Extra: Leone’s Move
One day had passed after the group had stopped the flying ship from crashing into the palace.
Leone was moving rooms in the dorms, back to sharing a room with Liselotte, as originally planned.
“All right, that’s everything.” Leone let out a sigh of relief as she finished moving her luggage.
“Well, once again I’m looking forward to our time together. Though... It seems you don’t have much with you?” Liselotte crooked her neck.
“I didn’t bring much to begin with.” Leone’s belongings were enough to fit in one large traveling pack, which contained mostly clothes and books. She hadn’t brought much from home. As seemed to be the case with major noble families, the more sentimental or important an item was, the more likely it was to be engraved with the family emblem. And currently, the Olfa family was scorned behind her back as traitors. Therefore, bringing such things would have caused problems. She’d disposed of most of them before departing for the academy. “Yet you have so much, Liselotte... Ha ha ha.”
All of the furniture in the room had been replaced with furniture bearing the Arcia’s emblem. Leone wondered where the previous furniture had gone.
“The room as it was originally was too plain—it was lacking that touch of glamour—so I got the principal’s permission to redecorate.”
That much was true; there wasn’t a hint left of the original, simple décor. Only gleaming, luxurious ornamentation was on display. This dorm room didn’t seem like much of a dorm room.
“Leone, please use that wardrobe and desk. I apologize that they are marked with my family’s emblem.”
“O-Okay. Thanks for letting me use them.”
Each was painted a bright white with gold decorations and proudly bore the Arcia emblem. Leone was a bit jealous that someone could be so proud of their family. With that on her mind, she began filling the wardrobe with her clothes.
“Let me help! We can get it done quickly and have tea afterward,” Liselotte offered. Even though it was a dorm room, it was equipped with an expensive-looking white porcelain tea set.
“Huh? You don’t need to help.”
“Don’t be silly. Besides, I’m curious what clothes you brought with you.”
“I don’t think there’s anything interesting about them.”
“No, there is—all your clothes are so open at the chest. They must be embarrassing to wear. They’re surprisingly bold... Especially with how serious your personality seems to be.”
“I-It’s not like that. If my clothes aren’t like that, they end up too tight...” The average piece of clothing wasn’t cut for Leone’s figure. Most were too tight in the chest. With a lack of other options, she tended to choose those with more open chests. She was sure Inglis would understand that frustration.
“I see. Yes, that makes sense. It isn’t just shamelessne—”
“It isn’t at all! It’s something different!”
Thus, their conversation went until the clothes and books were put away.
“Yeah, that’s it. Thanks for the help.” Leone took in a breath and sat down in a chair at her desk.
“Aren’t you forgetting this?”
Liselotte set a small picture frame down on Leone’s desk with a light thump. It was a tabletop portrait of the Olfas. In it were her parents, Leon, and Leone herself. Her family—back when they were still happy. Leone had been carrying it in her bag but hadn’t been able to bring herself to take it out.
“Ah... B-But—”
“I don’t mind. And no one else will see it.”
“Thanks...”
Liselotte’s thoughtfulness soothed Leone. She’d been worried about how this would go, but now she was sure she’d be fine.
“I’ll start the tea, then,” Liselotte said.
“Let me help.”
Liselotte, who seemed to be fairly sheltered, wasn’t familiar with making tea. It was just as well that Leone helped. “You seem to be used to this.”
“Yes. I have a lot of experience doing housework.”
After Leon had deserted to the Steelblood Front and people had begun to drift away, Leone had been forced to live alone. Inevitably, she had learned a lot on her own.
Once they finished preparing the tea, they sat back and sipped from their cups.
“This is delicious. It’s good tea,” Liselotte said in praise.
“Yes. I’m glad it pleases you.” Leone’s lively times with Inglis and Rafinha were enjoyable, but so were more elegant moments like this.
“I’m sorry if it’s rude to ask...but what would make a holy knight of rank and fame betray his country and join the Steelblood Front? I simply don’t understand.” Liselotte stared at the Olfa family portrait.
Leone chewed over her response. “I don’t understand either. According to Inglis, he couldn’t tolerate the Highlanders’ outrageous behavior any longer...”
“Well, I have heard that many Highlanders are quite high-handed...”
“Yes. I think he saw it so often that he couldn’t hold his frustration back.”
“So he’s kind?”
“Or maybe weak. After all, Rafael is kind. He must have seen the same things as Leon, yet he has not forsaken his duty as a holy knight.”
Liselotte remained silent, listening intently.
“There’s something Inglis said before: The holy knights and hieral menaces, who protect this country and its people, are our last hope... Having to turn a blind eye to the acts of the Highlanders is paradoxical with that duty. Being unwilling to ignore them could be called weakness, or it could be understood as strength.”
Depending on one’s viewpoint, being unable to stand a paradoxical duty could be called weakness, or pointing out that evil and resisting it could be strength.
“I see... That makes sense...” Liselotte said.
Leone continued. “But I think it’s weakness. That’s why I’m going to become a knight and stop my brother. If I don’t do it with my own hands, the stain on the Olfa’s honor will never fade. That’s why I’m here.”
“I agree. Duty is duty. It must be followed. I’ll do my best to help you.”
“I really appreciate that.”
“By the way, speaking of that—did Inglis consider that strength or weakness?”
“She said she wasn’t interested and didn’t really care.”
According to Inglis, ideology had nothing to do with combat prowess. When Leone had persisted in asking her which it was, she had answered, “I defer to Rani.”
“Oh? She’s a strange one, isn’t she?”
“Well, she’s a good person, but...”
“Yes, I suppose—and strikingly beautiful.”
“Absolutely. Yet even though she’s so cute, she has no interest in anything but fighting.” Leone thought Inglis understood other things and chose to ignore them. In a way, it was refreshing and hard to object to. “Um... By the way, Liselotte, can I ask one thing of you?”
“Mm? Yes, what is it?”
“I may be a little loud at night... Please act like you don’t notice,” Leone requested.
◆◇◆
Under a starry sky, the streets of the capital slept quietly. Leone stood on the roof of the tallest shop and looked around.
“This must be why you asked me that before. It’s against school rules to leave campus without permission, you know,” Liselotte reminded Leone even as her own presence made her complicit.
“Liselotte, you didn’t have to come.”
“But didn’t my assistance make it easier for you to reach the capital?” Liselotte’s Gift for her Artifact let her grow bright white wings and fly with them. Thanks to her carrying Leone out of the academy through the sky, it had been easy to get outside.
“Well, yeah, that was helpful, but—”
“What are your plans now that you’re here?”
“Inglis and Rafinha suspected they saw my brother in the city earlier... He might still be infiltrating. Even if I don’t find him, I may find other Steelbloods up to something... That’s why I’m investigating.”
Recently, the Steelbloods had not only administered Prism Powder to Ambassador Muenthe, but they’d also launched a full-scale assault. Somebody had to have been involved, and they had to be lurking in the city somewhere. If that person wasn’t Leon, then maybe she could find a lead on him.
“In this vast city? Isn’t that like trying to find a needle in a haystack?”
“It’s fine. I want to do what I can now, and besides—running along the rooftops is good training.”
“You want to train more at this hour? You do so much all day...”
“That’s something I’ve learned from Inglis. If she has any downtime, she spends it on training. If I want to stop my brother Leon, a holy knight, I need to become much, much stronger. So it’s two birds with one stone—let’s go!” Leone nimbly leaped to another rooftop.
“Well, since I’m already here, I’ll join in!” Liselotte followed Leone, not with her Gift but with her own legs.
Thus, their nights of training in the city began. Liselotte didn’t come along every time, but she did frequently.
And then, one day...
“I think something might happen tonight...” That evening after training, Leone looked out the window with a serious expression. She could hear the rain fall. And the rainclouds floating in the sky shone faintly. The Prism Flow was falling.
“Are you actually going out, Leone? Even though the Prism Flow doesn’t affect humans, isn’t it best to stay inside?”
“I won’t be able to say that when I’m a knight. The times when the Prism Flow falls are the most dangerous, so knights need to be out there protecting other people.”
Liselotte paused. “That’s true. So it’ll be a good rehearsal?”
“Yes. Let’s go!”
As the Prism Flow fell, the two used Liselotte’s Gift to fly into the city. This gave them the widest possible view. Many knights had already deployed around the city, on alert. If a magicite beast appeared, they’d be ready to respond quickly.
“With this many knights, the Steelbloods might just decide to stay hidden...” Leone noted.
“What shall we do? Return?” Liselotte asked.
“No—over there! Magicite beasts have appeared, but no one’s headed there yet!” A number of dog magicite beasts had appeared, apparently strays transformed into monsters on the outskirts of the capital decorated with many shabby houses—the slums. It was possibly the hardest place for the knights to reach.
“Let’s go, then!” Leone said.
“Yes!” Liselotte flew at full speed, and in moments they had arrived above the magicite beasts.
“I’m landing!” Leone let go of Liselotte’s hand and jumped down. She readied her greatsword in the air, taking a downward thrusting stance. The dark greatsword upper-class Artifact Leone had originally used had been broken recently, so she was currently using a middle-class Artifact borrowed from Principal Miriela. Rather than being dark, the blade was a faint light blue. This Artifact wasn’t as powerful, but if she could use the momentum of her fall...!
But before Leone’s blade could pierce the magicite beast, its huge body twisted, contorted, as if being crushed.
Blammmmm!
Alongside a thundering noise, the magicite beast was blown away by an incredible force. Leone’s sword lost its mark, instead plunging toward a figure who had suddenly leaped into its place. Even in the dark of night this person was beautiful, with long hair that seemed to shine like the moon...
“Inglis?! L-Look out!”
Thwack!
Inglis clapped her hands around the blade of Leone’s sword as it thrust from above, stopping it. “Ah, Leone. What a coincidence.” Inglis grinned as if nothing had happened.
“I-Inglis... That was crazy...” Leone said, amazed. Inglis had easily stopped Leone’s thrust, even with her full weight and the momentum of her fall behind it. Leone felt frustrated—but she also saw such strength as a good example to strive for.
“Really?”
“It really was. So, did you come to fight the magicite beasts?”
“Yeah. It’s a valuable chance for a real fight. When the Prism Flow falls, I can’t just sit back and watch.” Inglis’s eyes shone happily.
“Chris! C’mon, don’t just go ahead alone like that!” a voice called out.
“Ah, Rani. Over here,” Inglis said.
“Well, this has certainly gotten quite lively! But there’s still plenty more magicite beasts!” announced Liselotte.
“Inglis, Rafinha, Liselotte! Let’s all join up!” Leone shouted. As she called out to them, Leone realized how much more reassuring being together was than when she had fought alone in Ahlemin. She had three friends here who understood her.
“Yeah.”
“Okay!”
“Understood!”
Hearing the three responses, Leone leveled her blade at the nearest magicite beast. “I’ll take this one first!” Advancing on the doglike creature with all her might, she thrust upward into its throat from below.
Zsssh!
The blade of Leone’s greatsword thrust into and then through the magicite beast’s neck. “I’m not done yet!” She swung the blade to the side with all her strength, completely severing its head.
“Good job, Leone,” Inglis said.
“Even if you’re using a middle-class Artifact, it’s all in how you use it!” Rafinha added, cheerful.
“Excellent swordplay!” Liselotte called out to her as they spread out.
Leone thought again, I’m glad I enrolled in the knights’ academy. I can become stronger if I’m alongside these girls. Strong enough to stop Leon—someday!
Thanks to the exploits of Leone and the others that night, the Prism Flow’s wreckage was kept to a minimum. However, they couldn’t escape the principal’s watchful eye. For breaking school rules, they all found themselves with a scolding.
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