The Hero King, Reincarnate to Master the Art of War (LN) - Volume 9 - Chapter 2

Chapter II: Inglis, Age 16—The Meaning of a Meeting (2)

On the day when the first suitors were due to arrive, Inglis and Rafinha had still not returned to normal.

“W-Well, this is a mess...” Irina muttered.

“It certainly is,” Serena said. “I wonder if they’ll ever change back.”

The two held their daughters in their laps.

“But this isn’t all bad.”

“I agree. Probably not the best for what we have planned today, but...”

They cuddled their daughters before exclaiming, “Aww, they’re so cute!”

Irina and Serena were worried to a degree about Inglis and Rafinha—apparently stuck in their younger bodies—but they were even more delighted to have their little girls back to hug.

The parents’ glee hadn’t stopped ever since the transformation several days earlier. Honestly, Inglis understood that joy. As soon as the deed had happened, she’d felt an urge to hug Rafinha tightly, and Rafinha had squeezed her just as tightly. Inglis knew her own cuteness as well; she found her tiny body adorable, and she’d been staring at herself in the mirror for many hours. Unfortunately, now she was too small to wear the clothes Rafinha had made for her birthday, but her mother and aunt were happy, so it was fine in the end.

But...something was wrong. Several days had passed, and Inglis and Rafinha were still stuck as young children. Inglis wasn’t quite sure what the problem was, nor did she know for certainty the state of the Artifact she’d been working on when it exploded, resulting in their aging down. She’d been experimenting with the idea of connecting multiple cores to an Artifact to both increase its overall power and change its Gift.

Her goal was to change the magnitude of its offensive power. Alina was only ten. Inglis had wanted to give her a weapon that, if she was ever forced to fight other humans, would let her neutralize them without killing them. Leone’s dark greatsword Artifact could change its size, something which she used to great effect against her foes. Inglis had been in the middle of trying to rework the core’s mana-control configuration with that as a basis, infusing a bit of aether as her own secret sauce.

Perhaps the aether had been a poor choice. The core had been overloaded, and even a slight shock had caused it to explode, scattering the changed effect of the Gift indiscriminately. That was all Inglis could guess as to what had occurred. If she didn’t change back, she’d have to consult with Principal Miriela and Ambassador Theodore on how to properly reverse the effect.

But for now...

“There’s nothing wrong with staying like this for a little bit. If we haven’t reverted by the time we get back to the knights’ academy, we can ask for help there. And I don’t mind a suitor meeting me like this. It won’t cause me any problems,” Inglis said.

Just because she was in the body of a six-year-old didn’t mean she couldn’t fight. It reduced her abilities, and these little short arms and legs shortened her melee reach, but she’d still take on any challengers.

Rafinha was of a different mind. “What?! It’s a problem for me! How can I meet a guy properly when I look like a little kid?!”

“Looking like a kid doesn’t mean you can’t fight.”

“Your mom was right! Glares exchanged before battle don’t count as seeing someone!”

“Hmm, I guess your approach would be tough to do as a kid.”

“No kidding! C’mon, can’t you do something, Chris?!”

“This isn’t really a good time. Sorry.” Inglis grinned back at Rafinha.

If Rafinha’s dates with suitors went poorly, that would be for the best in Inglis’s opinion. She’d reached out directly to Duke Bilford to put an end to these arrangements, but the dates not feeling like dates would work just as well. And while Inglis would have to literally fight off suitors as a young child, she had faith she’d succeed. After all, suitors who saw her in this state would likely underestimate her, leading to their downfall in both combat and courtship.

So it wasn’t a question of whether Inglis and Rafinha could be healed, because right now, they weren’t going to be. That worked better for her.

“C’mon, Chris, be serious about this! It’s gonna ruin my dates!”

“I don’t think so.”

Rafinha muttered something quietly. “But it might be a good chance for Rafael...”

“Hmm? What was that?”

“Oh, nothing!”

Ada appeared and announced, “Everyone! We’ve got company!”

Inglis hopped down from her mother’s lap and smacked a fist into her other palm. “Here they come! Ada, how many do the enemy number?”

“They aren’t supposed to be enemies! They’re supposed to be your suitors!” Rafinha remarked.

“She really is just like you were, Serena,” Irina said, eliciting laughs from her sister.

“Well, just one...” Ada replied.

“Only one, huh,” Inglis said. “That’s a little disappointing, but more may show up later. And if he’s daring it alone, he must be competent. What’d he seem like?”

“Well, definitely a strong one, but probably not here for a date.”

So...who? Inglis and Rafinha tilted their heads.

“Could it be Rafael?” Inglis asked. But no, he wouldn’t be “company.” His would just be a visit home.

“No. It’s the hieral menace Lady Eris.”

“Eris?!” What was Eris doing here? They promptly set off to meet her.

◆◇◆

“Ehh?! Wh-What happened to make you two look like that?!” Eris gasped in shock as she saw Inglis and Rafinha.

“I was trying to tweak an Artifact and messed up, and I think the Gift went wild.”

“W-Will you be okay like that?”

“Yes. It’s not bad being a kid for a little while. I’m having plenty of fun. See, look at Rani! Isn’t she adorable?”

“Well, I suppose that’s a glass-half-full perspective... You’re cute as well. So, this is what you were like when you were little.”

“Thank you. So, why are you here, Eris? Did someone hire you as a mercenary to fight me? Then let’s get right to it!”

“No. Why do you always want to fight me?!”

“I don’t mind if you’re here to claim me yourself!”

“That’s absurd! I-If I won, you’d have to marry me! How could we do that?!” Eris seemed to be very upset on Inglis’s behalf.

“Well, we can talk that part over later. For now, let’s get on with the match!”

“Absolutely not!”

“Now, now, Chris! Stop putting Eris on the spot!” Rafinha stepped in to bar Inglis from her fight with Eris.

“Then, why are you here, Eris?”

“I bring royal orders.”

“Royal orders?!” Irina and Serena gasped.

“Yes. That the marriages of these two be deferred.”

“Ehhhhhh?!”

“The court demands such?”

“The attempted assassination of King Carlias, the Venefic raid on the capital, and the revival of the Prismer... Too many crises have appeared on our doorstep in such a short period of time,” Eris explained to the mothers. “The country’s future course of action has yet to be decided, and their marriages would have too great a political influence. If, for example, the powerful nobles who wed them insisted that Venefic be laid to ruin, many would be swayed in that direction. Such is the prestige that they have now.”

“I-Indeed...” Irina and Serena shared a glance and then, their expressions becoming more serious, nodded.

“It is the will of the court that in order to avoid unnecessary repercussions, any decisions regarding their marriage not yet be made. Duke Bilford and Captain Luke have already given their assent, and the suitors have been notified. Therefore, I don’t expect any to arrive. I apologize for presenting this to you as a fait accompli.” Eris politely bowed to Irina and Serena.

“I see... Very well,” Irina said.

“If that’s the case, I don’t blame you...” Serena said.

“Well, with the state they’re both in, perhaps it’s good that this be postponed.” Irina gave Rafinha a squeeze.

“Exactly. This way, they can enjoy being little again for a little bit.” Serena did the same to Inglis.

“That would be nice... They certainly are both adorable,” Eris said with a rare smile.

“Aww! But I was excited for those dates!” Rafinha pouted.

“I wanted to fight the kingdom’s best!” Inglis complained.

“So what about that letter—” they began at the same time.

“Ah?! Chris, what did you do?!” Rafinha asked.

“What about you, Rani?! What were you up to?!” Inglis shot back.

“About those letters you sent... Both of these were delivered to Rafael. Duke Bilford was in an important meeting and couldn’t be interrupted.” Eris held them up for all to see. One was from Inglis to Duke Bilford, the other from Rafinha to Rafael.

Inglis skimmed over Rafinha’s letter. Its contents: that Inglis had promised to wed any who could defeat her, and that Rafael should return, challenge her, and win. It said nothing of Rafinha’s own suitors, as if hoping to avoid interference. Inglis was, to be honest, fine with that. She welcomed the idea of an all-out bout with Rafael.

Rafinha read over Inglis’s letter. “Ah! Chris listed a bunch of the same reasons Eris did earlier!”

“But I only wanted yours to be stopped, Rani...” Inglis whined.

“It’s because Rafael suddenly requested leave. Prince Wayne and Ambassador Theodore asked his reason, and when they saw the letters, they agreed marriage at this point was a poor decision. While each of your letters was only about the other, it was clear that both of you were pondering suitors. Thus, Prince Wayne and Ambassador Theodore, with the assent of King Carlias, brought us to the current point.”

“Ah, if only mine had gone to the duke rather than Rafael...” Inglis lamented.

If only Inglis had been able to stop Rafinha’s arrangements secretly. However, Rafinha had sent Rafael a secret letter of her own, disrupting the whole plan once Rafael got ahold of both. And unfortunately, it had turned out to be a major issue. If only Inglis had gone ahead, she could have beaten everyone who challenged her, and she would’ve enjoyed her bouts without any risk of political complications.

“It’s because you wrote to Rafael, Rani!”

“It’s because you wrote things you didn’t have to!”

Inglis and Rafinha argued with each other from their mothers’ embraces.

Ada, even more flustered than before, returned to Inglis and the others. “Everyone! Th-Th-There’s trouble!”

“Ada?!” Inglis said.

“What’s wrong?” Rafinha asked. “You’re so worried!”

Ada was far more shaken than she’d been at Eris’s arrival. “L-Look and you’ll understand! Go outside and look up at the sky!”

“Outside... The sky?!” Eris asked.

“It might be a magicite beast!” Inglis swiftly slipped from Serena’s arms and ran out headlong. With no duel with a suitor in the offing, at least maybe that could be a good fight.

“Ah! Hold it, Chris!” Rafinha said.

“I knew one would come for me! I hope it’s strong!” Inglis tried to pick up Rafinha as she ran, but with how tiny she was, she tumbled.

“Eek! Sheesh...!”

Instead, Eris scooped her up. “You may look cuter, but you sure aren’t any more innocent! You haven’t changed at all!” the hieral menace said. Despite her complaints, she followed along to the knights’ training ground in the courtyard carrying Rafinha.

“Hm...?” Inglis murmured.

It was dark outside even though the weather was good. A shadow had fallen across the entire training ground—no, across the entire castle. Across all of Ymir, in fact.

Uneasily, Inglis looked skyward, as Ada had suggested. There, she saw a gigantic floating island, many times—no, dozens of times—the size of Ymir.

One by one, Inglis, Rafinha, and Eris gasped.

“Wow! Is that...?!”

“I’ve never seen it this closely before!”

“What’s happening?!”

The shadow made things eerily dark.

“It’s Highland!” the three shouted together.

◆◇◆

Highland had suddenly appeared over Ymir. Seeing it up close really drove home its scale and impact.

“Ha ha ha... Looks like it’s not your magicite beast, Chris?” Rafinha teased.

“But I’m sure they’re here to propose!”

“That couldn’t be right! But why...?!” Eris’s expression was filled with tension.

Ada, Serena, and Irina joined them.

“Ehhhh?! Highland?!” Irina gasped.

“Wh-Why would Highland be here?!” Serena exclaimed.

“Anyway, we need to prepare our defense! The knights of Ymir will hold strong!” Ada began giving orders to the gathered knights, but Eris motioned for them to stand by.

“No, wait! That won’t help! If Highland attacks, there’s no way you’ll be able to hold out! Focus on getting the civilians to safety! I’ll hold them back as long as I can! Abandon the city! Get as far away as you can!”

Ada gave a nod. “Understood! Lady Irina, Lady Serena! Is that all right?!”

“Yes... If Lady Eris says so...!” Irina said.

“We’ll do as she says!” Serena said.

“In that case, Flygear squadron, go out into the city and tell the people to evacuate!” Ada commanded. “Instruct them to leave town! Tell them to run as far away as they can!”

“Yes, ma’am!” the gathered knights replied before scattering to their duties.

“Lady Irina, Lady Serena, you both need to hurry as well! Take a Flygear and flee Ymir!”

“No!” the two answered as one, shaking their heads.

“I will remain!” Irina said. “It is my duty to protect Ymir in my husband’s place!”

“My sister’s right!”

“Lady Irina, Lady Serena...”

“At least move inside the castle! Leave here to us!” Eris called out.

“Please, both of you! Eris is right, let’s get inside!” Ada implored.

Both daughters couldn’t agree more. “Ada! Take care of mom and aunt Serena!”

“They’re in your hands, Ada!”

“Of course! Then—!” With that decided, Ada, Irina, and Serena made their retreat.

Eris pointed at the sky. “Something’s coming!”

“Flying battleships?!” Inglis said.

“Th-There are so many... Let’s see, one, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, ten, eleven...” Even more than Eris had time to count swarmed out from Highland and formed a line between it and the surface. However, their deployment seemed to be ceremonial rather than tactical.

“Wow, Highland’s amazing! So many flying battleships! Ooh, I can’t wait! I knew my suitor would come!” Starry-eyed and in her younger body, Inglis resembled a kid watching beautiful fireworks.

As much of a power as Karelia was, it had only two flying battleships under its command: one granted to the Paladins by Ambassador Theodore, the other captured from Venefic and newly transferred to the knights’ academy. But even at a glance, here, there were dozens from Highland. Just one look made the overwhelming difference in power obvious. How many countries could that fleet destroy? And that was only the beginning of the might Highland could bring to bear—if it even was their entire fleet.

“Gah! It doesn’t matter if you’re big or small—if you’re up against a Prismer or Highland, you never change, Chris!” Rafinha cradled her own head.

“It’s gauche to change your attitude based on your condition or who you’re dealing with! I’ll accept a challenge from anyone, anytime!”

“But they have to challenge you first, okay?! No starting anything with them!” Eris protested. “If you did, that would mean all-out war with Highland! It would be the end of Karelia!”

“Yes, but...if they try to do anything to my mother, my aunt, or Ymir, I will destroy them. Please don’t try to stop me.”

“Yeah! Chris and I won’t let them hurt Ymir!”

“I can only hope that doesn’t happen,” Eris muttered.

Flygears and a Flygear Port appeared from one of the battleships and began to descend. They seemed to be approaching them.

“A single Flygear Port?!” Inglis remarked. She was surprised they hadn’t deployed more. She saw only one Flygear Port and a few Flygears. They were a bit larger than the ones supplied to the surface and also had a different appearance. The small formation, without making any hostile moves, descended and landed in the training grounds of the courtyard where they stood.

After landing, soldiers emerged, wearing helmeted armor that covered their faces. A white-haired man in a smartly kept butler’s outfit followed. His forehead carried a Highlander’s stigmata. His expression was mild-mannered, and without the stigmata he would have seemed to be an older gentleman out of place among soldiers. Approaching Inglis and the others, the elderly Highlander bowed deeply.

“Pardon me. Might Miss Inglis Eucus be here?” he asked, facing Eris. It seemed Inglis had been described to him as a young lady. With Inglis and Rafinha in children’s bodies, Eris was the only one there who fit that description.

“Yes, but I’m not her,” Eris replied and gestured toward Inglis. “This is who you’re looking for.”

“And how may I help you?” Inglis asked.

“Hmm? You’re rather younger than I had heard...” The elderly Highlander’s eyes widened in surprise, but then his smile returned. “I am Carraldo. Pleased to make your acquaintance.”

“I am Inglis Eucus. Thank you so much for visiting.” She gave a curtsy. “What business do you wish with me?”

“If I may draw your attention,” Carraldo said, pointing at Highland above them. “That is Rüstung, the home island of my master, the dux.”

“The dux?! The Triumvirate are making a move as well?!” Tension shot across Eris’s face.

“You know about them, Eris?”

“You recall that the Triumvirate and the Papal League are the two major factions in Highland, correct?”

“Yes. And Ambassador Theodore is aligned with the Triumvirate, isn’t he? As was the previous ambassador, Muenthe.”

Since the time of Ambassador Muenthe, Flygears and Flygear Ports had also been granted to Karelia by Highland. And since Ambassador Theodore was a personal friend of Prince Wayne, he was trying to strengthen this trend.

“Yes. The Triumvirate are three Highlanders with the titles mechanator, quaestor, and dux. So he’s one of the most important people in Highland!”

“Ooh!” Inglis’s eyes gleamed.

Rafinha, meanwhile, was nervous. “Ah?! Even more important than Ambassador Theodore, then?! Wh-What kind of person is he?!”

Seeing this, Carraldo gave them a grandfatherly smile. “I believe that should tell you enough.” He nodded a couple of times and then turned his gaze toward Highland. “Take care, ladies. It’s going to be a little bit bumpy.”

As he spoke, a bulkhead on the bottom of Highland opened directly overhead, and something flew out of it.

“A person?!” the three girls exclaimed.

Not a Flygear Port, nor even a Flygear, but an unmounted human. Naturally, they fell faster and faster, with a sound like they were tearing through the sky. As they grew from a speck to something larger and larger, they became visible as a person standing perfectly still with their arms folded.

“Drrroooooooooppppppinnnnng iiiiiinnnnnnnnn!” 

Boooooom!

A loud shout followed by a landing, followed by a roaring impact. Like Carraldo had warned, the ground shook. Having leaped from such a high point, that person landed hard enough to crack the flagstones of the training ground, and displaced wreckage flew into the air around him. Such a feat would have killed a normal person, but he seemed completely fine.

He was a muscular man with long, flaming-red hair, still standing with his arms crossed. He looked to be in his midtwenties. His face was pleasing, perhaps even beautiful, but his slipshod bearing and dress implied that he didn’t particularly care. On the other hand, they emphasized his beefy build. He was obviously powerful.

“And this is Dux Jildegrieva himself.” Carraldo bowed reverently. “This is Lady Inglis.”

“Hmm? Ah well, it doesn’t matter what you look like—I’m interested in power! I heard if I came here, I could take on someone who wielded hieral menaces and kicked a Prismer’s butt! Ain’t no one gonna turn down a date with a Highlander, right?!” Dux Jildegrieva’s rough-and-tumble speech was at odds with his lofty title. His grin was bright and casual but also a bit overbearing.

“U-Uh, wow...” Rafinha and Eris shared conflicted expressions—trying not to stare and failing.

“I—” Inglis began.

“Yeah, so...?” Jildegrieva cut in. “Listen, if you’ve got a problem with it, I’ve got ways to—”

“Welcome! Welcome, welcome! Of course I’ll take you on!” Inglis’s eyes sparkled, and she immediately prepared for battle. A top Highlander challenging her to a fight was beyond her wildest dreams! There was no way she’d refuse; she wanted to get right to it—before he changed his mind! She’d make up for her plans being ruined.

“Well, that was quick! Thanks! Now bring it, kid!” Jildegrieva, obviously pleased, also crouched into a fighting stance.

“Of course! Then—!” Inglis replied.

His stance showed no obvious weaknesses. The time he’d spent training was obvious.

In a situation like this, she wouldn’t look for an opening.

She would charge in!

“Haaah!”

“All riiight!”

Inglis rushed toward Jildegrieva. Her tiny five-year-old fist swung as hard as it could. And as his meaty paw swung to meet it, their clash shook the very air around them.

Boooooom!

“Ha ha ha... He and Chris haven’t known each other for ten seconds and they’re already fighting...”

“They seem very much alike... I suppose there are people like that everywhere,” Eris said. Though she certainly hadn’t expected one of Highland’s most influential to be this way.

“I guess this is better than them invading Ymir.”

“Indeed... I supposed he heard about the defeat of the Prismer and looked into her? And that’s how...” Even a royal missive would never have reached the Triumvirate, nor would it have been read if it had. They were simply too high above such earthly matters.

Carraldo laughed. “Yes, His Excellency is always looking for strong foes worthy of fighting him. A life of eternal training on one’s own is well enough, but the presence of a worthy opponent upon which to prove its results is more valuable than anything else. Having heard the rumors of Lady Inglis’s prowess, he could not resist paying a visit. I’m glad he’s having fun.”

Rafinha and Eris laughed hollowly. That sounded extremely familiar to them. As they watched, Inglis and Dux Jildegrieva’s fists slammed against each other.

Smack-smack-smack-smack-smack!

A tiny, smooth fist against a callused, muscular one. As could be expected, Inglis was being overwhelmed little by little. The point where their fists collided drew closer and closer to her. Soon, she was unable to meet his fist in time and was forced to cross her arms and defend herself. Dux Jildegrieva’s fist crashed into her tiny crossed arms, and she was knocked backward.

“Such heavy fists!” Even in her sixteen-year-old body, she would have been pressed back.

“C’mon! You’ve got more than that if you beat a Prismer!” Even as Jildegrieva spoke, he followed up.

“I suppose!” A grin rising to her face, Inglis released her gravity magic, and met the oncoming punch with one of her own.

Blammmmmm!

This time, she came out slightly ahead. “Since you’ve come all the way here, of course I should show proper hospitality!”

“I see! Good!”

Smiling, she took a few steps back. He had visited due to learning of her defeat of the Prismer. As one of the Triumvirate—the elite even among Highlanders—there was no way his plan would be as insignificant as a political marriage with her or influence in Karelia. He had simply perceived her power and come to her to fight. And if that was the case, he probably saw himself as strong enough to take on someone who had beaten a Prismer. He hadn’t shown his full power yet—just as she hadn’t.

“Now it’s my turn! Show me what you’ve got!” Inglis said.

“Sure thing! Watch this!”

She appreciated they had a shared understanding.

Thwump!

Dux Jildegrieva’s muscles swelled strangely. His biceps, his quads, and his pecs all expanded to about one-and-a-half times their original size.

“Ooh! Nice!” It was obvious that he was stronger now—his power was likely off the charts.

“Haaaamph!” 

Thuuuuuddd!

When their fists collided this time, Inglis couldn’t withstand it. The force blew her away. “Huh?!” She found herself flying toward the training ground’s walls.

Moments before impact, she shouted, “Haaaah!” Aether Shell!

The wall crumbled as if it had been hit by an explosion—but not from her crashing into it. It was from the force of her kick off it. Clad in aether, she recovered her footing and turned back toward him.

“Oooh?!” Dux Jildegrieva’s eyes widened as Inglis returned even faster than she’d departed. She was already winding up a kick, and he immediately crossed his arms to defend.

He managed to do so in time. Impressive. Her movements under Aether Shell were so fast that most Highlanders—even Archlord Evel—hadn’t been able to keep up.

Blammmmmm!

This time it was his turn to be sent flying. “Ha ha ha ha!” A smile adorned Jildegrieva’s face as he was blown away. Thwump! His muscles swelled again to one-and-a-half times their original size.

A giggle escaped Inglis’s lips when she saw that display. He still had more to show her. This is going to be fun!

Stomp!

Dux Jildegrieva crushed the wall as he kicked off it. Just like Inglis, his return was quicker than his departure.

“Grahhhh!”

“Haaaah!”

Dux Jildegrieva’s leg swung like the trunk of a tree, Inglis’s tiny leg like a twig. As they met, the power behind their strikes scattered outward as a shock wave.

“Eeep!” Caught by the shock wave, Rafinha tumbled. The walls groaned under the strain, and branches snapped from the trees. As the fighters regained their footing and continued to exchange blows, the entire castle began to shake.

“They’re evenly matched!” As Eris helped Rafinha up, her hair blew around from the shock waves.

“I can hardly see a thing!” Rafinha said.

“Don’t worry. I’m not doing much better... Even if I see it coming, I can’t react in time. But if she can take on one of Highland’s Triumvirate on an even footing...”

That might just change the world, Eris thought. Inglis could become even more powerful by wielding herself or Ripple. That would enhance her incredibly; she would be incomparable. Dux Jildegrieva also may not have been at his full power, but Eris didn’t think anything he had left could completely neutralize her. Meaning...

If Inglis can defeat one of the strongest Highlanders...

The world Eris knew was one where the people of the surface had no choice but to suffer degradation and depredation, no way to survive but to submit to Highland. But that might not be the only way things could be. Inglis wasn’t a holy knight. She could wield hieral menaces without losing her life. Maybe that power could be turned toward the heavens.

“If they’re even...is that a good thing?” Rafinha waited for Eris to continue.

Eris dared not put word to the concept of warring against Highland. “Well, it’s for the best that she’s found herself a worthy opponent.”

Eris had thought she’d drawn the short straw being sent here as a messenger, but perhaps it was a good thing she was seeing this fight. The difference in power between the surface and Highland, at least in terms of the single strongest force they could bring to bear, was not so significant. The surface might even be superior. This was a major discovery. Since Ambassador Theodore and the rest of the Triumvirate faction were relatively friendly toward Karelia, she didn’t feel the need to take a stand here, but this was a very important thing to know.

“It’s not for the best! If they keep going like this, they’re gonna wreck the castle!”

“Ha ha ha... You’re not wrong.”

Carraldo laughed. “We will make amends should that happen, so pardon our intrusion. It’s been decades since I’ve seen His Excellency enjoying himself like this, so I’d appreciate it if you allowed him to enjoy this duel to his heart’s content.”

His description seemed to be accurate: Dux Jildegrieva laughed loudly as his fists beat down like a hail of bullets. “Ha ha ha ha! Not shabby! What was your name again, kid?”

“Inglis Eucus.” She responded with an uncountable rain of blows.

“Got it! And I’m Jildegrieva, a Highlander! They talk big about me as one of the Triumvirate, they talk a bit about me as the dux, but there aren’t any fights in Highland, and getting put in charge of fighting just makes you a loser doing busywork! Gives me a lot of time to get swole, but every once in a while, I wanna see how that’s going! So like it or not, here I come!”

“Oh, but I do like it! As I said before, you’re quite welcome!”

“Ha ha ha! I like the way you think, Inglis! I knew you were different when I heard you wielded a hieral menace and took down a Prismer, but you think different too! That’s what I’m talking about! Surviving that means you’re different! And you being a kid like this just makes it even funkier!”

“I’m in a bit of a situation regarding my body right now, but all in all, you’re not wrong!”

“So if I take you down, that’s like I took down a Prismer too! I’m glad someone as sick as you exists!”

“Why don’t you try fighting a Prismer yourself?”

“Hell, I’d love to, but I’m a Highlander. I can’t get close to the things. Don’t wanna turn into a magicite beast.”

“Ahh, I see!”

“I can’t exactly fight other Highlanders either, so I’ve been waiting for someone like you to come along! And here you are!”

“The feeling’s mutual!”

Slammmmmm!

The biggest shock wave yet knocked Rafinha off her feet again. Eris couldn’t stand to see this, so she scooped up the small Rafinha and held her securely.

“But I don’t get it! How’s a little thing like you take me on in a fistfight without even mana or a Gift? I can’t figure it out! Something’s making you glow like that, but I just don’t understand what! And that’s fun too! Ha ha ha ha!”

The glow was from Inglis’s use of Aether Shell, so it seemed Dux Jildegrieva couldn’t sense aether.

But Inglis had doubts of her own. Dux Jildegrieva wasn’t showing any evidence of using magic. It wasn’t anything like, say, when Archlord Evel had busted out high-powered magic using Mana Refine in a battle. The other times she’d fought Highlanders, they’d used magic too. She already had the impression that Highlanders possessed far stronger mana than people from the surface and thus didn’t need Artifacts to control phenomena that could be termed “magic.” But she sensed none of it from Dux Jildegrieva.

Even if she was in the body of a six-year-old, she was still a divine knight, a demigod, and her use of Aether Shell was taking her capabilities even higher. Despite that, he was taking that on in a bare-knuckle brawl without using anything that might be described as magic. Maybe he was just that beefy—she couldn’t think of any other explanation—but that in itself was shocking. Astounding, even. After all, a being as powerful as the ancient dragon Fufailbane had needed to use dragon lore to keep up with her in a brawl.

Inglis chuckled. “I can’t think of any explanation other than you’re just this good on your own merits, no tricks. How amusing!”

“Hey, it’s no joke. I eat well and work out!”

He must have had some special diet, some kind of workout plan. “Ooh! Think I could get in on that?”

“Huh? You wanna get this shredded too? I mean, not that I’d get in your way.”

She took a moment to imagine it. “I admit the idea isn’t especially aesthetically appealing.” It was scary, actually. Whether as she was now or in her normal body, she wanted to become strong, but she also wanted to look cute and girly in her outfits.

“Yeah, Chris, if you bulked up like that, you’d lose your cuteness factor,” Rafinha chipped in.

“Agreed,” Eris said. “And if you were to then wield me and Ripple, well...”

They both wore expressions much like Inglis’s newfound one.

Carraldo laughed inscrutably.

“But from what I’ve seen,” Inglis responded to Jildegrieva, “it appears you’re able to control your form to an extent. If that’s the case, I’m somewhat tempted.”

“Ha ha. So, you’re fine with it as long as you don’t end up stuck this beefy? But this ain’t the end of where it goes.”

“Ooh, really?”

“You wanna see? Think you can keep up, Inglis?”

“Yes, of course!”

Smack-smack-smack-smack-smack!

Even as they conversed, Inglis and Dux Jildegrieva continued to exchange intense punches and kicks.

“All right, watch this!” Dux Jildegrieva stopped for a moment, then nimbly hopped back away from Inglis. There, he watched her with a grin. “Ha ha ha ha... Never thought I’d be able to whip this out in a fight! Thanks a million! Sorry, I’ve only been giving you a peek of my power. That’s just how I do things.”

Inglis smiled. “I know that feeling. You want to take everything an opponent can give you and win! That’s the way I get the most out of fights too. If you throw everything you’ve got at your foe and overcome them before they have a chance to show you what they’ve got, you lose your opportunity to learn from the fight. Plus, it’s far less fun. So you have to take it slowly, step by step, seeking personal growth in every fight.”

Dux Jildegrieva lit up as if he’d finally found someone who was on the same page. “Are you me?! That’s exactly it! You might be a kid, but you sure do get it! I haven’t had this much fun in decades, ha ha ha ha ha! All right, here I come! Watch this! Haaaaah!” Jildegrieva shouted. 

Fwump! Fwpfwpfwpfwpfwpfwpfwpfwpfwpfwpfwp!

Inglis had expected his muscles to grow even more, but at some point, his muscles constricted, squirming as they wrapped around his arms and legs. Even as she realized what she was watching, he generated more muscle, swelling again before it also wrapped around him. His neck and arms, his chest and belly, his legs and feet—all over him, this strange writhing occurred. The muscles of his back behaved especially oddly, twisting and stretching, then becoming hard like bones. As they folded over themselves, they stretched out farther, creating a skeletal structure. Connecting that skeletal structure was the formation of a thin membrane.

“Wings?!” That was the only thing Inglis could imagine she was staring at. Being able to squeeze one’s muscles until they transformed into wings was inconceivable for Inglis. Perhaps she’d been misguided to apply conventional thinking based off surface humans to a Highlander. “Well, that certainly seems quite convenient.”

“Ga ha ha ha ha! Work out hard enough, and you can even grow wings!”

That was absurd—but also interesting. Inglis laughed. “You say such amusing things. I don’t believe I could imitate that.”

Other than where the wings had grown, his muscles had continued to condense.

His body size had in fact shrunk; just as he’d said, one did not need to end at bulking up their appearance. The tightly condensed muscles that wrapped around him hardened like the skeleton of the wings had, covering him like a suit of armor. With that, the intimidating aura he exuded became even more intense, though not in the clear-cut and measurable way mana or aether were.

“Gonna be serious here, maybe our ancestors had wings? Maybe I’m bringing back what they had by working out so hard. We Highlanders, we kinda spend too much time on technology and don’t get enough exercise. And if you don’t use it, you lose it!”

“I see... Maybe you’re onto something, and with convenient things like Flygears and Flygear Ports, you would have no need to rely on your own wings. After all, it would be tiring to use your own body.”

“Yeah, if there’s something more convenient... Anyway, let’s do this, Inglis! You’re the first person I’ve ever shown this to! Ha ha ha, I don’t even know how well it’ll work! Sorry, but I’m gonna be trying out a little experiment!”

“No need for apologies. I’m glad to be your test subject!”

“Thanks! Here I come!”

“Yes!”

“Hey, hold it!” Rafinha nearly shrieked.

“Huh?” Inglis and Dux Jildegrieva both looked at her in confusion.

“You’ll wreck the castle if you do any more than this! Can’t you move this out of town?!”

Two of the training grounds’ walls had already collapsed from where Inglis and the dux had kicked off them, and the shock waves they were creating were causing further cracks all over. The flagstones beneath them were becoming uneven as well, though the greatest damage was still where Jildegrieva had first landed.

“Oh! Right, right. That’s no good. Climb on, let’s take this outside!” Jildegrieva bent down and urged Inglis to climb onto his neck.

And, given the occasion, Inglis decided to oblige. “Thank you, Dux Jildegrieva.” She hopped up onto his right shoulder.

“Ha ha ha! You ain’t gotta be that formal. Don’t wanna bite your tongue during a fight, so let’s keep it short. Jil, Dux, Jil-bro, something like that’s fine!”

“I see. If you say so, Dux Jil,” Inglis replied with a grin. His attitude was more good-natured than one would expect given his position as one of Highland’s pillars of power. It was the behavior of a warrior or a martial artist, not that of a politician. Eris had said that the other two of the Triumvirate were the quaestor and the mechanator; presumably they handled governmental duties, something which would allow Dux Jildegrieva to remain a warrior, preparing himself for emergencies.

She envied that he was allowed to do so, even though he was in a position among his countrymen much like that of a king. King Inglis had been too busy ruling to spend time mastering the blade. If she had been able to live as the dux could, pursuing such mastery, she may not have wished to be reborn.

Which would have presented its own problems, she thought. If she’d been satisfied then, she never would have been reborn as Inglis Eucus. Would never have met her beloved Rafinha. Would never have been able to behold her adorned beauty in the mirror to her heart’s content. She would have missed out on so many things. Her life as Inglis Eucus—as a woman—had first brought her pause, but as she leaned into living it, she’d decided it was quite enjoyable.

And while Jildegrieva was able to devote himself to nothing but training for emergencies, it seemed those emergencies rarely occurred. The lack of opportunities for fights was eating at him. The people of the surface were always in peril, if not from the omnipresent threat of magicite beasts then from the oppressive rule of the Highlanders. But for a Highlander, life was peaceful. There were no major threats in the world, and a stable supply of goods came up from the surface.

Considering that, she found herself coming back to her conclusion that the life of a carefree soldier, always on the front lines in a dangerous world full of opportunities for battle, was best. Fortunately, that was the life she was living. Even the insignia of the lieutenant-colonel of the Royal Guard, acting duty though it was, was something she’d rather cast off.

“Hold on tight! Don’t fall off!” Carrying Inglis piggyback, Jildegrieva flapped his wings.

The world around Inglis suddenly changed. In an instant, the training grounds and Ymir itself slipped out of sight. Surrounding her was lush greenery, the grasslands surrounding Ymir. Jildegrieva’s speed was incredible. It seemed almost like she’d used Divine Feat to travel in the blink of an eye, but this was not that.

Crrrrrumble!

The noise pierced the wind only then. The intense shock wave had left a trail of half-destroyed wreckage stretching from the training grounds through the city and to its outer walls behind them.

“Whoops, went a little too fast. That ain’t good! Ha ha ha ha!”

“I believe you are the only one responsible for that, Dux Jil. Rani’s scary when she gets mad, so I’d prefer she knew that wasn’t my fault. Ah, she’s the girl who wanted us to stop.”

“Really?! If you’re scared of her, she must be...”

“Yes. I’m not willing to cross her at all.” That was how much Inglis cared for Rafinha, and that meant caring about what she said. Moreover, Rafinha’s being in a five-year-old body really brought back memories. They reminded Inglis even more of why she cared and made it even harder not to indulge Rafinha.

“Well, now that we’re here, we can do all the fighting we want!” Inglis hopped down from Dux Jildegrieva’s back and prepared her tiny form for battle.

“Dragon Lore!” The pale, translucent mass of draconic power took the shape of a child’s arms to match Inglis’s smaller body. As her arms reached out, translucent ones quickly followed. It was like she had four hands—but that wasn’t enough.

“Hrmmm!” Inglis focused her attention. The speed of the dragon lore increased until it overlaid her own arms perfectly. Rather than four arms, her own two now appeared to be covered in a pale protective membrane.

The dragon lore Inglis had gained from Fufailbane was power which could imitate her own body or weapons and follow them. For example, if she unleashed a flurry of attacks with a sword while it was active, the dragon lore would follow with its own slashes, becoming an unmanageable number of blows.

However, here she wanted her moves to be overlapped rather than followed. The number of blows would be reduced, but the power of each would be increased. It was something she’d become able to do by improving her control over the dragon lore. Luckily, dragon lore was easier to control than aether.

But its applications were not limited to switching between a focus on more numerous or more powerful strikes. Inglis clenched her hands tightly and brought them together as if she were about to draw a sword. The dragon lore was superimposed on her motions, and as she made a drawing motion she cast the magic which created an ice blade. “Haaah!”

“Gwohhhh!”

The ice blade which sprang forth from Inglis’s tiny fist was obviously different from normal. Instead of the crystalline tones of clear ice, the sound it produced was the roar of a rage-filled dragon. It looked different too, like a dragon’s fang or claw. By overlaying the dragon lore on the movement of her fist—that is, the flow of mana as she cast the magic—she’d made the two combine and transform. This was no mere magic—perhaps she could call it “dragon magic.” It was the result of her practice over the past month.

“This is all thanks to the work I’ve put in! Let me try it out on you!” Inglis yelled.

“Go right ahead! I’ll be doing the same!”

Seeing Rafael’s Dragon Fang and King Carlias’s Dragon Claw, Artifacts which seemed to have been made from parts of a dragon, had been her inspiration. They clearly mixed magic and dragon lore. And their power was clearly a level above that of other upper-class Artifacts—not to the standard of a hieral menace, but enough that they might be termed “super upper-class.”

Having seen them, Inglis got the idea that mana and dragon lore might be combined. There were also the examples of Leone’s and Liselotte’s Artifacts infused with dragon lore. Combining the magical blade of ice with dragon lore, Inglis intentionally tried to cause this to happen and created this dragon magic—this dragon icebrand.

“Let’s goooooooo! Haaaaaaaah!” Dux Jildegrieva crouched down and thrust his palm toward Inglis. He seemed too far away from her at first, but his intent became obvious in a flash.

Blammmmm!

His palm strike was so fast that it pushed the air itself toward her, producing a supercompressed mass of pressure in its shape. Not only that, but as it pushed the air around it away, the friction brought forth a wreath of red flame.

A red shock wave in the form of a palm strike, flying at extreme speed.

“That’s wonderful!” He caused that just by striking with his palm!

There was no way Inglis was going to miss out on seeing whether she could take that attack. She tried to swat down the crimson shock wave with the dragon icebrand that she gripped in her right hand.

“Huh?!” It’s so heavy! She immediately felt as though her arm was being torn off.

She quickly moved her left hand to join her right, switching to a double-handed grip.

But she was unable to hold her footing. The shock wave forced her back. The grass swayed. Her feet left ruts in the dirt. “You pushed me back so far!”

But there was good to go with the bad. Even after somehow taking the brunt of the crimson shock wave, her dragon icebrand was intact. Her normal blade of ice would have shattered, but this one hadn’t even chipped or cracked. It was significantly more durable.

“I got more for ya! Crimson Palm!”

“Yes! If you would!”

A continuous stream of crimson shock waves shot toward Inglis.

“Haaaah!” Crouching low, she planted her feet hard. If she didn’t swing with all her might, her sword would be pushed away. But if it wasn’t pushed away, how much could the dragon icebrand, infused with Aether Shell, endure? This was a highly practical test of its load-bearing capabilities.

Thwack-thwack-thwack-thwack-thwack!

Even as she was pushed back, Inglis cut down Crimson Palm after Crimson Palm with the ice blade. “One, two, three—ten, twenty—!” Still, the sword endured. It was beginning to form small cracks, but it was still fine.

“Faster, faster! Think you can keep counting?!” The intensity of the barrage suddenly increased.

He’s right, there’s no way I can keep track! “No, I can’t! Impressive!” The dragon icebrand developed more and more cracks.

Krshsh!

At one or two hundred—maybe even more—the dragon icebrand gave out and shattered. But that was impressive considering how much it had withstood. It didn’t compare to the sword forged from Fufailbane’s scales, but it was certainly stronger and more usable than the normal ice blades she’d used before. Her first experiment in the heat of battle with dragon magic had been a success.

“I’m gonna get ya! How are you gonna handle it?”

“By not getting gotten!” Aether Strike!

Blammmmm!

A blast of aether scattered the Crimson Palms as it shot toward Dux Jildegrieva.

“Ooh! Interesting! This is how a fight should be!” He stopped and braced himself to take the Aether Strike head-on. “Orahhhh!” He thrust forth his chest and took the hit directly. His feet were pushed back a bit, but—“There!”—they not only firmly withstood the Aether Strike, but sent it flying back.

Whooomph!

With Dux Jildegrieva’s strength behind it, the Aether Strike flew even faster than when Inglis had fired it.

“Wh—?! I don’t understand at all how you managed that! But—!” Inglis changed the wavelength of the aether composing her Aether Shell to that completely opposite to the Aether Strike. That way, an aether-infused punch would repel the Aether Strike—just like it did when she used Aether Reflector. “I can do something like that too!”

With her fist reinforced by dragon lore, she punched the Aether Strike away, cleanly reflecting it back toward Dux Jildegrieva.

“What?! You punched it away?! Impressive, kid! That’s the stuff! Ga ha ha ha ha!” Jildegrieva laughed as he again prepared to receive the strike. But this time, he was turned slightly sideways, as if he wanted to take it from the side. Since the Aether Blast didn’t strike him directly, he couldn’t grapple with it, and instead it grazed along his body.

“Hm?!”

As suspicion flitted through Inglis’s mind, Dux Jildegrieva flapped his wings powerfully—and his entire body began to spin along with the Aether Strike. Inglis’s attack propelled his wings further, and he used that to rotate quickly.

“Wh—?!”

“Hnnngh!” He spun like a top, and the force added by his wings brought him to an impressive speed. The aether strike spun around with him. As his rotation reached a ludicrous speed, it created a tornado which hid his body from sight.

Inglis laughed. “I see!” Well, she couldn’t actually see, but what he was planning was obvious. So preparing for it, she planted her feet and gathered her strength.

“Here comes a fastball! Hnn!” 

Vvvvvwwhooooosh!

The Aether Strike thrown back from his rapid spin sliced through the air with a roar unlike any Inglis had ever experienced, and before she knew it, the strike was right in front of her. It was exactly what she’d expected, exactly what she’d hoped for. Some of her opponents had been able to handle Aether Strike, but none had been able to throw one back at her at such a speed. Not even the Prismer.

He’s everything I want from an opponent! “Here it comes! Haaaaah!” Inglis hopped up, twisted around, and kicked the Aether Strike as hard as she could. Even though she’d had a shorter windup than usual, the perfect layering of Aether Shell and dragon lore made it one of her most powerful kicks ever. And her kick was, to begin with, several times stronger than her punch.

Thud!

Still, it wasn’t enough to repel an Aether Strike volleyed back by Dux Jildegrieva. As it struck her foot, it pushed her back once more. “Ah...!” She was blown a long way back.

“Ha ha! See that?! Power is justice! My own sweat will never betray me! Ha ha ha ha!” Dux Jildegrieva flexed, obviously pleased with himself.

“That’s right! Aha ha ha!” Inglis laughed too. This was so fun that she couldn’t help but smile. Having an Aether Strike thrown back at her so hard she couldn’t kick it back was just perfect. “But...!”

That didn’t mean she was going to admit defeat.

She returned the wavelength of her aether to that of the Aether Strike before placing herself at an angle to its oncoming path, in a position where it could pass by her side while she was also moving. As it did, she struck it with her wrist. The blow added more aether of the same wavelength to the Aether Strike. This was essentially the same mechanism as Aether Breaker.

Booooooooom!

A gigantic explosion tore the lump of aether apart. If she couldn’t repel it, she had no other choice but to detonate it here, in a safe location. But it would be boring to just fire off Aether Breaker where it wouldn’t hit anything. Instead, she let the blast wave wash over her back. Using the acceleration, she flung herself toward Dux Jildegrieva!

“Haaaah!”

“Orahhhh!”

Fist met fist. The sheer force that was unleashed cut away at the ground, creating a crater.

“Whatever that is you’ve got, you’re mixing with dragon lore? Not bad at all! You’re amazing, kid!” Even as their fists continued to clash, Dux Jildegrieva smiled so casually at Inglis.

“You know about dragon lore?”

“Yeah, a bit! Dragons are great sparring partners!”

“I see. Archlord Evel certainly did seem to know a lot about them, so I guess Highland is well educated about dragons.”

Inglis didn’t know any but Fufailbane, but she was open to the idea that there were other ancient dragons sealed away elsewhere in the world. If Highland knew exactly where, she would love to get that information. That might let her make another dragonscale sword, feast on that delicious meat again, and strengthen her own dragon lore.

“If you know where any ancient dragons are resting, please tell me!”

“Hell, I’d love to know too! You think that gets to me, though? But I get it. If I knew where they were, I’d probably just dig ’em up and kick the crap out of ’em! Ga ha ha ha ha!”

Jildegrieva had apparently come down to fight Inglis just because he’d heard the rumors about her, so that sounded like it would be in character. Besides, she had done exactly that with Fufailbane. With how alike they seemed to be, it would be the natural thing for him to do. And it would only be natural to avoid carelessly giving such information to someone who would do so as well.

“So the location of ancient dragons is highly classified even within Highland?”

“Yeah! Well, even if I knew, it’d cause problems if I went and dug one up.”

“So did it cause problems when Lord Evel dug up Fufailbane, transformed him into a mechanical ancient dragon, and took him to Highland?”

“He said he had no choice but to protect it from the surface people who were attacking it while it slept. Guess you owe me one!”

“I see. Well, that’s not completely wrong, but...” In reality, Evel and the hieral menace Tiffanyer had been the ones who’d wanted to unearth Fufailbane, and they’d been willing to level Leclair for that.

“Did you see it? Or wait, were you the one attacking the sleeping dragon?!”

“That’s outrageous! I would never attack someone in their sleep! I only sparred with him after he was fully awake!”

Cutting off his tail in his sleep had been for the purpose of acquiring much-needed food, not fighting. Their battles had been fair and square, no tricks. Anything else would have held no meaning.

“Well, then! I guess all’s good! Fighting when your foe can’t do their thing is just cheesing the win!”

“Agreed! How about you correct the record?”

“Sure, I’ll tell ’em! Gonna leave the details to the quaestor and the mechanator, though! If I’ve got the free time to sit in a meeting, I’ve got the free time to lift instead!”

Inglis laughed. “You have it so easy, Dux Jil. I’m jealous.” A smile rose to her face as they traded blows. He had a carefree, boyish innocence despite being one of the top Highlanders. That amused her.

“Ha ha. Inglis, you’re an interesting kid for being able to keep up with Highland’s number one busiest man at the gym!”

“But you won’t be busy forever, right?”

“Hmm? Why d’you think that?”

“The chaos we’ve just recently cleared up was largely a proxy war between Highland factions... We wanted to draw closer to your Triumvirate, and the Papal League—wanting to prevent that—manipulated the armies of both Venefic and Alcard to make a pincer attack. So the root of the conflict was the opposition between those two major factions. And it’s still intensifying... When Lord Evel transformed Fufailbane and took him to Highland, he called him ‘a shield to protect the pontifex from the throne.’ In other words, he seemed to expect the proxy war to turn into a direct confrontation. And you yourself, Dux Jil—part of why you’re here now is simply because you didn’t have a suitable foe, but part of it is because you feel a need to have some practice for what’s coming, no? You feel that your busywork will soon become meaningful, don’t you?”

Jildegrieva laughed. “And if you’re right, Inglis?”

“I do not know on what scale Highlanders expect this to occur, but I want it to happen before I’m old and frail! Because I’d love to join in!”

A serious war between Highlanders—that would be a wonderful battlefield, filled with strong warriors like Dux Jildegrieva himself, mechanical ancient dragons, and other superweapons that could compare. She could expect forces even more powerful than a Prismer to be unleashed. She’d simply love to be there and test—and improve—her strength to her heart’s content. A real fight was better than any training, after all.

Inglis’s eyes shone as she spoke, and Dux Jildegrieva responded with a hearty laugh. “Ga ha ha ha! I really like you, Inglis! I wanna take you back to Highland with me!”

“But if you want to, you’ll have to defeat me first!”

“Oh, right, there was that condition! I wasn’t even thinking about that at first. I came here only for the fight! But now I’m gonna seriously try to win!” Dux Jildegrieva’s expression turned serious.

“Oh ho ho. Is it time for me, then?” The voice came from the edge of the crater they were now fighting in. Carraldo was looking down at them with a grandfatherly smile. Near him, Eris was carrying Rafinha.

“Yeah, pops! She’s earned it! Let’s give her all we’ve got!”

“Ho ho ho ho. Color me intrigued.” As Carraldo smiled, he was surrounded with a golden glow. It intensified so much that it seemed like his clothing and skin were themselves turning to gold.

“Carraldo?!” Rafinha’s eyes went wide at his transformation.

“That’s—! Are you a—?!” Eris’s did as well. If anything, she seemed even more shocked, as she sensed something similar to herself.

“Ho ho ho ho. Turning into a weapon isn’t exclusive to hieral menaces. I suppose you could call me a ‘ripe old menace.’”

“A ripe old menace?!” Eris and Rafinha exclaimed together.

“Hi-yahhhh!” As he leaped high, Carraldo’s golden form shifted into a sharp, long, broad, and thick blade. It was beautifully decorated, but also extremely rugged. The overall shape was that of a large machete. He had transformed into a gigantic sword more than three times longer than even Dux Jildegrieva was tall. The visual impact of the mighty sword suited him well.

“Hnn!” Lightly grasping the hilt with one hand, Jildegrieva casually swept the blade to the side. This was to heft it up onto his shoulders, but he unintentionally created a shock wave.

Rrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr!

It bore a gigantic hole sideways from the crater they were in. The thin wall of the crater crumbled, replaced by a huge rift that extended far into the distance.

“Whoops, sorry! The one downside of this thing’s that it’s so powerful!”

As Jildegrieva spoke, his body changed. The gleam of the gigantic golden sword that Carraldo had become began to suffuse Jildegrieva as well, turning his body just as golden and hardened.

A warrior with a giant golden sword and golden wings—this, surely, was the dux’s final form.

Just looking at him, Inglis could sense a force as sublime as it was powerful. No way...

“Are you using...aether?!”

The wavelength she sensed differed both from her own typical one and from that of the Steelblood Front’s leader. But there was no mistaking its nature—that of a deity wholly unlike Goddess Alistia, who had made Inglis a demigod divine knight. Worst case, it could be from one quite close to a demon.

Thus far, Dux Jildegrieva had shown no signs of either mana or aether, facing Inglis with only the might of his strong body. But now, he had almost become one with the sword Carraldo had turned into, and he was awash with aether. This raised his power in battle to a level incomparable to before. Inglis was sure of it. And she didn’t have many options of standing against his aether.

“Now, don’t hold back, Inglis! Show me the power that hunted down a Prismer!”

She laughed. “If you’re asking that of me, I suppose I must. However, I plan to make this a two-on-two, so that it’s fair!” Smiling, she looked toward the rim of the crater. “Eris—”

But the hieral menace wasn’t there. Instead, Eris was already a step ahead, having jumped down to stand at Inglis’s side. “It’s okay. I’m here. You’re going to wield me, right?”

“Y-Yes... If you’re okay with that.” Inglis had thought Eris might object, but she was surprisingly proactive about transforming for Inglis. That was out of the ordinary.

“It’s okay. Let’s do this!” Eris confirmed.

Inglis paused, still unsure. “This isn’t very like you, is it?”

Eris was, as she’d happily admit herself, not one who looked for fights; she only fought when necessary. Of the two hieral menaces, Ripple was more understanding of fighting for fun. So, if anything, Inglis had expected Eris to be the first to object.

“I never expected it would come to this, but we can’t waste a chance for a match with a Highlander general. For the sake of what comes next...”

Those few words gave Inglis a picture of what Eris was thinking. A comparison—she wanted to see a comparison between Jildegrieva, the greatest force Highland could bring to bear, and Inglis, the greatest force with which the surface could resist. Depending on the results, the attitude the surface could take toward Highland might change. It was a question that could sway whether they should continue in subservience.

However, this was predicated on whether Inglis would devote herself to working for the greater good.

“Eris...I’d appreciate it if you didn’t pin too many hopes on me. I’m not here to make the world a better place, you know?”

“I was under the impression that you were here to make the world a better place for Rafinha, and that’s not that much different. She’s a good girl.” Eris looked up toward Rafinha, who was peeking over the edge of the crater.

“You’ve got me there.”

“I’ve spent a lot of time around you two by now, haven’t I?” Eris smiled mischievously for a moment before returning to a more dignified expression. “So, let’s go. You can have as much fun as you want! I’m with you!” She held out her hand to Inglis.

“Yes! Then let’s go!”

Inglis took that beautiful hand in her own tiny one, and there was an explosion of light. Amidst the golden glow, Eris’s form changed from that of a woman to that of twin blades which appeared sheathed at Inglis’s hips. Just looking at them would elicit a sigh of awe at their beauty.

“Whoa! Nice swords! They seem real, uh, classy! They look great! Just a bit delicate!”

“Maybe compared to your blade, but these have a strong core too!” Inglis unsheathed the blades that were Eris, and crossed them in front of her.

“This’ll be fun! Show me what you’ve got!” Dux Jildegrieva settled into a prepared crouch, his sword still at his shoulders.

“Yes! Here I come!” Inglis carefully shuffled her feet along the ground, approaching him with caution. She wanted to stay a step outside his range. Whose weapon was stronger and sturdier, whose strikes were swifter, could not be judged until they clashed. But one thing Inglis could say for sure is that her own reach was far inferior, from both the length of her arms and the size of her weapon. If she wanted to land a blow on Dux Jildegrieva, she would first need to deal with one of his attacks.

Well, unless she closed in and struck faster than he could react. However, he was strong enough that he’d been able to respond to her movements even when she used Aether Shell. The likelihood of her outpacing him was slim, and it would be both disappointing and dull if he were unable to keep up. He was a like-minded individual, willing to enjoy a bout without any reason or self-interest. Inglis hoped she could enjoy extremely close fights over and over with him.

There was in fact one effective way to close the gap with Jildegrieva without allowing him to react: Divine Feat. Speed was irrelevant in that case; it was the divine ability to simply now exist at another distant point, and thus could be used to suddenly advance. If she appeared behind him so suddenly, he wouldn’t intercept her in time. But that would be tactless. There was no point in winning until he showed her his best. She wouldn’t win for the sake of winning; as always, this was to further her mastery of the blade.

Here it is! Inglis stopped a step short of entering the reach of Dux Jildegrieva’s mighty sword. She crouched low, then jumped as hard as she could. Tiny though her feet were, the ground crumbled beneath her—not that Dux Jildegrieva heard the sound of the ground cracking. Inglis was moving faster than the speed of sound. Even though she accepted that her reach was inferior, she attacked headlong.

It was a bold move—a brave one. He liked it. He loved it. Not because she might be a beauty in her later years, though. She could have been a boy, or an old man. It wouldn’t have mattered. As a fellow warrior, she fascinated him as a human being.

“Gutsy! Haaaaah!”

Just as Inglis expected, Jildegrieva swung the massive greatsword down, catching her a step beyond the halfway point of his reach. She thought she might have been just a little bit faster than him, but it was within the margin of error. With the blow coming from straight ahead, she was able to watch the golden blade swing down at her.

Seeing this, a warrior had only one response. “Haaaaaaaah!” Inglis crossed the blades that were Eris in front of her head. Bracing herself as hard as she could, she received the blow from the gigantic greatsword that was Carraldo.

Claaaannnnnggggg!

The noise of the clash seemed loud enough to echo all the way to Ymir. The shock felt like it would smash her flat as it pressed down on her. Inglis was able to hold out, but the ground beneath her could not, and it collapsed further. The crater broadened to many times its former size.

“You took that well, Inglis!”

“You honor me!”

She tried to force away the sword that was crushing down on her. Little by little, she pushed it back. But she had blades in both her hands, while his was wielded one-handed. Such was the gap in their power.

“Nnngh! You’re so damn strong for a kid! You little—!” Laughing happily, Jildegrieva gripped his sword with both hands. Now they were evenly matched. 

Tink!

Small cracks appeared on the Eris-transformed blades where they struggled against Jildegrieva’s sword.

“Eris?!”

“Ughhhh...! I-It’s okay! I’m okay!”

The voice Inglis heard echoing in her head was clearly pained. Any damage to a transformed hieral menace hurt them as well. Inglis wondered what would happen if the blades broke, but she had no inclination to find out. Eris’s blades had easily cut through a Prismer at maximum power and evolved further by absorbing people, and yet Jildegrieva’s weapon was cracking them. The gigantic greatsword was truly astounding.

Crrrrrrk!

The cracks spread wider.

“Aaagh!”

“Oh no!”

This stalemate couldn’t continue. Inglis could keep going, but Eris could not. Inglis couldn’t force her to strain like this any longer. However, it wouldn’t be easy to escape from this position.

There’s only one option: Divine Feat!

Inglis disappeared without a sound and reappeared behind Jildegrieva.

His gigantic blade, having lost its target, slammed into the ground, digging another furrow out and spreading its power far and wide.

“Haaaah!” Inglis had used a nearly forbidden divine technique, but she’d needed to for Eris’s sake. Quickly, she swung her right blade at him from behind. She’d finish the fight with an attack for his neck that she’d pull away to show she’d won.

But the dux reacted faster than she expected. “What?!” He’d flicked his wing to block her slash. “Ah! You’re fast!”

The slash she’d intended to stop an inch before his neck instead cut through the wing he placed before it.

Slash!

She sliced off his left wing, which fell to the ground; the slash, stopped by the wing, did not reach his neck.

“Aaaargh!”

“Ah! I’m sorry, Dux Jil! I didn’t mean to cut you!”

“Owww! No, don’t worry about it! Dinner, some rest, and we’ll all be fine!”

As Inglis had come to expect, Dux Jildegrieva was a blunt but positive guy. She found that intriguing.

“This kinda thing happens when you get really into a sparring match. I’m lucky I got away with just losing a wing even though you got behind me. That hieral menace really has an edge though, if she can cut me!”

“Yes, but...” The weapon Jildegrieva wielded was just as fearsome if it could damage Eris in a single blow. If Inglis had kept straining against him, it might have completely shattered her. “Eris, are you okay...?!”

“S-Sorry! I can’t...!”

As her voice echoed in Inglis’s head, Eris returned to human form. She was unable to stand, and collapsed on the spot.

“Eris!”

“Ngh...” she grunted. Her arms and legs were cut all over.

“I’m sorry for pushing you so hard!”

“I-It’s fine. I knew what I was getting into.”

Eris grimaced as Inglis tried to lift her to her feet. Inglis must have touched a spot that hurt. The bones of Eris’s right arm and left leg seemed to be broken. The damage a hieral menace took as a weapon was reflected in their form as a woman. What had just happened had taught Inglis that quite clearly.

“I finally found someone who’s able to wield me, but I only ended up holding you back... It’s shameful,” Eris bemoaned.

“That’s not true. Today was just a bad matchup. And I didn’t fight properly with you either.” Inglis had wanted to see just what Jildegrieva’s sword had behind it, but twin blades weren’t made for that kind of fighting. They were for overwhelming your foe with speed and flurries of blows. If she had wanted to block a weapon like that, she should have used something larger, or maybe defensive gear like a shield.

“Wanna call it here for today?” Jildegrieva asked. “We’re both pretty beat up.”

“Yes, you’re right,” Inglis agreed. Today was a draw.

Carraldo returned to human form, wearing a grandfatherly smile. “Oho! The young master’s wounds must be attended to as well.”

“I’m fine, pops. I’m not that much of a crybaby.” As he responded, Jildegrieva’s form also returned to that of a normal young man. There was a small cut on the back of his vest, likely from Inglis’s slash at his wing. “How’re you two doing, though? Sorry, I kinda got too into it.” He was concerned for Eris.

“I... I’ll be fine,” Eris said.

“Let’s head back, Eris.” Inglis wrapped her arms around Eris and lifted her up.

“Hey, pops, think she’ll be fine after a rest? Even though the swords cracked?”

“Well, I’m not completely sure. She should heal naturally to a degree, but if the weapon parts require serious repair, that would be rather difficult to accomplish on Rüstung. I suppose we’d have to send her to the mechanator. After all, it is there that responsibility for hieral menaces lies.”

“Hm... Hey, Inglis.”

“Yes, Dux Jil?”

“I’ll get in touch with the mechanator, and if anything’s not right your hieral menace will probably have to get checked out in person. If that happens, I’ll get in touch through the ambassador.”

“Thank you, Dux Jil!”

“Not that it really takes my pull. That guy’s got connections of his own.”

“Meaning?”

“Hmm? You didn’t know? This country of yours—what was it, Karelia? The ambassador, Theodore, is the mechanator’s son. He should be able to pull it off, no sweat.”

“Oh?! Really?!”

Eris gasped. “I had no idea!”

If even Eris didn’t know that, then only a few people did. Even his personal friends Prince Wayne and Principal Miriela, or King Carlias himself, may not have. Certainly, there might’ve been some inconvenient moments if it was known that he was so significant in Highland. It would make him a good target for the Steelblood Front. Inglis could understand why he chose to keep his status a secret.

Theodore had made some bold moves for a Highlander, in ways that favored the surface. Perhaps what made that possible was that he himself had considerable pull and backing in Highland. As the child of one of the Triumvirate’s leaders, he was something akin to surface royalty—akin to Prince Wayne in social status. Evel had described Highland’s ambassadors as mere diplomats, but somehow a Highlander of a stature unfitting that description had taken up the role.

His sister Cyrene had also come down to rule over Nova. Inglis wondered whether such recklessness ran in the family. If she was that important of a Highlander, Inglis wondered whether there had been repercussions in Highland for her actions, and she wasted no time in asking about that.

“Dux Jil! Ambassador Theodore’s sister, Cyrene, came to the surface as a consul, but she encountered unexpected circumstances. Was that a problem in Highland?”

“Oh, right, that. Let me tell you, the mechanator was pissed. We weren’t even the ones who sent her down—that was all Altar. The ambassador here, Muenthe, was one of ours, so we tried to stop it, but they ended up forcing it through. And whew... The mechanator absolutely flew off the handle.”

“So is that what intensified the conflict between the Throne and the Altar factions?”

“Nope, it’s more than that. That’s just a side issue—at least if you’re not the mechanator.”

“Ah, interesting.” Inglis didn’t have sources for information from inside Highland, so this was a deeply interesting conversation.

“Oho ho ho. Master, if you tell her too much, the mechanator and quaestor may scold you.”

“Ha ha ha. Yeah, I’m probably running my mouth, but it’s my future wife we’re talking about here, so go easy on me.”

Carraldo laughed. “I see, I see. There was value, in many ways, in visiting the surface.”

“W-Wife?!” Inglis and Eris gasped as one.

“Hey, you’re the one looking for suitors...” Jildegrieva reminded her.

“Well, yes...” Inglis began.

“I think you’re way too young for marriage, but if you’re serious, I can be serious too, right?”

“Well... There’s a complicated reason for why I look the way I do right now.”

“I like you, Inglis! I like your strength and your spirit! If you were a man, I’d be trying to recruit you, but since you’re a woman, I want you as my wife!” Jildegrieva flashed a big grin.

“But Dux Jil, I, uh...” Inglis Eucus had no intention of marrying. That was the elephant in the room.

“You’d, er, certainly make for quite the couple...” Eris remarked, not entirely at ease with the concept.

“Yeah! This lady gets it!” Dux Jildegrieva nodded. “Inglis, you gotta have been thinking things like ‘I ain’t got anyone to fight’ or ‘please, someone strong show up,’ right?”

“Well, yes.”

“If you and I were a thing, we’d always have someone strong right there! We’d never be at a loss for someone to go all out on!”

“Oh!”

“And our kids! Think about it! If they got what we have, they’d be a match for us too! Maybe even better than either of us! They’d make the perfect training partners, wouldn’t they?”

“Mmm... Perhaps...” She considered that.

“Seeing you made me realize something, Inglis! I don’t need to go looking for powerful foes—I need to make them! Think we could pull that off together?”

“Well...I’m unsure...” Inglis was disturbed by the realization that he wasn’t completely wrong. He was persuasive. She’d never thought of having a child and then practicing with them. Thinking about the idea made her think it had potential.

But there were too many other...problems...with the process. Certain acts were necessary to have a child, and she didn’t think she could endure them. Now, if she could skip straight to the child part with some sort of divine act, that would be a different story. Maybe hi-aether would make it possible? Even if it was, though, it would require power she was incapable of wielding yet.

“But! There’s something I’ve gotta do first!”

“Hm?”

“Beat you! The deal here was that you’d marry whoever beat you, right? And today was a draw. I’m gonna train even harder, and when you’re old enough for kids, I’ll be back and defeat you for real! Just you wait and see!” he said, excited.

Inglis laughed. “That isn’t the kind of thing you say when you propose to a woman.” But she didn’t mind. It interested her.

“I guess. But it works when I’m talking to you!”

“I suppose.” Inglis laughed. “Then, I’ll be waiting. I don’t intend to lose either.”

A battle with a powerful foe, with marriage on the line—not bad. She just had to win. And no one went into a fight thinking they’d lose.

“All right! Then we’re outta here, pops!”

“Eris, let’s head back to the castle and get some rest.”

Inglis and Dux Jildegrieva left the crater and looked toward Ymir. The city seemed slightly damaged, but still intact.

“Hm...?”

Something wasn’t quite right. They could see the city—the actual city—from the outside, which was strange. Ymir was a citadel, bounded on all sides by defensive walls. But the wall facing them had been blown away. The remaining three were still intact. That must have been done by Jildegrieva’s final strike. Since Inglis had dodged it with Divine Feat, the shock wave must have reached the wall and crumbled it. The broad gash extending from the crater reached there.

“Uh-oh...” Inglis murmured.

Repairs would take many hands and a large budget. But something else was immediately more pressing.

“Oh, Chriiiiiiiiiiiiiiis?” Furious, Rafinha was waiting for Inglis with her arms crossed.

“Ah, Rani... Everything’s okay? That’s goo—”

“Everything is NOT okay!” She pulled Inglis’s ear hard. “What are we going to do about this?! Look! The wall is gone! I told you not to destroy the city, didn’t I?! Chris, were you listening at all?!”

“It’s not like that. See, the city isn’t destroyed, is it? Just the wall is, and it did its job in protecting the city, so, uh, you know, thanks for everything, wall... Rest in peace...”

Rafinha snorted. “What does that solve?! I asked you what we were going to do about this!”

“Wait, it wasn’t me! Dux Jil did it!”

Hearing that, Rafinha turned her unabashed glare at Jildegrieva. “Really?! Is that true? You destroyed it?”

“Y-Yeah! Sorry, I used too much force! I’ll send some materials from Highland, so don’t beat me up over it. It should be way sturdier than the rock you were using.”

Rafinha paused. “I guess. And Chris, you can use that to rebuild the wall yourself? Though I can help out too.”

“S-Sure... Got it.”

At that point, some Flygears arrived with convenient timing. They were the ones that Carraldo had led when he came down.

“Then, let’s get hauling! Let’s go, pops! See you later, Inglis! Don’t slack on your training so we can have another good fight next time!”

“Of course, Dux Jil! But next time won’t end in a draw. I’ll win.”

“That’s the stuff! I’m looking forward to it!”

“Oho ho ho. Be well.”

With a refreshing, if slightly overwhelming, smile from Jildegrieva and a grandfatherly smile from Carraldo, the pair soared off toward Highland.

◆◇◆

The next few days were spent on construction, rebuilding the wall of Ymir that had been completely destroyed. Rafinha, Ada, and the knights of Ymir all helped out. Thus, Inglis wasn’t lonely; in fact, it seemed a good replacement for training to her.

The materials Dux Jildegrieva had left were, as he’d said, far stronger than the stones normally used for Ymir’s wall, so the new wall was stronger than ever. This left a smile on Rafinha’s face as well. A more complicated expression appeared when the topic turned to Jildegrieva’s planned return to take Inglis as his wife. But what Inglis was most concerned about was Eris’s condition. A short recuperative stay in Ymir’s castle had allowed her body, damaged to the point of broken bones, to heal at an amazing rate. She was able to move freely now. But one large problem remained.

“So, Eris.”

“Yes!”

In Ymir’s training grounds, Inglis took Eris’s hand. A golden glow spread from where their hands met, enveloping Eris. Usually, it would shine brighter and brighter, so bright that it was painful to face with eyes closed, and Eris would transform into a pair of swords, but this time was different. Just as the light was about to spread, it fizzled out.

“The same again, I guess...” Inglis noted.

“No matter how many times we try, the light disappears!” Rafinha said.

“Yes. It’s no good...” Eris shook her head and sighed. Her human form had healed, but she’d become unable to transform into a weapon. They’d tried over and over, but she showed no signs of improvement. “I don’t know what to do. I’m a failure as a hieral menace.”

“I-I’m sure a little bit more rest and you’ll get better! It’s okay! You’ll be fine! So cheer up!” Rafinha tried to encourage Eris. It was, to be honest, a very unconvincing argument, but little Rafinha trying her hardest was cute in its own way. Inglis was happy just to watch her and smile.

“It’s fine. I’m sure there’s some way to heal it. However, I can’t sit back and relax until then.” Eris seemed to share Inglis’s opinion, as she smiled and patted Rafinha’s head. She had held Rafinha throughout the beginning of Inglis’s fight with Jildegrieva too; perhaps she liked kids more than Inglis expected.

“So it probably is caused by the swords breaking, then,” Inglis speculated.

“Yes... I’ve never had this happen before, but I suspect that’s the case.”

“I’m sorry... This is because I was so reckless in that fight.” Inglis apologetically dipped her head. As she did, it too received a pat.

“It’s fine. I’m just glad it happened during sparring rather than in a do-or-die situation. It taught us a lot. We’ve all heard that hieral menaces are the ultimate artifacts, and I believed that too, but Highland has something even better... The greatsword that Carraldo transformed into is obviously far stronger than my twin blades. If our strengths had been equal, you would have won rather than ending that fight in a draw... Am I wrong?”

“Well...”

It was true that he had won in terms of direct strength, but it was possible that if she had used Divine Feat from the beginning, she could have won without getting Eris hurt. Whether that would have been fun, or whether it would’ve led to any growth for her, was a different matter. It would’ve been an empty win. And that’s why she felt apologetic. However, just like she had Divine Feat to pull out in an emergency, Jildegrieva may have had something hidden away as well.

As Inglis wore a conflicted expression, Eris scooped her up. “I’m not saying I should try to emulate you, but we, as people fighting alongside you, need to become stronger. I’d never even thought of that since I became a hieral menace, but... For now, all I can do is pray a Prismer doesn’t appear, yet I fear one will. Just bringing myself to understand that is a big benefit. Plus, now we know that not even the best of Highland is unreachable to us.”

“Eris...”

“Yes, what is it?”

“Do you like kids, by any chance?”

“Wh—?!”

“Just, the way you picked me up was so natural.”

“Y-Yes... I guess. You were so cute, I just wanted to...” Eris blushed in embarrassment. She must have been holding herself back without saying anything about it.

“Then, me too! It’ll cheer you up!” Rafinha looked up at Eris and spread her arms, smiling oh so adorably.

“I want to hug Rani too!” Inglis slipped from Eris’s arms and squeezed Rafinha.

“I wasn’t talking about hugging you, Chris! Not that I mind it.”

“But you’re so cute, Rani!”

“You are too, Chris!”

“Ha ha ha, that’s true. You both are cute,” Eris remarked.

“Yes, though I’d really like to be back in my normal body and still able to hug little Rani.”

“I was thinking the same thing! I want to be big and hug little Chris!”

“Whoever turns back first will be lucky.”

“Yep! No hard feelings either way, though!”

Inglis didn’t feel any signs that she was getting back to normal. She’d probably have to think seriously about how to revert this. But for now, it was time to cheer up Eris.

“Well, Eris, if you’d like that hug.”

“Yes, go ahead!”

“You’re both so cute.” Eris beamed while hugging both girls. The embrace really did make her feel better. After staying like that for a while, she said, “I can’t remain unable to transform into a weapon, so tomorrow I’ll be going back to the capital. My human body is healed.”

“Eris, are you going to ask Ambassador Theodore about getting treatment in Highland?”

“Yes. Since the dux himself is arranging it, I believe I’ll accept that gesture of goodwill.”

“Eris going to Highland... What do you think about that, Chris?”

“At the very least, I think Dux Jil’s offer was made in good faith. He probably thinks that there’s no value in fighting me the next time we meet if my weapon is broken. That’s the kind of person he is.”

“He really is just the male version of you. It’s amazing how well you got along,” Eris said.

“You were fighting him not ten seconds after he landed...” Rafinha agreed.

“I feel awful about what happened to you, Eris, but at the same time, I had a lot of fun! It wasn’t a situation like the Prismer where if I lost, a lot of people would die, so I was just able to enjoy myself! I can’t wait for the rematch!” Inglis’s eyes shone as she spoke of the battle.

She’d fought hard, and neither participant could be said to have won. Having a lot of fights like that would be great for her growth. And, just like Inglis, Dux Jildegrieva was the type who didn’t want to mix causes or ideals with power. He wanted to pursue might for its own sake, because fighting was fun. They shared a heartfelt enjoyment of their bout. And people only got better at what they enjoyed doing.

“But no dirty thoughts, Chris!” Rafinha protested. “It doesn’t matter how important a Highlander Jil is, Rafael is the only one I’ll accept as your lover! So you’d better not lose!” Rafinha declared emphatically.

“Well...I’m not really interested in romance. I don’t need that in my life.” There was a certain persuasive logic to the idea of having children who could put up a fight, but that was where she stood emotionally.

“Politically speaking though, it makes a lot of sense... The subservient relation of the surface to Highland would definitely be softened, and a child of the two of you might even inherit the ability to wield a hieral menace,” Eris remarked.

“Noooooo way! Absolutely not!” Rafinha objected, crossing her arms in front of her into a big X. Her irked expression was adorable.

“Ha ha ha... That’s right. What should matter most in this kind of thing is the feelings of the people involved, isn’t it?”

“Don’t worry, Rani,” Inglis said. “I’ll definitely win next time!”

“Seriously! Try your hardest, okay? Oh, but you can go easy on Rafael.”

“No matter when, where, or who I fight, I will win!” Inglis had renewed resolve.

“Then, I need to be in perfect shape,” Eris said. “More powerful than I am now, so that I’m not lacking in strength. If I train harder in my human body, I wonder whether my weapon form will harden as well?”

“I don’t know, but Ambassador Theodore might know something.”

“I suppose. I was wondering whether there was a way to not just restore me, but make me stronger... I’d like to explore such possibilities in Highland.”

“Then, we’ll come with you on your way to the capital. You should have someone with you in case something happens to you, and I’ve been wanting to talk to Ambassador Theodore and Principal Miriela about my and Rani’s current situation anyway.”

“Really? In that case, let’s go together.”

“Rani, are you okay with that?” Inglis asked.

“Yeah,” Rafinha replied. “We’ve had plenty of time off, and I want to see everyone again.”

Inglis had completed the modification of Alina’s artifact that Ada had requested, so she wouldn’t be leaving anything important undone in making this trip back.

Just as Rafinha nodded in agreement, though, a voice reached them from the entrance to the training grounds. “Rafinha! Inglis!” It was a young woman’s voice—they recognized it as Ada’s.

Along with Ada was Alina. She must have finished her studies for the day and was getting started on training.

“Ada,” Inglis began.

“What is it, Ada?” Rafinha asked. “Did something happen again?”

“No, I have a delivery for you.”

“A delivery?” both girls echoed quizzically.

As Inglis and Rafinha looked at each other, Alina handed them an envelope. “Here, Rani, Chris, it’s a letter from one of your friends!”

Leone’s name was written on the back of the envelope in exquisite penmanship.