is just as he stated — we are not in a position to give the hero orders. And it is true that if a hero were to flee the danger, unfavorable rumors may stir. Do you not agree?” Duke Huguenot asked Roanna in a roundabout manner. The corners of his lips were faintly turned upwards in a smile.
“That’s...” Roanna’s face clouded over unhappily.
After listening to their exchange, Liselotte sighed quietly. “Please hold on a moment, Duke Huguenot. Sir Hiroaki is not a hero of our kingdom. I’m sure you understand the consequences of placing Sir Hiroaki in danger like this, right?” she asked. Implied between the lines was her refusal to take any responsibility no matter what happened.
“But of course.” Duke Huguenot acknowledged that fact and nodded with the brazenness of a noble.
“...Do you understand the consequences, too, Sir Hiroaki? As a disciple of the Six Wise Gods, you are in a position that symbolizes the Gods’ authority. As such, to the people of Strahl who worship the Six Gods, your existence is almost like that of a god to them. If something were to happen to you and that truth ended up spreading, it may affect your surroundings,” Liselotte warned.
Hiroaki was unable to hold back a smug smile. “Ah, that’s a silly question. I may be the hero, but I’ve sworn my willingness to assist Duke Huguenot and the others. But that was on the condition that the type of hero Duke Huguenot sought was one that I could accept as the correct definition of hero. If I left you here while I fled to safety alone, that would go against my duty as a hero,” he said with a smirk.
“Personally, I would prefer to decline your very kind offer...” said Liselotte.
“It’s useless. I told you already, no? Leaving a beautiful girl behind goes against my duty of being a hero. I’ll follow you whether you like it or not,” Hiroaki said with a triumphant look, puffing out his chest.
“That’s how it is, Liselotte. Could you please allow Sir Hiroaki to accompany you? You may consider this a request instead of an offer to assist you. Even if the unthinkable were to occur, none of the responsibility will fall upon you, and we will not consider it a debt of any kind. I would even be willing to write a contract stating this,” Duke Huguenot offered without pause.
“...Are you serious?” Liselotte asked with a sigh, half given up already. It was easy to reject him verbally, but she could see that any more discussion would only be unproductive.
“The most serious. In our case, Sir Hiroaki acting of his own accord would be a problem for us. We cannot afford to split our forces by any means. We will also gather our forces and accompany you, too. Is that acceptable, Princess Flora?” Duke Huguenot agreed amicably before turning to Flora.
“Y-Yes. We cannot return without Sir Hiroaki, either,” Flora said with a nod.
“Yeah, we’ll just be escorting you from Nor to Amande. Unless the dragon-like thing nearby attacks, it shouldn’t be that dangerous. And if the worst were to happen, that’s when you can really rely on me, you know?” Hiroaki said, shrugging his shoulders dramatically.
“...You cannot be too cautious. Make sure not to let your guard down,” Liselotte said worriedly.
“Ah, just saying, but you shouldn’t underestimate my Yamata no Orochi, yeah?” Hiroaki ruffled his head and raised his hand. Light gathered in his palm, forming a distorted western-styled blade.
“That’s...” Liselotte’s eyes widened.
“The Divine Arms owned by the heroes. I named mine Yamata no Orochi,” Hiroaki explained with a smug huff.
“Yamata no... Orochi.” Liselotte muttered its name.
“Oh, you have good pronunciation. Yamata no Orochi was a water god in the country I lived in. I gave it that name as it’s related to the power hidden in my Divine Arms. It takes the form of an eight-headed dragon, so it’s also called the dragon god.”
“Ooh...” Those present in the room raised their voices in awe, staring at the blade in Hiroaki’s hand. He seemed pleased by this.
“Well, I haven’t been able to try it at its full power yet, but its ability should live up to its name. It’s possible that the wannabe dragon nearby won’t stand a chance against it, either,” he said with a finishing pose, holding the sword at the ready.
Liselotte stared at Hiroaki’s blade intently before bowing her head quietly. “...In case the worst happens, I will rely on you, then.” Using an ability that had never been tested before in a real battle was dangerous, but she didn’t say that out loud.
“B-Baronet Bochsa! Excuse me!” A soldier of the city came running in a panic. Tension ran through the room, everyone imagining the worst.
“What happened?!” Baronet Bochsa asked immediately with a stern look.
“T-The dragon-like creature flew off towards the northern skies!” The soldier reported on the situation in a high-pitched voice.
“What...?” Baronet Bochsa’s expression showed faint shock before he turned his gaze to Liselotte, seeking her thoughts.
“...It may still be nearby. There’s also a possibility it will return. It’s still too early to think that the danger has passed. There will be no changes to the plan yet,” Liselotte offered calmly.
“It may be presumptuous of me, but I agree with Liselotte. It is still too early to relax. I believe it would be best to stay alert for several more weeks, at least,” Duke Huguenot agreed immediately.
“...You’re right,” Baronet Bochsa agreed with a tired expression.
“Ah, it’s just another stupid beast in the end. It can’t think for itself, so its actions are unpredictable. At any rate, there’s no changing my role of safely seeing Liselotte off. Leave that to me.” Hiroaki exhaled and shrugged his shoulders.
That night, Liselotte finished dinner and shut herself away in a guest room of Baronet Bochsa’s estate in order to prepare for their departure the next morning. At the moment, only Aria, her most trusted aide, was in the room with her.
“Hah...” Liselotte sighed heavily.
“Are you really okay with it?” Aria asked shortly.
“With what?“
“Having the hero’s company.”
“...I’m not really okay with it, but there isn’t much I can do about it. Though he may be a hero of another kingdom, I cannot speak against him too strongly. And judging by his personality, he would have come along even if I adamantly refused him,” Liselotte said with a tired expression, sighing once more.
“He does seem to be a rather willful person. Perhaps you caught his attention and interest? Congratulations,” Aria said, giggling in amusement.
“It’s no laughing matter...” Liselotte sulked and glared at Aria reproachfully.
“Well, forgive me, then. But wouldn’t this incident count as a favor for Duke Huguenot since you’re going along with the spoiled whims of the hero?”
“...That’s true. The duke seemed to think that way himself. That being said, from what I could see, that hero showed no signs of the mannerisms or aura characteristic of people of the military arts. I do not believe he has received proper combat training before.”
“He looked like he was completely unguarded to me too. And yet, that behavior was brimming with confidence. It didn’t seem like he was acting the amateur on purpose... Maybe the Divine Arms are just that amazing?”
“Recklessly handing an untrained person a powerful weapon is like asking for your allies to be injured,” Aria said with a darkened expression.
“...I’ll entertain him in the horse carriage while we’re moving. There’ll be quite the squad formed thanks to their knights accompanying us, so I doubt any bandits or the like would bother us. If a monster or beast attacks, you girls should coordinate with the knights to take care of them.”
“Understood. I can guess what you’re thinking, but leave it to us.”
“Yes, thank you. Well, we’ve already clearly defined the line of responsibility with them, so with regards to protection, we’ll rely on their accompanying knights as much as possible. There’s no need for our side to aggressively step into the frontlines,” Liselotte said, smiling tiredly.
“Your consideration is most appreciated. However, there were rumors several months ago of adventurers repeatedly going missing in the forests to the west of Amande. We must not let our guard down,” Aria warned Liselotte.
Liselotte placed a hand against her mouth and searched back in her memory. “Now that you mention it, there was a report like that. The disappearances suddenly stopped roughly two months ago, if I recall...”
“We dispatched a search party, but they weren’t able to deduce the cause of it all. A missing adventurer typically isn’t that rare of an incident, but we’ll be passing through that exact forest tomorrow, so I urge that you take care of yourself,” Aria said solemnly.
Liselotte thought for a moment. “...You’re right — I’ll keep that in mind. Thank you.”
? ?
The next morning, Liselotte took her attendants and made their way to the garden of Baronet Bochsa’s estate. Hiroaki, Flora, and Roanna were yet to be seen in the garden, but Duke Huguenot’s knights had already gathered along with two horse-drawn carriages.
There were eight attendants, including Aria, Natalie, Cosette, and Chloe, whereas the Huguenot side had 26 knights — among them being Duke Huguenot’s eldest son, Stewart Huguenot, and Marquess Rodan’s second son, Alphonse Rodan.
“Liselotte, allow me to introduce you to the commanding officer and his assistants before we depart,” Duke Huguenot said once he’d spotted Liselotte. Stewart, Alphonse, and another male knight in his mid-twenties walked over. The latter stepped forward first.
“My name is Raymond Brandt. It is an honor as a knight to be able to escort a beautiful woman like you. Pleased to make your acquaintance, Lady Liselotte,” he greeted respectfully, kneeling before Liselotte in a pompous manner.
“It’s very nice to meet you, Mister Raymond.” Liselotte gracefully held the hem of her skirt and returned the greeting.
“The two young ones here are Brandt’s assistants, acting as the supervisors of the younger knights. While it is embarrassing to admit, we’re short on personnel. In order to have them gain experience, the younger knights have been proactively pushed to more assignments. First, this is Alphonse, Marquess Rodan’s son,” Duke Huguenot said.
“I’m Alphonse Rodan. It’s nice to meet you, Lady Liselotte.” Alphonse huffed with a smug smile and greeted proudly.
“Pleased to meet you, Mister Alphonse,” Liselotte returned the greeting brightly.
“And this is my son. You may have met him at a dinner party somewhere before. Stewart, introduce yourself.”
Stewart stared intently at Liselotte’s fact before bowing deeply. “I’m Stewart Huguenot. Nice to meet you.”
“It’s nice to meet you too,” Liselotte returned the words with a cheery smile. “Now, I shall introduce the representative of my guards as well. This is Aria, who also works as my head attendant.”
Alphonse widened his eyes at Aria’s beauty before speaking. “...I will not stand for you beautiful ladies putting yourselves in danger. There is no need for you to act as escorts — we knights will be sufficient in protecting you...”
Liselotte shook her head with a chuckle. “Thank you for the consideration. However, my attendants are also trained in combat, so we will not fall behind you knights.”
“Hahaha, that is reassuring to hear.” Alphonse laughed heartily, looking at Aria’s slender figure. He didn’t seem to be taking Liselotte’s words seriously.
“...Aria? Aria, you said? Could you be the Governess family’s...” Raymond stared at Aria’s face closely and muttered. Having overheard Raymond’s words, Duke Huguenot spoke up.
“Hmm? Do you know her, Raymond?”
“She’s the daughter of the Viscount Governess’s family. Our fathers are well-acquainted with each other, but I haven’t seen her since we were young...” Raymond said as he stared fixedly at Aria.
“Hmm. No wonder she seemed somewhat familiar...” Duke Huguenot said in comprehension, looking at Aria somewhat suspiciously. He wondered why a noble from Beltrum was serving Liselotte.
“You grew out your hair... I’ve always wondered what you were up to. What happened to your family was, umm, unfortunate... But you were working at the castle after you dropped out of Beltrum’s Royal Academy, right?” Raymond asked with a nervous expression.
“It was difficult for the daughter of a ruined house to stay there, so I quit. I am serving Lady Liselotte now, so I have left my kingdom behind me,” Aria replied simply.
“I see...”
That makes sense... Duke Huguenot accepted with a conflicted face.
Meanwhile, Raymond looked like he wanted to say something as he watched Aria with the same conflicted expression.
Liselotte seemed to notice the air growing heavier. “She’s an extremely talented person, you know? After she ran away and started to work as an adventurer, I scouted her to work for me. She’s now one of my most trusted retainers,” she said proudly.
“Hahaha. I suppose that means our kingdom has regrettably let a special talent go.” Duke Huguenot laughed openly, joining Liselotte in changing the topic.
“Yes, fortunately for me. But under no circumstances would I be willing to return her, sorry to say,” Liselotte said, giggling with a smile.
Since, all joking aside, you really are a special talent. No? She looked over at Aria and gave a small wink.
Thank you very much. Aria smiled in return, letting out a puff of laughter.
? ?
After the exchange with Duke Huguenot and his entourage, Liselotte was sent off by Baronet Bochsa. She departed for Amande, accompanied by a large party of Duke Huguenot’s knights and her fully-equipped attendants.
The road through the forest was wide enough for three horse-drawn carriages to pass each other, but the two carriages in their party moved in one line as the knights and attendants surrounded them. The rear carriage held Duke Huguenot, while the front carriage held Liselotte, Flora, Roanna, and Hiroaki.
Hiroaki casually gave a big yawn as he stretched his legs within the carriage. “I’m still sleepy, but it’s nice being rocked by the carriage for once. And this way, I get to chat with you guys in a private room, too.” He looked around at the cute girls accompanying him and smiled with satisfaction.
“You must not let your guard down, Sir Hiroaki.” Roanna pouted her lips slightly as she warned Hiroaki.
“Hey hey, there’s no need to sulk like that, Roanna.” Hiroaki smirked with a huff.
“...I am not sulking. I have no reason to sulk. I am merely worried that Sir Hiroaki will be in danger.” Roanna cutely said in an irritated tone.
“Hahaha, I see, I see. However, I’m here to protect Liselotte, not you guys.” Hiroaki laughed cheerily, patting the head of Roanna beside him. Then, he looked past Liselotte seated diagonally before him and landed his gaze on Flora, who sat across from him.
“...Thank you for your consideration. However, as Roanna says, it would pain me to see the hero in any danger too. Please don’t push yourself too hard.” Liselotte pasted a commendable grin on her face as she replied to Hiroaki.
“Ah, I don’t mind if you’re worried for me, but do I really seem that unreliable to you? I’m still a hero, you know?” Hiroaki’s smile turned bitter as he looked at Liselotte and the others.
“You are, of course, most reliable. However, you don’t like conflict, correct? You don’t want to use your hero powers to kill people. Isn’t this what you told us when we first met?” Roanna said, peering at Hiroaki’s face from the side with a pained expression.
“Did the hero really say such a thing...?” Liselotte widened her eyes slightly in curiosity.
“Ah, you mean when I was first summoned? Now that you mention it, I did say something like that.” Hiroaki got a far look in his eyes as he thought back to the past uncomfortably.
“Out of pure curiosity, I would like to hear more about when you were summoned.” Interested in the topic of his summoning, Liselotte decided to inquire about it somewhat boldly.
“Ah, you want to hear about me? Why, I used to be rather inexperienced in my youth, but if it’s at the request of Liselotte herself, then sure. I’ll tell you,” Hiroaki agreed happily. He started chatting talkatively. “Well, to be honest with you, when I was first summoned into this world, I didn’t know anything. Suddenly, Flora was there, telling me I was a hero or something I didn’t understand. Anyone would be wary, yeah?”
“That must have been quite the ordeal...” Liselotte commented, urging him to continue.
“That being said, I wanted to know what was going on, so I listened to what she had to say. And sure enough, there came the cliche words I had been expecting — that I had been summoned as a hero to help them. They told me Duke Huguenot and the others were in some political struggle with the current government, on the verge of turning into armed conflict. And, well, you’d expect them to be looking for my power to use in war, right?”
“So that’s when you said you didn’t want to use your hero power to kill others,” Liselotte said, grasping the general flow of Hiroaki’s story.
“Yeah. Furthermore, I had no intention of becoming a hero... Until I heard about these girls’ situations and decided I had to be the one to protect them. As I learned about the position of a hero, I realized there were things that I could do in a war other than kill people,” Hiroaki said, looking at Flora and Roanna.
And so he became a hero, exactly how Duke Huguenot wanted, huh? Liselotte thought, but didn’t say out loud.
“That’s wonderful of you,” she praised.
“Don’t say that — it makes me seem like some kind of spoiled child overflowing with a sense of justice. That’s not who I am. I don’t want to be seen as one of those nasty main characters.” Hiroaki waved his hand dismissively, averting his gaze out of embarrassment.
“I don’t believe that’s the case...” Liselotte shook her head.
“Yes, it is exactly as Lady Liselotte says,” Flora approved, and Roanna followed suit.
“With all due respect, I must agree.”
“Ah, don’t misunderstand me here. The reason why I want to avoid killing people is because I believe that is a violation of human rights. In the country I was in, no matter what the circumstance, murder was a sentence to being isolated from society for life. And anyway — what goes around, comes around. Humans tend to be tormented by bad aftertastes or feelings of guilt. Honestly, I look down on the act of killing people too. Even if it were for the sake of the kingdom, I don’t think a hero should perform such an inhumane act,” Hiroaki explained, clearly laying out his values.
“...I see your reasons now,” Liselotte said; a quiet and noncommittal response.
I guess he doesn’t know how many murderers he’s surrounded by right now, then, she was thinking to herself.
“That’s all the more reason as to why I’m worried. It’s not uncommon to be attacked by monsters and beasts on the roads that are far away from civilization. There may even be bandits around.” Roanna clutched Hiroaki’s sleeve coquettishly.
“Nah, I doubt any bandits would attack a group of this size and power. And if it was against a monster or beast, I wouldn’t hold back from using my Yamata no Orochi to eliminate it,” Hiroaki said, a challenging smirk rising onto his face.
“There is no need for Sir Hiroaki to bother lifting a hand at mere monsters or beasts. You should just leave it to the knight escorts,” Roanna said imploringly.
Yes, I’d be grateful for that, too. From Duke Huguenot’s perspective, I guess he wants to see the hero in actual combat? It doesn’t seem like he has any real experience, after all... Liselotte thought, before taking a tired breath.
“However, that’s part of a hero’s duty too, right? To subjugate or show mercy to those who have wronged other people. I have become a hero now. I should experience things like that, too,’ Hiroaki said, sighing with exasperation.
Liselotte decided it was the perfect opportunity to ask Hiroaki of any real combat experience. “...Do you have any experience subduing monsters or beasts, hero?”
“None. Unfortunately, my previous world was rather peaceful. That being said, I won’t cower before a mere monster or beast. I hate any sort of sniveling like that. Well, though they may have wronged people, it still doesn’t feel too good taking their lives...” Hiroaki responded, looking gloomy.
“You really do hold an intense dislike for conflict. Sir Hiroaki, you truly are so kind...” Roanna’s expression darkened as she looked up at Hiroaki’s face.
“It’s fine. I’m in this world right now, after all. My old world is gone. It’s probably necessary for me to lightly experience some real combat and say my true farewells to that other world.” Hiroaki seemed to be completely submerged in his sentimental feelings as he petted Roanna’s head.
“You truly are a wonderful person,” Roanna said, clinging to Hiroaki.
Liselotte sighed quietly to herself, her gaze shifting to Flora sitting beside her. Ugh, I hope we arrive in Amande soon... Hmm? She realized rather belatedly that Flora had been quiet during that entire exchange.
“Princess Flora, how are you feeling? I hope the carriage ride isn’t too uncomfortable for you... Please let me know if you need anything,” she offered out of concern.
“Ah, no, I’m fine. Thank you for your consideration.” Flora gave an uncomfortable smile and shook her head.
“That is good to hear. I couldn’t help but notice you weren’t saying much...” Liselotte said, observing Flora’s face.
“Ah, no, umm. I’m not very good at talking, so I feel calmer just listening to other people talk like this. Everything Sir Hiroaki is saying is new to me, so...” Flora excused herself, smiling bashfully.
“...Oh, I apologize for assuming, then. But would you mind talking to me a little? There is much I would like to hear about from you, if possible.”
“Oh, I would be happy to,” Flora agreed cheerfully. Hiroaki, who had overheard their conversation from where he sat opposite to them, raised an objection.
“Oi oi, don’t forget about us too.”
“...Of course. So, what shall we start with?” Flora would probably speak less with Hiroaki joining the conversation, but Liselotte couldn’t refuse him. She knew she would have to lead the talk and accepted Hiroaki reluctantly.
While Liselotte and the others were steadily proceeding down the road...
Far in the skies above, the Proxia Empire ambassador, Reiss, was flying along clad in his black cloak. The security’s turned out heavier than I expected. Duke Huguenot’s faction’s accompaniment was completely unplanned for. It was all well and good sending the Evil Black Wyvern ahead to interrupt their business, but now what...
Reiss observed Liselotte’s party with sharp eyes; below him, Liselotte and the others showed no sign of awareness about Reiss’ presence above their heads as they traveled to Amande.
The original goal was to only capture Liselotte Cretia, but this makes the attack much more difficult to set up. However, Princess Flora’s presence is a welcome surprise. If handled carefully, this situation could allow for us to control the relationship between the Huguenot faction and the Galarc Kingdom, Reiss thought to himself with a cold smirk to his mouth. There was no way he was passing up this opportunity.
Which means I’ll have to splurge a little. I wanted to save this for the attack on Amande, but it’ll be good to test how far the current heroes have grown, too.
Not much time had passed since their departed from Nor, so Reiss leisurely pondered when he should launch his plan with a pleasant look in his eyes. He decided to observe them for a little longer.
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