Chapter 9: Laughter
A messenger from the principality descended onto the luxury liner’s deck. He was a very well-dressed man who introduced himself as Earl Garrett. He had a blatant arrogant attitude towards us, and he spoke while caressing his own moustache. He was slender, and was a man who had a face oozing with an unpleasant impression.
“Children of baron households and above will be treated as prisoners of war. We have no interest in the children of knight households and below. The same goes for demi-human slaves. Of course, we also don’t need the sailors of this airship.”
While a majority of the people despaired, the students in the advanced class were relieved.
Among them, one of the girls stood up for her exclusive servant.
“W, wait! Spare my exclusive servant. He’s my favorite.”
Garrett replied to the girl with a condescending attitude.
“Then you can go down with your lover. It’s of no concern if we have one or two less hostages.”
The despairing girls closed their mouths and averted their gaze away from their exclusive servants.
Right. People valued their own lives above all else.
I continued being silent. While I was thinking about whether there would be a ruckus once they entered inside to seize everyone──
“──Wha?!”
By the time I was surprised, it was already too late. Anjie stepped in front of Garrett. “What is it, young girl?” Anjie took a confident attitude despite Garrett looking down on her. “──I am Anjelica Rafua Redgrave. Do you know about my family’s name?” Hearing the name of a duke household, Garret’s eyes were wide open, but he then immediately smiled. “I would have never thought that the daughter of a duke household would be aboard──the kingdom really is stupid. Letting such an important person go on a trip without guards.” Garrett opened his arms in delight. “Excellent! Let me show you my respect for your courage in introducing yourself! Now, come here.” He was going to lead Anjie away. My foot took one step forward by instinct, but at that moment, I received a strong blow to the back. I fell down, and was held down by some boys. When I saw the faces of those boys, anger welled up inside me. “Let go! Is this who you really are?!” Garrett looked at me in displeasure while I was pinned down. “How noisy. Who are you?” Anjie looked at my face, and then closed her eyes.
“He’s my friend.” Anjie did not mention that I was formally a baron and a knight. “To think that you would have a friend.” Garrett walked up to me and then trampled down on my head. His smile revealed his malicious intent. My sight was focused up on Garrett. “What a rebellious attitude. Now, let’s give the kingdom’s nobles their first job. Punish this person. C’mon, hurry up.” Thereupon, the boys were holding me down began exerting violence against me. I resisted, but was suppressed in response. “Y, you guys!” “Are you going to make Anjelica’s will go to waste? You should shut up!” The ones pinning me down were Anjie’s followers. As they struck me, cuts opened up throughout my mouth, and the taste of blood intensified. “Even so, you guys are──” “This is Milady’s decision!” Upon which, Anjie shouted. “Stop it already!──Stop.” Garrett stroked his moustache between his fingers. “Oh, that’s not the attitude to take when asking something. That won’t do for a duke daughter.”
Anjie did this for my sake. “Please stop. I beg of you.” Garrett’s mouth warped into the shape of a crescent, like that of the moon, and smiled while speaking loudly. “Unfortunately, I don’t want to! Well then, you’re coming with me. Ah, you people, make sure to beat up that stupid brat thoroughly.”
Garrett then left. All I could was watch as he kidnapped Anjie.
As I was being strongly beaten, my consciousness turned hazy. I reached my hand out, trying to help Anjie, but my arm was trampled on.
Anjie was negotiating with Garrett.
“I alone am enough for a hostage, right? Let the others go.”
Garrett stroked his moustache while dodging the question.
“So you’ll offer yourself if it means saving the others. I might just cry.
Well, let’s take our time to talk about that matter on the principality’s airship.”
Olivia raised her voice against Anjie being taken away.
“Anjie!”
The surrounding sub-race people pinned her down.
“Anjie, don’t go!”
Olivia was the only one raising a voice.
Anjie turned back and made a firm smile──but her legs were trembling.
“──Livia, thank you.”
After saying that, Anjie was brought to a boat and taken away by the messenger and his cohorts.
I kicked fiercely and rolled on top of the deck.
When I was pinned down by my abdomen, Olivia rushed over and stood up for me.
“Leon!”
The boys and the exclusive servants looked down at me. How unsightly, they bore too much resentment.
“Everything could have gone to waste because of you.”
“You piece of trash.”
“Hey, sailors. Toss this guy into a jail cell.”
The sailors surrounded me.
──These damn people.
◇
There was an airship designed to be placed on a huge monster. Anjie, brought to such a strange airship, was surrounded by armed knights. While being cautious, she met with Princess Hertrude. “It’s been a while, Anjelica. We had only been in a relationship where we simply exchanged greetings, but meeting you again like this feels a bit nostalgic.”
Anjie made a fearless smile.
“Do you really plan to go to war with the national power of a principality? This matter won’t end with just a skirmish.”
The Holfault Kingdom and the Principality of Fanoss. There was a big difference between the two countries.
The Holfault Kingdom had greater strength.
Knowing that, Anjie displayed a sense of leniency. However, she was a bit frantic on the inside.
(Just what kind of goal do these people have? What do they want to do by attacking with a fleet of this degree despite the difference in national power?)
Hertrude smiled towards Anjie.
“Right. There is certainly a disparity in national strength. However, have you not noticed the view outside?”
(So they really plan on using monsters?)
“So you’re accompanied by monsters. Are you going to win against the kingdom with that alone?”
“Yeah, we’ll win. As for why──”
Hertrude was interrupted by a man of nobility who seemed to wield authority.
“Your Highness, the matter of dealing with the hostages is more important.”
“Oh right.”
Anjie became tense. The reason why she introduced herself and stepped forward was to let the luxury liner go.
“So you’ll set them free with my surrender?”
“What a funny thing to say, Anjelica. Did Garrett ever once claim that we would let those people go?”
Anjie closed her eyes in response to what Hertrude said.
(So they’re going to take the baron children and above as hostage, just like they originally planned.)
However──
“Here’s what I think. Perhaps you alone are sufficient for taking hostage.”
When Anjie opened her eyes, she looked at Hertrude’s face in surprise.
“──Wha! Y, you fool! They’re the children of barons and above! Are you thinking about killing them without taking them hostage?!” The knights turned their swords towards her as she starting making an uproar.
Hertrude spoke indifferently.
“There were only two people who resisted when you were taking away, right? How cruel such spineless people are. They are not worthy of being nobles.”
“W, what are you talking──”
“Anjelica, I will show you everything that is to come. From henceforth, the kingdom shall perish──”
A messenger headed towards the airship with the academy’s students to send a notice.
◇
There was a prison built within the luxury liner.
After being thrown in there, I sat on the floor with my back against the wall, staring up at the ceiling.
Sobbing on the other side of the iron bars was Olivia.
She begged for my release, but it was futile since the students, much less the sailors, strongly opposed it. The students in the academy were being harsher towards me than the principality itself.
“Don’t cry anymore.”
“But, Anjie…we couldn’t save Anjie. I can’t even get you out of here, Leon. I’m just pathetic.”
What a detestable, timid person she was──or at least, that’s what I would have thought had this been my former self. In my former life, I hated these kinds of characters.
Watching crying women had irritated me.
However, wasn’t it powerful when a person cried for someone else?
That was the conclusion I came to as of this point.
There was more, though.
“You get tattered like that when opposing the unreasonable. Look, your hair’s in a mess, and aren’t some of the buttons on your uniform missing? You get injured when you do something others don’t want you to do.”
Olivia acted violently, trying to help me.
Due to that, she was restrained──and during that interval, she got into a fight with one of the girls. Her opponent was one of Anjie’s followers.
Olivia, who was the only one opposing her, became worried when the girl called for her colleagues.
She seemed to have said something about Anjie, and also about stopping what they were doing towards me. Olivia’s pleas for them to stop ended up saving me.
She normally wouldn’t fight, and yet she did the impossible for our sake──she really helped out.
I wouldn’t know what would happen if I otherwise had to ask Luxon for help.
“──I’m frustrated at how I can’t do anything.”
“You’ve worked hard. You don’t need to cry anymore.”
Staring at the ceiling, I thought about the future.
What should I do? Bring Olivia along and save Anjie? However, there would be a lot of problems if that happened.
Upon which, I heard the sounds of hurrying footsteps. The footsteps belonged to Chris.
Chris, with a look of grief, came to the jail cell and spoke to me while ignoring Olivia.
“Baltfault──just a while ago, a messenger from the principality arrived. They said that Anjelica alone was enough for taking hostage, and that we should prepare ourselves. They’ll start attacking in an hour, and so it seems that in the end, we’ll die as nobles.”
It seemed the principality didn’t need us.
“And so? What am I supposed to do?”
Chris took off his glasses. He had a face of resolve.
“I want you to lend a hand. It seems that there are six units of armor in this ship. I want you and I to buy some time until the ship escapes.”
I laughed scornfully.
“──Don’t wanna do that.”
Chris squinted, but didn’t criticize me.
“I beg of you to reconsider. We can’t let everyone die here. You can even just guard the airship. I’ll remain behind and buy some time.”
Stayin behind in this location definitely meant death.
Looking at what was outside, Chris must have known that he wouldn’t win if it was just him.
“Leon.”
Olivia looked at me. Her eyes were asking me if there was anything I could do.
It was scary how pure and beautiful her eyes were. It was as if she could see through everything, and having my shameful self be examined was embarrassing.
“Don’t look at me like that. What are you hoping from me? In the first place, do you think I would help the students who abandoned Anjie? You make me laugh. Furthermore, they’ve beaten me up. I say let everyone sink.”
Chris unexpectedly agreed while I was badmouthing them.
“Yeah, I know. Perhaps powerless people like us should sink and fall not into the ground, but the sea. However, I still want to ask of you. This is the only way we can have a chance. I beg of you, please help us.”
I slowly got up in front of Chris, who was bowing his head.
“──I refuse.”
Chris looked up in sorrow.
“I’m sorry, I’ve been a nuisance.”
When Chris was about to leave, I stopped him.
One should always hear someone out until the end.
“Idiot. Listen to all of what I have to say. In the first place, there’s probably no way to escape given that we’re surrounded. Even if you stay behind, you’ll be surrounded. It seems you haven’t learned a thing since you’ve last fought me.”
Speaking in terms of a strategy game, we were beginning to be checkmated.
Chris stopped and turned around.
“Then what should we do?! Do you have some kind of plan for a situation like this? If you plan on escaping by yourself, then to hell with you. I’m not giving up.”
How stubborn.
It was sad how much more of a clumsy idiot he was than me.
“There’s no point if you’re fighting by yourself. It wouldn’t work either if I was there with you. That being the case, our only option is have everyone involved. The fools who abandoned Anjie should take responsibility. Listen, I’m not so good-natured as to help those who do nothing. Want help? I know that. If people want to live, then everyone has to give it everything they’ve got.”
Chris rejected my opinion.
“That’s impossible. Everyone’s in despair, and they can’t even get up. Besides, in times like these, the only one I can depend on is you, Baltfault. Do you understand?”
Chris was trying to say “The others won’t be helpful.”
I strongly agreed, but there was no choice other than putting such incompetent people to work.
I brought my face closer to the iron bars. Chris did the same as well, and our noses nearly touched.
“What we can do is resolve ourselves and break through the front. There’s no other way.”
“The front? You must be stupid.”
“Yeah, I’m stupid. However, I think it’s better than just waiting for death.
Look, we’ll take away their leader instead. We can then grandly break through the encirclement.”
Chris waited for my words while sweat travelled across his cheeks.
“You must protect the ship. Now is the time to make a display of the swordsmanship you’re so boastful of.”
Chris seemed to take offensive and objected.
“I don’t remember boasting.”
“Your speech and conduct go hand in hand with boasting. Show us the results of your efforts. I think that the skills you’ve been building up have led to this day. I don’t plan on dying. You want to live too, right?”
After I said that, Chris hung his head, pondered──then raised his head back up.
“──Right. I want to see Marie’s smile.”
The nerve he had to slip that in at the end.
Were those guys not brainwashed by her?
What was so good about her?
Once Chris opened the jail cell with a key, I got out. I reached my hand towards Olivia, who had been sitting down.
“I’ll need your help.”
“O, okay! I’ll do my best!”
Olivia, getting up and wiping her tears, stiffened her facial expression. It seemed she was planning to hold out for the sake of rescuing Anjie.
I definitely preferred her over Marie.
Chris should come to his senses.
While thinking as such, Chris placed a hand over his chest and muttered.
“Marie, I will see your smiling face once more. For that, please lend me power.”
In his hand was a charm.
“Is that yours?”
“This? I bought it at the festival. It seems to be called a ‘Charm of War’s Fortune’. Thinking about it now, perhaps it’s a good omen.”
It was a small charm of a shield and sword.
I smiled.
It was a suitable item for him to have.
“Yep, it matches well with you. You’ve definitely got the best of luck.”
“I, Is that so? It’s a little embarrassing for you to say that.”
Ew, don’t get embarrassed and blush. I wouldn’t know how to react.
◇
Chris called out to and gathered representatives of the students and sailors into one room.
I arrived at a hall, carrying a shotgun that I bought from a sailor along the way.
There were many people who hung their heads, perhaps in despair.
While checking the shotgun shells, which were the ammunition for the shotgun, I looked at Chris making a speech at the center of a staircase in the hall.
He sat on the staircase and turned towards the faces of the people gathered.
“I’ve concluded that there’s no choice but to fight if we want everyone to escape from harm. Everyone, lend your power.”
Chris received a series of jeers.
“Don’t get carried away, first-year!”
“Why are you bossing us around when you’re not even that strong?!”
“You lost to that piece of trash over there!”
“In the first place, Anjelica is the evil one! Didn’t she just save only herself?”
“How unbelievable for the daughter of a duke household.”
When I glared at the boy who called me a piece of trash and the girl who looked down on Anjie, they hid themselves. However, I memorized their faces and would get revenge later. I definitely would!
Given that the field trip included first-year through third-year students, it was somewhat troublesome for Chris to be the head. It seemed that some upperclassmen didn’t want to follow the directions of their underclassmen.
However, it was possible that we would die.
There would be people who openly assume position when things like hierarchies no longer had meaning. The boys in the regular class were smiling.
“This is a war we’re talking about. You boys in the advanced class are so prideful. Did you think that everyone would follow your orders?”
“To think you’d have the nerve to order us around so proudly.”
“To start with, what authority does an expert swordsman have when he had been disinherited?”
The girls were the same. However, it involved them arguing with their exclusive servants.
“Wait, you should follow my orders!”
“How impudent, lass! Why should I follow your orders at a time like this?!”
The scene had gotten hectic, so I ascended the stairs.
As I shouldered the shotgun, everyone’s sight gathered onto me.
“You’re all whiny and annoying, you incompetents.”
My audience fell silent in front of the weapon I held. Their gazes were filled with feelings of fear and hatred.
“Listen up. I am a knight who officially holds a baron position. Furthermore, I’m of the lower fifth rank──a status higher than even the teachers who had been guiding you. Understand?”
The teachers averted their gaze.
The inconspicuous teachers were more or less nobles. However, their statuses were not high. I suppose that the principal had a higher status than me, but nobody else did.
What about my mentor? I suppose that my status was higher than him.
Though, I respected my mentor as a person. Status was irrelevant in this case, he was something I was outclassed by.
“So I’ll be the one giving orders. Fight. If you don’t want to die, then fight.”
As expected, everyone voiced opposition to what I said.
“Y, you’re kidding me! You guys should be the ones fighting!”
“──Yeah, I’ll fight. After all, I’m a genuine noble. Not like you fake nobles.”
A third-year girl furrowed her brow in response to what I said.
She seemed strong-willed and had curly blond hair──which formed in the shape of drills.
She wore high heels, and looked like queen with an unwavering heart.
She used her mouth, which wore red lipstick, to question me while irritated.
“Fake nobles, you say? How rude to say that towards me, someone from an earl household.”
It seemed that the girl held power second to Anjie. The surrounding people went silent. I could see the sad nature of the aristocratic boys going silent in front of the girl, even though they opposed Chris and I.
“And you are?”
“To think that you wouldn’t know me! I am ‘Deirdre Fou Roseblade’. The daughter of the Roseblade earl family!”
That sounded familiar. However, I pretended not to know. I stuck my fingers into my ears, and made myself look as if I was annoyed.
“Doesn’t ring a bell. I don’t know whether you’re a Roseblade, a rosehip, or whatever, but what worth do you have right now?”
“Wha?! H, how rude!”
What a wonderful reaction from this mighty queen! I had been waiting for someone like her!
“I don’t know how great your household is, but you’re a sham.”
“You had to work up to get to your position! Yet, you’re calling me a sham!”
“Right! I ascended into my position. However, I’m a genuine adventurer. A noble who genuinely succeeded as an adventurer. Not someone to be likened with self-important fakes.”
Deirdre began to curse me with great vigor.
“Don’t get cocky, lowly baron! Our earl family presented the kingdom with a floating island, has captured many dungeons, and is a prestigious family amongst prestigious families. Know how impudent your household is in comparison!”
I applauded while still shouldering the shotgun.
“That’s sounds great. Your ancestors were the real deal.”
The arrogant Deirdre became uneasy over how lax I was being.
“Remember that. Your activities don’t even reach the feet of the Roseblade house──”
I began to laugh internally. What a great character Deirdre was!
“Splendid! Yes, your ancestors were genuine. Though, that’s quite sad, isn’t it. After all, their descendants became cowards amongst cowards. Surely, they must be weeping six feet underground. People like you who tremble in fear before a principality──are fakes.”
“W, what are you insinuating?”
“Am I wrong? What had you guys done when Anjie offered herself? You felt relieved, that’s what. You kept silent while waiting for the storm to pass by──and in the end, you curse Anjie when you realized that you would die. Each and every one of you are cowards amongst cowards! No wait, you’re not even great enough to qualify as cowards. You’re just pretentious, fake nobles.”
“Take that back!”
I approached Deirdre and spoke to her with a smile.
“Don’t wanna.”
Then, I took a distance and grinned with open arms.
“In a situation where we could get killed, you’re doing nothing but complaining. Your ancestors may have been successful adventurers, but you have no worth! You’re a pathetic good-for-nothing who didn’t inherit the bravery to set forth across the open skies on an airship, the knowledge to capture a dungeon, nor the power to defeat monsters.”
By the way, the Baltfault household didn’t have any big achievements as adventurers. I heard that they had nobles who participated in wars and accumulated enough achievements to earn a floating island.
In the first place, I had no attachment to ancestors, honor, or lineages. I don’t think my ancestors would be grieving. Rather, perhaps they would be concerned about escaping.
Even so, I continued to slander everyone! After all, it was convenient for me!
“The principality’s messenger was right. If we remove the selfishness of the nobles like you, you would have nothing to be proud of. You’re just shameful fakes who do nothing but cling onto the achievements of your ancestors. Each and every one of you are cowards who would get frightened and do nothing if told that you would be attacked. Your grand ancestors would surely cry──no wait, they would laugh!”
The students around me began to gradually become enraged.
And how nice it was!
I held my sides in laughter.
“They would roll around laughing! They would talk about how pathetic their descendants are! They would sneer while speaking of how shameful it is that you call yourselves nobles, and yet the only merit you have is that you’re the descendants of adventurers!”
I wiped my tears with my finger. Tears from laughing too much.
This was an act in order to have them make fools out of themselves──no wait, it was to embolden them.
“It’s wonderful that your ancestors worked hard to become nobles. However, it was all in vain. I mean, you guys are the ones who are supposed to be following their steps. You guys have no willpower, and would lose to a principality without resisting. Your ancestors’ achievements will be overwritten by your failures. Your actions are truly tarnishing everything. You’re tarnishing your ancestors’ achievements and placing shame onto your descendants. Your relatives will speak of your actions and what a disgrace they are!”
The setting of this world stated that nobles were proud of being the descendants of adventurers.
That was also something taught at the academy, and some people even admired their respectable ancestors.
At any rate, the nobles of this world adored the position of adventurers.
So what would happen if I stimulated that aspect of them?
“D, don’t make a fool out of us! I──I won’t let my ancestors feel ashamed! Do you think I would sully my family’s honor?!”
I smiled as if making fun of the people.
“You’ve got good spirit, but that alone means nothing. Place your hands over your chests and listen. Can you not hear it? It’s the voices of your ancestors’ blood flowing within you, laughing at how shameful you are!”
There were those who didn’t, but many had placed their hands over their chests. Among them were the sailors and even the exclusive servants.
“Listen, can you hear the roars of laughter? Or perhaps the voices of mourning? Shock, possibly? Maybe some of your ancestors are even thanking you for making them laugh. The good ancestors would say the following ──’There is no worth in a coward that flees from a fight!'”
Few people talked back. Well, even if they did talk back, I would laugh at them. I put on a serious look. “Is the noble adventurer’s blood flowing within you a sham? Do you want to go down in shame, toyed around by the principality while simply waiting for death?!” Deirdre looked at me.
“──It would be shameful for the daughter of the Roseblade household to die here without doing anything. Everyone, are you going let this guy go on talking like this? As he has said, we truly aren’t living up to our ancestors!”
The boys raised their voices. “Don’t make light of us, damn bastard! Someone fetch some weapons!” “How long do you think we’ve been training in the dungeon? A whole year! Be prepared, for we’ll show you the difference in strength between you and the upperclassmen!” “The nerve you have to blabber on so smugly! Talk while you still can!” The boys displayed motivation.
Likewise, the girls also seemed encouraged as well, showing a sense inspiration.
These fools should have made a serious effort from the beginning!
Chris looked at me.
“Baltfault, you──no, never mind.”
He shouldn’t have stopped if he was going to say something! Now I was curious!
Deirdre spoke next.
“Since you’ve said this much, you naturally have something thought out, right? That talk about being genuine nobles was done in order to break the deadlock, no?”
I raised my voice.
“You fools, listen closely! Even if what I say confuses you a bit, there’s no time to explain! So I’ll say this one thing, we’re breaking through the front, aiming after the principality’s leader!”
When the people around raised voices, asking if I was really being serious, Deirdre began to smile.
“Sounds good. You’re quite something! So──I wonder why none of the girls have raised their voices? If any of you attempt to cowardly escape now, I will not tolerate it!”
It seemed that the girls reluctantly resolved themselves as well in response to the words of their boss.
Deirdre looked at me.
“Now then, we know that we’re breaking through the front. What do you plan on doing? You’ve been boasting on, so you’ll have quite the active role, right?”
She was saying that she wouldn’t allow me to do nothing after having said such smug things.
I smiled.
“Of course. I’ll take the vanguard with an air bike.”
“An air bike? Are you planning to get yourself killed?”
The outside was crowded with flocks of monsters and airships from the principality. There would certainly be armor too.
If there was an idiot who wanted to charge through such a situation with an air bike, I would definitely laugh.
“I’ve got someone who can help. While I’m at it, I’ll snatch their important item and laugh at the principality’s fleet.”
“Is this about Anjelica? You’re not Anjelica’s follower, though.”
──It wasn’t like that.
“Every guy has at one point wanted to be a knight who would save a princess in trouble. Even if you people have abandoned Anjie, I won’t. She’s a good woman. You girls should follow her example for a bit.”
Deirdre bit her nail.
“That’s the first someone told me that some other woman was good.”
“Everyone, look after each other. Take note, you all should prepare as well. We have no time!”
The academy’s students showed determination. Enthusiasm circulated throughout the hall, and the students began to move in a frenzy. Meanwhile, I remembered that moment with Anjie.
When she made herself the only hostage, I should have said that I held the status of a baron. Then, she wouldn’t have been taken alone.
So she would be a hostage for the sake of everyone? She was still sixteen. I would regret it for my whole life if I abandoned Anjie, who displayed courage alone, and Anjie’s papa was scary as well. In this rotten world of an otome game, Anjie and──err, Anjie was my hope.
Deirdre’s mouth warped into the shape of a crescent, like that of the moon, as she smiled.
What? Why wasn’t she going away? We didn’t have time.
“A dog without discipline. With such a brazen attitude──you’d make a good pet. If it weren’t for the fact that you’re Anjelica’s favorite, I would have you by my side.”
This girl was another bad person to be with. Not to the same magnitude as others, but she wasn’t someone I wanted to get acquainted with.
“I appreciate it.”
◇
Luxon gave me a report as I was changing clothes in order to get on Schwert, the air bike.
The contents of the report made me squint my eyes.
“We have traitors?”
[Indeed. After investigating, it seems that two girls, Anjelica’s followers, alerted the principality of our whereabouts.]
Anjie’s followers betrayed her at such a time?
“Really? They’re idiots for making themselves enemies of a duke household.”
[Currently, the duke household’s position has weakened due to Julian’s downfall. It would be strange if traitors didn’t show up.]
“Is this a political thing? I’m not interested.” Once I finished changing clothes, I carried the shotgun in one hand and a helmet in the other. [Are you going to leave the matter alone?] “Show me the way. Before I rescue Anjie, I’ll pull the reins in on them.” [You should speak to the sailors. You could ask about using the jail they tossed you in, Master.] I presumed that things would get troublesome if I rescued Anjie while the traitors were still out there. “I understand.”
◇
I stood before the jail cell that I had been tossed into before. Inside were two girls. Their exclusive servants were tossed into a separate jail cell. “Wait! This is a misunderstanding!” “Help them!” The ones who asked for someone to help the two were followers from the same group as them. However, they were cautious about the sailors surrounding them with their hands over their weapons. A boy follower addressed me. “H, hey, is this a joke? I mean, these two have been Milady’s playmates since childhood. It’s a bit much to think that they would betray her.”
I threw aside a cylindrical tool in my hand. When they saw it, the girls lost their composure. “We’ve thoroughly examined their rooms.” I glared at the girls inside the jail cell. “Pervert!” “I have no interest in you two! Besides, female sailors were the ones investigating the rooms.” I turned around to see that there were women in uniform watching me. They were members of the cabin crew who took care of the students from the academy. “Many of the same kinds of items were in there. There also seemed to be instructions, so there’s no reason to believe that they didn’t know what they were doing.” The girls in the cell glared at one of the woman. “All of you, remember this. We absolutely will not forgive you!” The crew members became scared. I kicked the iron bars, threatening the girls. “Close that mouth. Do you want your head blown off here?” The two were frightened. However, the boy followers grabbed my shoulder. “You’re going too far! Even if these two people are traitors, you need to properly investigate the──h, hey, wait!” I pointed the shotgun at the boy and then spoke.
“Do you guys not know your position? It’s because of things like this that you’ve strayed from Anjie. Listen, there was a traitor among you. Do you understand what that means?”
As expected, the followers realized the unpleasant situation they were in.
I bashed the boy with the gunstock of the shotgun, causing him to fall to his knees.
“Fight with the will to die. It doesn’t matter whether you’re a woman or a man. You must fight to prove your innocence. Otherwise──”
I stared at the two girls inside the jail cell.
“You wouldn’t want to be dealt with in a similar manner as these two, right?”
Anjie’s papa wouldn’t forgive traitors.
Seeming to understand the situation more than I do, the followers violently nodded their heads.
After I entrusted them to the sailors, I headed towards the storehouse containing Schwert.
I muttered along the way.
“Would people betray others, even when they’ve been together since childhood? I’m really not taking a liking to politics. At the very least though, I have to save her.”
I wasn’t interested in the situation within the royal palace, but I had compassion for Anjie. Anjie sacrificing herself with the intent to protect these people──was something I didn’t like.
◇
I was in the airship’s hangar.
An inner suit meant for wearing armor had been prepared for riding the air bike. I put on the helmet, a vest for my chest, thick cargo pants, and boots.
Inside the helmet, I could see an image of the surroundings from a camera installed inside the air bike.
[It’s time to move, Schwert.]
Luxon built a spot for itself inside the air bike.
I mounted the air bike, gripped the handles, and revved the engine.
The violent vibrations of the engine echoed within the hangar,
The wind seeping into the hangar was annoying. A sailor spoke to me in a loud voice.
“Are you really doing this?!”
“Of course. I’ll tear off the moustache from that low-life messenger as a souvenir.”
I would perform some hair removal service on the moustache that guy was so prideful of.
“That’s what I want to hear! Ah, I don’t really need the moustache, though.”
I gave thumbs up to the likeable sailor, lowered my posture, and departed.
The air bike soared into the sky, traveling through the air as if it was surfing across waves of water.
As I held up the shotgun on my back with one hand, I aimed it at the monsters gathering together.
“All set?”
[Whenever you’re ready.]
While readying the shotgun with both hands, Luxon began piloting the air bike.
“Small fries make the best opponent for this.”
When a magic circle appeared in front of the muzzle, numerous tinier magic circles formed around it. They locked on to the approaching monsters in front of me.
[Electric attribute, buckshot formula, lightning──and we’re set.]
“Disappear!”
As I pulled the trigger, shotgun shells flew out and through the magic circles. Then, while the tiny shots were flying──magic light was released, changed to a blue or yellow color, proceeding to shift directions.
Even when the monsters tried to avoid the bullets, the light chased after them.
The magic spread like fireworks and was most optimal for ranged attacks.
The problem was that it was difficult to handle such advanced magic.
I laughed in a loud voice when one shot killed dozens of monsters.
“You see that?! That’s the power of Luxon and me! When we join forces, we can use magic like this. I only knew of this recently, though!”
And what if I was alone? Nope, not a chance. It took time to activate, and it was tough to lock on to moving enemies.
“Well, the ratio of our contributions is split seventy to thirty, though.”
[Why are you speaking as if you’re the one holding that seventy percent? If we’re talking about ratios, then I’m doing seventy percent of the work, and you’re doing thirty.]
“You’re getting in the way of my joy. Look, the next ones are coming.”
[──You really are a piece of trash.]
As I readied the shotgun, aimed, and pulled the trigger once more, the monsters before me vanished in large numbers again.
◇
While inside armor, Chris was watching Leon rush out. “Is he really taking the vanguard?” The luxury liner accelerated, as if pursuing Leon. They were aiming after the flagship──the back of the giant monster, which held the princess and Anjie. Seeing Leon’s figure, Chris tightly grasped the control sticks of the armor. “Baltfault, you’re strong.” Even though he was stronger in terms of swordsmanship, Chris felt like he lost in face of the current Leon. Leon was superior in magic, bravery, and everything else. Even if everyone admired a feat like charging forward alone, not many could do it. Leon made it look easy. Chris didn’t have the courage to perform something like that while riding an air bike. “Is it possible for me to become like you, Baltfault?” The charm around his neck shook. Chris looked at the students and the airship’s bodyguards, who had gotten into armor.
“Our purpose is to protect the airship. We will definitely defend it!”
He heard the responding cries of his colleagues, and as he closed the chest of his own armor, six units of armor began to boot up and come alive. Departing, Chris killed a monster rushing towards the airship.
His swordsmanship was very clean. As he pushed his way through the monsters, cutting them all down, they went up into smoke, disappearing. Seeing that, students who came out to the deck raised voices of cheers. Chris descended along the side of the airship, cutting up the monsters. “We’ve made a promise with Baltfault. We will not let this ship fall!”
◇
The principality had a flagship. Inside such a warship, an alarm rang. Hertrude’s long, black, and tidy hair rustled as she got up. She wore a black dress, and as she approached a window, she was interrupted by a lady attendant. “Your Highness, you mustn’t.” “Step aside. I want to see it with my own eyes.” Since it seemed that Anjie, still surrounded by knights, was worried as well, Hertrude called out to her.
“Anjelica, you come here too. It seems that your school friends have chosen an honorable death. You will see their final moments with your own eyes.”
Hertrude looked away from Anjie, who was glaring at her, and focused on what was outside. However, when looking outside, the scene contradicted what Hertrude had imagined.
“Wha?!”
The luxury liner was attempting to lead an attack itself.
Hertrude shouted towards the attendant.
“The magic flute, quickly!”
Meanwhile, Anjie was watching the person pushing through on an air bike in front of the luxury liner. “That idiot! That complete idiot! Why──why didn’t he run away? If he had that much power, he could have escaped.”
Tears flooded Anjie’s eyes after seeing Leon’s figure.
Once the attendant retrieved the magic flute, Hertrude placed her mouth against it.
As a very strange tone reverberated, the monsters simultaneously moved in unison.
In front of such a sight, Anjie seemed convinced of the cocky attitude the principality took.
“So that’s the trump card of the principality.”
Hertrude took her mouth off of the magic flute.
“That’s right. With this, the difference in numbers has been overturned. The kingdom will fall.”
She declared as such, but the monsters charging towards the luxury liner disappeared successively.
The students aboard were desperately resisting.
They deployed a shield, and also fought back by firing magic.
Hertrude and Garrett had looked down on them, but the kingdom’s knights, the boys, were strong.
Why was that so?
They challenged dungeons for the sake of marriage, and their earnings were to support the girls. They advanced deeper and deeper in order to become strong adventurers upon graduation.
It was the result of working their hardest, shedding blood, sweat, and tears in order to grab the attention of girls.
Anjie cried as she watched Leon dash across the battlefield.
Hertrude bit her lip in front of the luxury liner──and the students frantically resisting.
“It will only get painful if you resist.”
Anjie wiped her tears and spoke to Hertrude.
“Wrong. The nobles of the kingdom don’t give up. Just as you wanted, they came to show their stubbornness. I didn’t mention his name back then, but the one in the lead is Leon Fou Baltfault. A distinguished knight even in the kingdom!”
“Baltfault?”
Garret approached the two while stroking his moustache.
“It is indeed a bad thing to give up. However, this ends here.”
As Garrett said that, the principality’s fleet arranged itself to surround the airship. They arranged in a figure eight so that their allies wouldn’t come under their fire. (TLN: Referring to the Japanese character for eight, which is八)
Monsters surrounded the airship and cannons were pointed at Leon.
Hertrude glared at Garrett.
“How underhanded.”
“It’s all for the sake of victory, your Highness. Besides, we can obtain as many monsters as we want.” As Garrett made an ominous smile, the monsters rushed towards the luxury liner and hundreds of cannons fired at Leon.
Anjie shrieked against the monster-involved bombarding.
“Leon! Livia!”
Anjie was pinned down by the knights, watching the luxury liner get covered up in black smoke as a large explosion erupted.
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