Chapter I: Inglis, Age 15—The Evil Hieral Menace (1)
Whoosh... Whoosh...
A chill wind howled, carrying snow along. The snow covering the nearby trees took on a red tint from the setting sun. This was where Inglis and her group would bid farewell to their country, Karelia. The border shared with their northern neighbor Alcard lay just ahead. It was already quite cold, but it would become even more frigid as night fell.
“Phew, it’s freezing. I’ve never been this cold in my life.” Leone shivered as she peered through the trees at a mountain stronghold. It seemed to be a guard station held by Alcard’s army.
Once they passed the border into Alcard, they’d be infiltrators. The expedition was organized around a single Flygear Port acting as a mobile base. It carried several Flygears—including Inglis and Rafinha’s personal aircraft, the Star Princess—as well as mountains of foodstuffs.
They were, to give a succinct description, quite conspicuous.
A Flygear Port soaring through the sky in the light of day would surely be spotted. Their plan instead was to wait for now and cross the border under the cover of darkness.
“Indeed, it is. The wind is stinging my cheeks,” Liselotte said. She was well prepared for the weather, with fur clothing and even earmuffs, but the unfamiliar chill sunk down to her bones.
“It’s because we avoided the plains and went through the mountains... The route through the plains is a bit warmer this time of year,” said Pullum, clearly a true native of Alcard.
“It’s not like we wanted to go this way, but it looked like Alcard’s army was gathering in the plains,” Rafinha said. Thanks to that, the group of students had needed to traverse the mountainous area of the border.
That didn’t make this path easy, though. There was a scattering of forts, requiring them to be cautious. Alcard’s army seemed to still be mobilizing and hadn’t made any formal moves yet.
If they were spotted here and provoked Alcard, word might be sent to the forces on the plains, causing them to accelerate their moves to war. There would be no way to avoid a direct clash between both countries, as the Karelian army was mobilizing as well.
The Karelian army was a combined force made up of the Royal Guard, under the direct authority of King Carlias, and a number of feudal levies, including—from Inglis and Rafinha’s hometown—the Ymir knights under Duke Bilford’s command. Their group’s mission was, before the two armies clashed and sustained significant casualties, to infiltrate Alcard and trigger a coup, a revolution, or a change of position by the country’s leaders, thus forcing Alcard’s army to pull back.
A connection to those leaders wouldn’t be a problem with Lahti along. He’d hidden his identity, but in truth he was Alcard’s prince. There was no one better suited to the task.
This had been Inglis’s idea, and if it worked, it could prevent a war. It could save the lives of many knights and soldiers as well as those of innocent civilians who could be caught up in the conflict. However, by Rafinha’s analysis, Inglis was perhaps more concerned with the chance to fight Alcard’s military elite, Highlanders, Prismers, or whatever else happened to cross her path.
Leone wasn’t going to press Inglis on that matter, considering she wouldn’t be able to stop her anyway, and she considered the mission meaningful and an important duty. She couldn’t afford to be preoccupied just because she was cold.
“Maybe I should exercise a little. I don’t want to be all stiff if anything happens.” She held up her dark greatsword Artifact and was about to start swinging it when Rafinha called out to her.
“Leone, Liselotte, eat this if you’re cold. It’ll warm you right up!” She flashed a grin as she gestured to a gigantic pot. They couldn’t help but wonder how many people such a large pot was meant to feed.
Inglis and Rafinha had specially ordered a pot intended for field kitchens, saying that a smaller one would be too much trouble to constantly refill. In it, a hearty seafood stew simmered.
“It’s good to fill your stomach with something warm when you’re cold, right?” Inglis said with a gentle smile.
Leone stared. “But we already ate.”
“I’m absolutely stuffed!” Liselotte said.
Ordinary people couldn’t possibly eat for as long as Inglis and Rafinha. They needed a different method to get warm now.
“Really? Then I guess we should finish it?” Rafinha suggested to Inglis.
“Stew is even more delicious in a place like this,” Inglis remarked.
“The setting really brings out the flavor. Agreed, toootally! ♪”
Lahti grimaced as he watched. “Ha ha ha... A bunch of food’s gone already. Will our supplies even last?”
“Well, we can always buy more on the way!” Rafinha insisted.
“We still have the military funding from His Majesty—and we’d like to try out some of the local specialties while we have the chance,” Inglis said.
“Exactly! That’s why we checked ahead of time for what’s tasty in Alcard!”
“I kinda think you should’ve been focusing on other things...” Lahti replied.
In the middle of their conversation, a boy approached nervously. This wasn’t Lahti, of course, but it was Ian. Thanks to Yua’s wanting to take him home with her, he was the sole survivor of his countless duplicates involved in an assassination attempt of King Carlias. The group had rescued him from Yua’s clutches, her kidnapping attempt nearly successful, and he was accompanying them on their mission.
He was the one most familiar with the current situation in Alcard. He’d been complicit in going after the Karelian king, but he was remorseful now. He also showed no malice toward Lahti, the prince of Alcard. Thus, everyone, not just Inglis, had decided he wasn’t a threat.
On the other hand, if he ended up being a problem, Inglis would naturally welcome that. She wanted as many tough opponents as she could get—as long as they didn’t lay a finger on Rafinha.
“Umm, Inglis, Rafinha. Would you like some more vegetables?” Ian asked.
“Sure! Thanks, Ian!” Inglis answered.
“Fish too, please,” Rafinha chimed in.
“Understood. I’ll go get them.” Ian was working hard to atone for his crimes. To be honest, it was a great help to have him along in the current circumstances.
“All right, I’m going to find the best spot to chow down! Maybe those cliffs,” Rafinha said.
“Don’t fall off. I’m going to try up that tree,” Inglis replied.
“Ah! So we’re leaning toward the higher, the tastier? Then maybe I’ll eat in a Flygear!”
“That’s a bad idea! It’ll draw attention!” Leone insisted, flustered by the pair’s losing track of why they needed to be covert in the first place.
With one-track minds for food, Inglis and Rafinha continued eating until the sun had completely set.
◆◇◆
The next day, Inglis and her group entered Alcardian territory. It was around dawn when they arrived at the town of Tsira, near the border. Since their plan was to secretly infiltrate the central regions of Alcard, it was theoretically best to march under cover of darkness and conceal themselves during the light of day. However, because the two countries’ armies inched closer to clashing as time went on, and because of the situation in Alcard, it was hard to know whether it would be better to advance with haste or to proceed with more caution. Making such a decision required as much information as possible.
Therefore, Inglis’s group concealed their Flygear Port in the forest on the outskirts of Tsira and made their way into the city for reconnaissance.
“All right, city living! I think the spicy food here is supposed to be good,” Rafinha announced.
“It’s perfect for warming you up too,” Inglis said.
“Ahh, I’m starving. Let’s hurry, Chris! I can’t wait to check out the town!”
“Me too, Rani. I can’t help imagining all the tasty food.”
As the two worked up an appetite, Leone broke in with a sigh. “You two, we’re not here to sample the local cuisine. We need to gather intelligence...”
Inglis chuckled. “You’re being too straightforward, Leone.”
“Huh?”
“People will be wary of us if we look like we’re hunting for information,” Rafinha remarked.
“We’d seem more natural as tourists who really were here to try the local cuisine. Right, Rani?” Inglis continued.
“Yeah, that’s what I mean. It’s not like I just want to eat here so I can get out of cooking, or that I want to sleep in an inn because a tent’s too cold!”
“Sheesh. You should take your turn cooking. We’re all supposed to do it, right?” Leone scolded.
“But you’re so much better at it...” Rafinha whined.
Leone had often cooked for herself in her hometown back in Ahlemin. After her brother, Leon, had abandoned his position as a holy knight and joined the Steelblood Front, the Olfas, who had come to be despised as a family of traitors, had lost their servants. Leone had been forced to take care of herself—and so, her cooking skills had improved. She had been the one to prepare the stew the group had loved the night before.
“That line won’t work on me. It’s a knight’s duty to eat well and stay in shape while on the march. That’s why you need to learn how to cook.”
“But the knights’ academy doesn’t have cooking classes,” Rafinha argued.
“I’m not the best at cooking either, so it would be nice to eat in town,” Liselotte chimed in.
Leone sighed. “Even you, Liselotte?”
“See, Liselotte gets it,” Rafinha said.
“After all, it would truly be a shame if you fell ill with a stomachache from my cooking.”
“Huh?!” Leone gasped. “What’s that supposed to mean?”
“Well, when I made a meal for my father, he became ill...”
“Th-That just happens sometimes. I’m sure it wasn’t the food. Chancellor Arcia has poor health to begin with...”
“But it’s happened more than once. More than twice, even.”
“I-I see...”
“I imagine things have been hard on him,” Inglis remarked. The former chancellor had seemed to be a stiff and formal man, but his risking his health repeatedly for his daughter’s sake revealed a more devoted side. Inglis felt a commonality with him in that parental love. Rafinha was a granddaughter to her rather than a daughter, but still a dearly adored one. It was nothing to her to put herself at physical risk for Rafinha’s sake. She hoped for Rafinha’s happiness from the bottom of her heart—as long as it didn’t involve illicit affairs with the opposite sex. Rafinha was still too young for that.
Having quietly listened until now, Ian chimed in, “D-Don’t worry. I’ll help out. If anything comes up that might look suspicious, I’ll point it out.” His fur hood was pulled up tight, so his eyes couldn’t be seen. Ian was Alcardian nobility, and Tsira was near his family’s lands, so he was being cautious so that residents wouldn’t recognize him.
Next to him, Lahti also wore his hood in the same way. As Alcard’s prince, it was even more important that he conceal his identity. Pullum had no need, so she was wearing her hood normally.
“Thanks. That’ll help,” Inglis replied to Ian.
“Of course. If there’s anything I can do, just ask. At the very least, it lets me make up for what I’ve done...”
“Well, anyway, I’m hungry, so I’m off to eat! Then I’m going to sleep in a bed in a warm room! It’s important to be well rested!” Rafinha called out.
“So first up should be an inn with a kitchen!” Inglis agreed.
“Yeah! Ah, how about over there?”
“Looks good to me.”
“Then let’s go for it.”
“Ah, hold on, Rani. You’ll slip on the snow. Don’t go too fast.”
“Eeek!”
“As I was just saying...”
Lahti laughed. “You two definitely look like tourists.”
Things were going well so far.
That is, until Inglis and Rafinha spoke with an innkeeper.
“I’m sorry you came all the way here, but we’re not serving meals right now. There isn’t enough food. It isn’t just us either. Every restaurant in town is the same.” The innkeeper sighed, frowning.
“Whaaat?!” the two girls yelled.
Grrrgl!
The pair’s screams and stomachs echoed in unison.
“So...the restaurant’s closed?!” Rafinha asked.
Inglis was in just as much of a panic. “And all the others are too?!”
They wouldn’t be able to enjoy the famous local cuisine at this rate. Having no spicy delicacies was coming as a shock to them both.
“Yes. We’re still offering lodging, so I can get you a room... Would you like that?” the innkeeper asked.
“If everywhere is the same, we should at least have a place to sleep. I guess it’s our only choice,” Inglis said.
“Yeah, agreed...” The others nodded along with Rafinha. They were short on sleep since they’d been traveling at night. They all wanted to rest.
“But why is there so little food? Was there some kind of disaster?”
“No,” the innkeeper answered. “They took most of the food as an offering to Highland... We’re having trouble finding food for ourselves, never mind the restaurants. I haven’t eaten since yesterday.”
Suddenly a rumbling sound came from someone’s stomach. It didn’t belong to Inglis or Rafinha this time. “Oh my, how embarrassing. Do excuse me,” the innkeeper said.
“It’s okay! We—” Rafinha began.
“We’re the same!” Inglis finished.
Grrrgl!
“Aha ha ha! Healthy young ladies indeed.” The innkeeper’s expression brightened somewhat.
“That’s terrible, though. Taking so much food that you’re left like this...” Rafinha said.
“The Prism Flow increased, and a magicite beast that could have been a Prismer appeared. So they wanted more Artifacts, and if possible a hieral menace too...and made that the townspeople’s problem,” Inglis summarized, understanding the situation.
Artifacts and hieral menaces did not come without a price. In fact, they were quite difficult to obtain. Alcard would already have had them if the price wasn’t so high. As a result, someone had to shoulder the burden—they could see that clearly.
“Of course not. The Artifacts and the hieral menace would be to protect the people from magicite beasts, right? So why take the food away from the people you’re protecting? Why make them suffer?” Rafinha asked.
“You can’t give what you don’t have.”
Whether by requisitioning food in quantities large enough to starve its own people or by mobilizing its army for an attack on Karelia, Alcard had chosen the path it saw fit for obtaining Artifacts and a hieral menace.
Rafinha paused, thinking over Inglis’s words. “I don’t like that. It’s not right at all.”
“I thought you’d say so, Rani.”
The idea would be unacceptable to Rani, young and with a firm sense of justice. She also probably didn’t know how to solve this contradiction. That wasn’t really a problem for her. If it became necessary, Inglis would do something about it. She loved Rafinha’s rash, childlike sense of justice.
Putting her own feelings aside, they were in Alcard to get the country’s leadership to change its policies and pull back its army. If things went well, Alcard would naturally break off its agreement with Highland. That would mean the need for such harsh requisitions from its people would disappear as well.
That would present no major problems, though some measures would be necessary to deal with the weakened countermeasures against magicite beasts.
The root cause was the presence of magicite beasts on a never-before-seen scale in Alcard. It was only natural that the country’s leadership would feel a need to adopt new measures to deal with the new threat.
“Argh... This is just wrong! It’s unacceptable!” Lahti grumbled. Like Rafinha, he was young and had a strong sense of what was right and wrong. Inglis considered him a friend, but he wasn’t as adorable as Rafinha, so she’d leave him to the person who was his own soothing influence.
“C-Calm down. Getting worked up like this won’t solve anything,” Pullum said.
“But, Pullum—! What in the world is Da—uh, His Majesty doing?! I can’t believe he’d put everyone in this situation!”
The innkeeper watched the group with concern. “Please do not fight. His Majesty is ill. If he were well, this never would have happened. That’s what I believe.”
“His Majesty is ill?! When I left Alcard, he was still in good health...” Ian said, shifting his gaze to his feet. “But I suppose his worries have taken their toll. It doesn’t surprise me that he’d become ill.”
“Then why did this happen? Who’s making you do this?” Rafinha asked the innkeeper.
“It’s that hieral menace! She came from Highland, saying we owed a debt and we’d better pay up!”
Rafinha gasped. “Huh?! A hieral menace?!”
“How could a hieral menace do something so evil?!” Leone cried.
“I... I can’t believe it!” Liselotte said.
Those three were especially shocked. Being from Karelia, their only experiences with hieral menaces were with Eris and Ripple, who were noble, compassionate, and dutiful in their protection of surface dwellers from magicite beasts. Whether in terms of power or spirit, they were truly the country’s guardians. Even the Steelblood Front’s hieral menace, Sistia, while in a different position, had a sense of duty and a strong will like theirs.
Inglis had gotten the impression that hieral menaces were generally noble in spirit and dedicated to protecting others, but perhaps that was just how Eris, Ripple, and Sistia were. Maybe it wasn’t universal.
“Hieral menaces are terrible!” the innkeeper insisted. “She came to this town, and as cute as she was, she slaughtered anyone who resisted...or at best, they were taken away. No one has returned.”
“I see... So hieral menaces aren’t all here to protect us, you’re saying,” Inglis replied.
“Exactly, young lady. I’m telling you this for your own good. Don’t go against her. The knights and soldiers of this country still show some mercy, but the hieral menace and the Highlanders with her are absolutely merciless.”
Rafinha’s face flushed and she shook her head at the innkeeper’s warning. “We understand, but they can’t treat people like this! We need to do something!”
Lahti was fired up as well. “Yeah, I can’t ignore this!”
“W-Wait. Who knows what will happen if you let your anger get the better of you,” Ian cautioned.
“Yes, we need to be calm,” Pullum said, also trying to soothe Lahti. “Inglis, help us talk some sense into him...”
Inglis shook her head. “Sorry. I can’t let this go either.”
“Why...?”
“I can’t ignore an evil hieral menace! For the sake of justice and peace in this country! Ma’am, if you would. Does the hieral menace come here often? What kind of person is she? Do you know if she has any powerful abilities?”
“Huh? Err... I suppose she—”
“Cut it out, Chris!” Rafinha pulled on Inglis’s ears.
“Oww! R-Rani?! Why are you—”
“You’re not supposed to be like that! You’re listening to the townspeople talk about their troubles, but you’ve got a happy twinkle in your eye!”
“Well, I want to enjoy myself for once... I didn’t get to fight last time. You had all the fun.”
“You and Yua got to beat on each other!”
“But that didn’t feel like actual combat. Rani, you and the others had a real fight, didn’t you? I think there’s experience you can only gain while fighting seriously—”
“Ugh! That’s your response?! That wasn’t my point—”
“I mean, we did fight, though it didn’t really come to anything...” Ian weakly said. He made a noise that was partly a sigh, partly a bitter chuckle.
“I saw that hieral menace, Tiffanyer,” the innkeeper began. “She had long hair, a soft color like clear water. Big round eyes. She was really pretty. Just as much as you are. You’re surprisingly pretty too.” She was staring at Inglis.
“Thank you... Did anything else stand out about her?” Inglis asked.
“She had many Highlanders with her, all of them clamoring, ‘Oh, Lady Tiffanyer! Oh, Lady Tiffanyer!’ It honestly seemed rather silly, but they were terribly cruel. They forcibly took our food, and as I said before, they slaughtered or dragged away anyone who tried to resist... All the while, that hieral menace watched like she was enjoying it. Some warriors saw an opening and tried to attack her directly, but she dismembered them in an instant—it was over so fast.” Her face went pale as she thought back to the scene. “Hieral menaces are supposed to protect us from magicite beasts, but she was more terrifying than the beasts themselves... Some of my own neighbors and acquaintances...”
“I see... They sound like a pretty violent bunch.”
That wasn’t bad. If Inglis encountered them, she could expect a quality fight. The hieral menaces Inglis knew never fought without a good reason.
A hieral menace who would attack without provocation was beyond Inglis’s wildest dreams. It meant she wouldn’t have to go through all the trouble of coming up with a reason for a battle. The local food situation was not good, which meant there was little hope of enjoying the local cuisine. If she couldn’t eat, then she wanted to fight—her original goal anyway—without letting the chance slip away.
“Do they come to this town often?” Inglis asked.
“The hieral menace has only come once, but her Highlander underlings visit occasionally—several times so far. And every time, someone disappears...”
“I see... One last question, ma’am. Do you know where they come from?”
“Probably Leclair. It seems that everyone they take is sent to the prison there...”
Ian raised his voice in shock. “A prison in Leclair?! I’ve never heard of such a thing!”
Since Ian hadn’t known of the prison, it must have been established after he infiltrated the Weismar troupe on his secret mission. In other words, it had to have been established quite recently.
“Leclair? Isn’t that...?” Inglis began, thinking back on the information about Alcard Ian and Lahti had provided before they’d departed.
“Yes... My hometown, which was ravaged by magicite beasts,” Ian said.
Because of the horrific damage a Prismer-like magicite beast had unleashed on Leclair, Alcard had changed its course. It deepened its dependence on Highland in an attempt to increase its power for national defense. The town of Leclair was the starting point.
“After all that’s happened, I can’t believe so many innocent people are being gathered there to suffer even more...”
As Ian slumped over, Lahti placed his hand on his friend’s shoulder. “You’re right. I won’t allow this! Why does it all have to fall on them?”
“You children... Is someone from Leclair among you?” the innkeeper asked. “I’m surprised you survived. You’re lucky you escaped with your lives. Don’t throw it away; that’s all survivors can do. I’m telling you for your own good—don’t pick a fight with the hieral menace or the Highlanders.” She sounded truly distressed.
“Yes, ma’am. We’re sorry for worrying you. May we rest in a room?” Inglis said. Then she turned to the rest of the group. “Come on, everyone, let’s go.”
Inglis walked at the front as they headed toward a room. Asking the innkeeper more questions would only bring up painful memories, and there were some things they couldn’t talk about either. It wasn’t wise to have a complicated conversation in the open.
Once they were alone in their room, Ian murmured with a serious look on his face, “Judging from that conversation... Since I left Alcard, things have gotten even worse. I can’t believe that a hieral menace is already here, and that she’s robbing people of their food.”
“Maybe she’s lighting a fire?” Inglis asked.
“What exactly do you mean by that, Inglis...?” Ian asked.
“Yeah, Chris, what’s that mean?” Rafinha, already lying in bed, yawned in a rather undignified manner. After having been up all night, she couldn’t help it.
“Okay, Rani...but pay attention. Don’t just fall asleep, okay?”
“Of course.” Rafinha yawned again.
Inglis fixed her a stare. Rafinha seemed ready to pass out, but everyone else was curious too, so Inglis continued. “By ‘light a fire,’ I mean she’s pushing Alcard’s army on the border to attack Karelia as soon as possible.”
“So, put the other way, does that mean that Alcard’s army isn’t inclined to attack?” asked Liselotte, wide awake.
Just as alert, Leone followed with another question. “I thought Alcard’s army would attack only after their preparations were complete. Are you saying they’ll go on the offensive sooner, Inglis?”
Those two are good, serious girls. Rafinha could stand to learn something from them, Inglis thought. “I am, yes. Initially, it seemed like Alcard wouldn’t be pressured to attack hastily, but I think Highland is dissatisfied with the moves that Alcard has made.”
“Why attack now?” Leone asked.
“To avoid losses on their end. Venefic’s army is advancing on Karelia’s eastern flank. I believe Alcard has been waiting for an opportunity in which Karelia is stretched thin so that they could easily invade. If that were to happen, Alcard could get a hieral menace from Highland while taking credit for the victory with little effort and few losses.”
If Inglis were the king of Alcard, that would be how she’d read the situation. Karelia had long had hostile relations with Venefic, whose army was currently approaching Karelia to the east, where Rafael, Eris, Ripple, and the Paladins had been sent to deal with them. The more the course of the war went in Venefic’s favor, the more Karelia would be forced to concentrate its forces on the eastern front, making it easier for Alcard to attack from the north.
It was the way to suffer the fewest losses while attaining the greatest advantage for the country. That was the kind of decision-making leaders had to conduct. From that standpoint, it would be the natural move.
Inglis Eucus, a squire-in-training, personally wanted to be the first to plunge into the most dangerous battle. She did not care for rank—she was concerned with being the strongest version of herself. Such a thing would not be possible if she stood alongside leaders such as kings and captains. And thus, her conclusion was that she would remain a squire despite her previous leadership experience.
She continued her explanation. “I believe the attempted assassination of King Carlias was also intended to buy time. Watching what happened while the plan proceeded. Arguing that fighting after his assassination would be more effective, in order to delay the deployment of troops.”
Ian looked taken aback. “Yeah, maybe. The assassination plan didn’t come from Archlord Evel, but from the circles around His Majesty...”
“In the end, Highland grew tired of Alcard’s behavior,” Inglis said. “This change may have been a result of Evel’s death, but they then sent a hieral menace to seize food from the populace. This would be unbearable to Alcard’s army, which would be forced to attack Karelia at once to seize land and plunder their food. Alcard cannot stand up to Highland.”
Leone understood where Inglis was going. “Maybe things aren’t going well for Venefic, so they’re getting impatient.”
“That may be the case,” Liselotte said.
“That’s right. Highland’s communications are probably far faster than ours,” Leone said.
Brow furrowed, Rafinha suddenly chimed in. “Anyway, we can’t let either the people of Alcard be deprived of food or the people of Karelia be drawn into a war. This has to be stopped!”
“Rani...I don’t really mind, but that’s not the kind of thing you say while lying down and hugging a pillow,” Inglis said as she stared at Rafinha saying something so serious while ready to fall asleep. It was a sharp contrast to Leone, Liselotte, and Pullum, who were all sitting up like proper young ladies. It was an awkward sight, yet so adorable. What a conflicting feeling.
“But I’m sleepy.”
“Okay. Then I should cut to the chase. For now, what should we do? Continue to Alcard’s capital, or go directly to the prison in Leclair?” Inglis asked.
From Inglis’s observations, Alcard’s king—Lahti’s father—seemed to be trying to minimize his country’s losses and appeared to have some sort of plan. He could probably be negotiated with. It could be worthwhile to discuss the matter with him. However, that would be a waste of time if such a negotiation ended poorly. In fact, he could try to detain them, or even try to kill Inglis and her group as infiltrators from Karelia—to say nothing of what would happen to Lahti and Pullum.
If they were to try to liberate Leclair, it would likely mean a confrontation with the hieral menace and Highlanders the innkeeper had mentioned. That would almost certainly lead to a battle. The sooner the prisoners were freed, the more lives would be saved. Although, if they were to do so without agreement from the king of Alcard, the political repercussions could be disastrous. They would be labeled external actors who were sabotaging Alcard’s plans to recruit their own hieral menace to defend them from magicite beasts.
“I’m a little conflicted. What do you all think?” Inglis asked, taking the others by complete surprise.
“Well, that’s unusual. I’d have thought you’d want to go straight to Leclair and fight the hieral menace,” Leone said.
“Indeed. Are you feeling unwell?” Liselotte asked.
“Maybe it’s the other way around. She’s so hungry she can’t think straight,” Lahti remarked.
“Lahti, that’s rude to Inglis!” Pullum chided.
“Y-Yeah. She’s trying to seriously think about what’s best for Alcard,” Ian agreed.
Inglis giggled, and gave them an enigmatic smile.
“You all are so trusting.” Rafinha glared at Inglis reproachfully. “Chris, you’re just thinking, ‘If we go right to the capital, but then I raise hell, I can get in a lot of fights! ♪’”
“N-No, I’m not. Absolutely not...”
“Liar. I can see your cheeks twitching! They do that when you’re lying! I know they do!” Rafinha pulled at Inglis’s face.
“Iff nah hike hat! Iff nah hike hat!” Well, it was true that—since there were advantages and disadvantages to each plan—Inglis saw nothing wrong with taking her own interests into consideration as well.
Fight number one, by this plan, would be when they went directly to the capital and tried to talk things over with the king of Alcard, but he refused to hear them out and tried to have them executed.
Fight number two would be when they retraced their path back to Leclair and took down the hieral menace who was tormenting the people.
Around that point, they’d have spent too much time on a detour, and Alcard’s army on the border would begin to move. They’d hurry to catch up with the army and call for it to stop its advance, but due to a miscommunication, it would refuse their request, and the battle to stop them would be fight number three.
This would be the ideal way for things to play out in terms of Inglis increasing her combat experience. If they were to go to Leclair first, there would be a high degree of political uncertainty in their later steps, but that would mainly be a task for Lahti, who was the prince of Alcard, and the fighting itself would likely be over in a single encounter.
Rafinha was not exactly wrong, but Inglis wanted to firmly make clear that her first priority was resolving this situation. She wasn’t that much of a brute.
“Well, either way, the path to the capital or Leclair is the same for now. We can figure it out as we go,” Lahti suggested.
“Agreed. We might gain more information as we proceed,” Ian said.
Pullum nodded. “We need to hurry.”
“Let’s get some rest here and then be on our way,” Leone suggested.
“Yes, Leone. That’s a reasonable plan,” Liselotte said.
They had almost come to an agreement, but then Rafinha, now looking quite determined, faced them all.
“Everyone, wait. I know we need to hurry, but there’s something we need to do for the people of this town.”
◆◇◆
“Ha ha ha!”
“Aha ha ha ha!”
“Hee hee hee!”
Glee carried all throughout Tsira’s town square.
“Wow, this really helps!”
“Thank you so much. I don’t know how I can fully express my gratitude.”
“It’s delicious! I haven’t eaten like this in so long!”
The knights’ academy students’ field kitchen cauldron bubbled with its full assortment of ingredients. Delicious smells wafted and steamed from the cauldron in the center of the town square, drawing people closer in delight. Inglis and the others had essentially created a soup kitchen for the town.
“We can at least do this for them,” Inglis said.
Rafinha beamed. “Yeah! Everyone looks so happy. I know we have to hurry, but I can’t just ignore people in need.”
“This was a wonderful idea. They all seem overjoyed,” Leone said.
“Indeed. I’d thought we’d brought far too much food, but it turned out to have been for the best,” Liselotte agreed.
The food for the impromptu soup kitchen was, of course, supplied from the massive food stores Inglis had brought. After their nap, they’d revealed their hidden Flygear Port and brought out the food. The townspeople had been surprised to see them in such a vehicle, but warm food in their bellies cleared any doubts they’d had. The townspeople were all starving.
Lahti bowed his head to Rafinha. “I’m grateful for everything you’ve done for this town. Thanks.”
“It’s fine. I wanted to do this.” Rafinha’s smile shined, bright and pure.
Grrrggglll!
Rafinha’s stomach practically growled. Since they were sharing their own food, they hadn’t eaten any themselves yet. Rafinha hadn’t had a single bite. Inglis couldn’t speak for her, but she definitely had the impression that Rafinha was struggling. The girl normally had such a huge appetite.
Because Rafinha ate many times what an ordinary person would, the strain on her from abstaining must have also been many times higher. That made her actions especially noble. Inglis felt that same doting adoration she always did. She could remember Rafinha being a newborn. Her heart swelled with pride, although she couldn’t deny that the girl’s rumbling stomach was a bit impolite.
As admirable as Rafinha was, Inglis was enduring the best she could. The pain was severe, and it was growing with every second. She was as hungry as she could possibly be, but she could only watch enviously. This was far more painful, far more fearsome, than any attack from a powerful monster or foe.
“What’s wrong, Inglis?” Lahti asked. “You’re so quiet.”
“Did you not want to do the soup kitchen?” Rafinha stared at her in confusion.
“No, I did... It’s just that talking makes me even hungrier.”
Grrrggglll!
Echoing a scene from moments before, Inglis’s stomach growled. A small girl from among the townspeople turned at the noise and approached her. She was a bit younger than even Alina, whom they’d recently met and invited to Ymir. This girl appeared to be six or seven years old.
“Are you hungry? Here.” The girl smiled as she held out a bowl full of stew. She was absolutely adorable—like an angel.
“Th-Thanks...” Inglis mumbled. No one could refuse a request from such a sweet little girl. Even Rafinha wouldn’t have been able to argue. The portion was quite small by Inglis’s standards, but she appreciated it nonetheless. She happily accepted the bowl.
But Rafinha was stricter than she’d expected. “No, Chris! Stop that!”
“Huuuh?! But it’s just a little bit...”
“Nope. If we have even a little now, we won’t be able to hold back. We’ll eat it all. That’s why we’ve gotta be patient!”
“U-Uggghhh...”
Rafinha turned back to the girl. “Thanks. We appreciate the thought, but we’re fine. Please keep it for yourself.”
Grrrgl! Grrrggglll!
Despite what Rafinha said, their stomachs did not agree, taking the opportunity to rumble loudly.
The girl tilted her head. “But you’re hungry, aren’t you?”
“Um... Well, uhh...” Rafinha was cast adrift, looking for an excuse, but Inglis wouldn’t be sending her a lifeboat this time. After all, she wanted to partake of that proffered chalice.
“Oh, right!” Rafinha had a flash of inspiration after glancing around in a panic. “We can’t stand hot things. We prefer cold food. See, this is just the thing!” She was staring at a drift of snow on the roadside, piled up almost like walls in the square where there weren’t roads. Rafinha stuck her hand in and grabbed a handful of white snow.
In a fluid motion, she plunged the snow into her mouth.
“Wh—?!” Just what is Rani doing all of a sudden? Does she not have any other ideas?
“Mm, chilly and tasty! Right, Chris? You should have some too!”
“Huuuh?!”
“Come on!”
“O-Okay...” Inglis acquiesced. With some trepidation, she popped some that wasn’t dirty into her mouth. It didn’t taste like anything, but the cold ice crystals had a nice crunch. It was surprisingly pleasant.
“See? We’re fine,” Rafinha said.
“Okay...” The little girl seemed to understand.
Rafinha whispered, “Hey, Chris. That was actually halfway decent.”
“But it doesn’t taste like anything.”
“Maybe it’d be tasty with some flavor? Heeey, Ian, bring us some sugar!”
Inglis imagined Rafinha wanted to sprinkle sugar on top of the ice—truly a Rafinha-approved dish. However, snow was just frozen water. Inglis didn’t imagine that would be very satisfying, but it was better than nothing.
Inglis raised her hand. “Ian, get some for me too!”
“Uh... Are you going to sprinkle sugar on the snow and eat it? I really recommend you don’t. You’ll get a stomachache.” As typical of him, Ian brought them the sugar despite his warning.
“It’s okay! Our stomachs aren’t normal...which isn’t always convenient, but oh well!” Rafinha said.
“We’re between a rock and a hard place,” Inglis said.
Ian sighed.
Rafinha took the sugar he proffered, sprinkled it generously on the snow, then took a large handful and ate it in one bite. “Wow! This works. It’s like a dessert!”
“Hmm, so it’s good?”
“And easily available.”
“Emergency rations, then.”
The two were so hungry. Once they started eating, they couldn’t stop. They gobbled up their sugary snow.
“Aha ha ha. I’m eating and shoveling snow at the same time,” Rafinha said.
“I wonder if mother would be mad?” Inglis asked.
The children watched Inglis and Rafinha curiously.
“What in the world are they...?” Leone began.
“I can’t believe them.” Liselotte sighed in exasperation.
While the townspeople were puzzled by Inglis and Rafinha’s odd behavior, they were overjoyed. The makeshift soup kitchen may have been a small gesture, but it was much appreciated.
It only took a short amount of time for a shadow to be cast over those peaceful moments.
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