The World of Otome Games is Tough For Mobs - Volume 7 - Chapter SS1

Volume 7 - Short Story - Marie Route The Fifth

At the third term of our second year.

We participated in the war against Fanoss Principality, but our role had ended and we returned to the academy.

Because we participated in the war as volunteer students, we didn’t participate in almost all the classes of our second term as second year student.

Many of the school events were also suspended. What a really desolate school life.

Even so it seemed the students could advance to the next grade without any problem.

The reason was "The youths who stood up when the country was in danger couldn’t be allowed to repeat a year".

I was happy that I could advance the grade without studying, but I also had the doubt whether such thing was really fine.

There was also no path of the character repeating a year in that otome game, so a part of me was thinking that maybe this was just how things should be.

To actually experience such thing left a slightly murky feeling in me, but it wasn’t like I wanted to remain in the academy so much that I would repeat the year for that.

Honestly I just wanted to graduate quickly.

And so, both Marie and me allowed ourselves to follow the flow without any opposition.

Right now we were inside the spaceship that was Luxion’s true body.

I visited a certain room together with Marie. There was an astral body that was locked inside a round capsule there.

The mass of resentment that appeared from the saintess’s necklace looked like she was sitting while hugging her knees.

She had the form of swaying black shadow, but she had a feminine silhouette.

The spots where the eyes should be located were releasing red light, but the intensity of the light was far weaker than before.

Her attitude had also softened.

I swallowed my saliva nervously before addressing the mass of resentment.

"There is something that I want to ask."

The resentment reacted to my voice and turned her red eyes toward me.

She replied with a small voice.

[What do you want to know?]

I was surprised that her reply sounded really obedient. Beside me Maria poked my side with her elbow and so I hurriedly spoke my question.

"Why were you hiding in the saintess’s necklace? And also, who is this

Lea that you mentioned?"

Before this the mass of resentment yelled the name Lea when she saw me.

I didn’t really paid any attention to it at that time, but I got curious after hearing from father that the person who founded Bartfalt House also had the name Lea.

The mass of resentment talked about Lea with a female voice.

[Lea was a man who worked as adventurer and our leader. He was my comrade who boarded the same airship and survived many dangerous adventures together with me. He was my important comrade.]

Marie put her hand on her chin when she heard that their adventurer group consisted of seven people.

And then she asked about the two’s relationship.

"Could it be that you two were in a romantic relationship?" The mass of resentment answered with a disappointed tone.

[I wish that was the case, but it was just my one-sided feeling.]

It seemed that something happened so that the two of them couldn’t be together?

She began to continue her story while I was thinking.

[It was when we discovered an undeveloped continent. There were numerous ruins and also dungeons there. We challenged those places and conquered them while everyone else was struggling.]

"Wasn’t it you guys who discovered the continent?"

[Do you think we could conquer the whole continent with just ourselves? We were the one who found it, but at the same time other adventurers also came and began to compete against each other.]

Certainly, if you thought carefully it sounded impossible to conquer the whole continent with just six people like the story in the game.

Luxion who was floating beside me looked at me when he heard about the continent discovery.

[It seems master’s ancestor was the seventh person who no one talked about.]

This guy was really hasty.

"Can’t you stay quiet and listen to the story a bit more?"

[It’s possible to infer the rest. Should I also deduce who is the owner of the resentment──whose resentment this thing is?]

The mass of resentment stayed quiet, in exchange Marie noticed the answer and showed surprise in her face.

"You’re lying right!? Eh, this thing is really the saintess? Even though I imagined that the saintess would be someone more kinder and overflowing with love."

The mass of resentment chuckled hearing Marie’s words.

[Love huh. Certainly I was overflowing with love. I loved Lea more than anybody else. I wanted to convey this feeling. And yet──Hohlfahrt and others betrayed Lea.]

I never thought that the words of my ancestor "I was betrayed by my comrades" was related to the founding of the kingdom.

Sure enough, that was just completely unexpected.

My ancestor is so awesome──but before that, it would be really embarrassing if it was just a misunderstanding, so let’s confirm it just to make sure.

"My ancestor’s name is Lea. His family name is Bartfalt, but is there a chance that they are actually completely unrelated? Is there a possibility that they only have the same name?"

I asked that because it would be really embarrassing if all of these were actually just a mistake, and then the mass of resentment looked at me.

[You are really similar with Lea. I’m also feeling his bloodline inside you, so there is no mistake. Also, the girl beside you is descended from the same lineage like me.]

Marie pressed her hands on her cheeks.

"Eh? Could it be that I have the blood of the saintess flowing inside me? It sounds like I’m a main character!"

I was exasperated seeing Marie’s happy-go-lucky attitude.

If even Marie whose family didn’t seem like they were directly related to saintess was descended from her bloodlone, then there must be a lot of other people who also shared the same bloodline.

Sure there was some rarity value from that, but it also wasn’t really that rare.

"There are a lot of people who have the saintess’s bloodline huh."

"Don’t be such a killjoy."

Marie pouted. I shrugged seeing her like that.

"If your House is connected with the saintess, they would surely proclaim it already from the top of their lung. If they don’t know about it, then that must mean that the bloodline has unknowingly spread out to many people throughout the generations."

"You are really horrible Leon. You should be kinder to girl."

"The true kindness can sometimes be cruel too."

"What kindness. You are just being mean."

Marie was getting angry, so let’s stop the teasing here.

Even so, wasn’t it just a pointless setting for someone like Marie to be descended from the saintess? I think that kind of setting was unnecessary.

No matter how hard this girl worked, there was no way she would be able to do the same thing like the main character.

Luxion spoke up to conclude the story. It seemed like he was in a hurry and didn’t want to wait until we were finished on our own.

[So the saintess’s beloved Lea was betrayed, and learning that she put her resentment into a tool. What happened to the actual saintess?]

Luxion asked what happened to the actual saintess. The mass of resentment shook her head.

[I don’t know. The saintess put her power and feeling to the tools that we found in a ruin. My existence is the materialization of that power and feeling.

Those items including this necklace has that kind of power.]

What an outrageous tool, but why would such item considered as the saintess’s items?

Even though I thought those items had more divine power or something, this story had really killed the dream.

"So you aren’t the actual saintess who died and then moving to live in the saintess’s tool?"

[No. The saintess left us in her tools and left it behind as trap. It’s in order to take revenge to Hohlfahrt and others one day.]

"They are like cursed items."

I spoke my honest feeling, but the resentment easily spoke the truth.

[In the beginning they were nothing more than tools that we found in a a dungeon. It’s the later generations who are considering them as holy items.]

Those items had the word “Saintess’s ~” added in their name simply because the saintess used them.

It seemed that from the resentment’s perspective, it was questionable why those items were regarded as sacred.

"Then, next is──"

Luxion projected an image at the empty air just as I was about to ask the next question.

[Master, it seems a problem occurred in the kingdom. Please look at the image.]

"Ha?"

Marie and I looked at the image in surprise. Our eyes widened seeing the video that was projected.

Olivia-san wearing a white dress was there. She was also wearing the three tools of the saintess and making a speech in front of the public.

"I am the saintess Olivia. People of Hohlfahrt Kingdom, the saintess has returned on this land once more. My wish is only one. It’s to bring peace to this land. Everyone, I beg you, please lend me your power."

Olivia-san introduced herself as the saintess. The people cheered in respond.

There were also the figures of his highness Julius and the others clapping with a smile on their face behind Olivia-san.

Marie was shocked and clung on my arm before shaking me.

"No way! Why is she introducing herself as the saintess at this timing!? Because, because, this event should be at the latter half shouldn’t it? This is an event for after we become third year right!?"

Marie was surprised because what was going on was different from the scenario of that otome game that she remembered.

In the game, the main character introduced herself as the saintess when she became third year.

It was after her lover had been decided.

And yet, this timing felt a bit early than it should be. "What’s going on? Luxion, can you investigate it?" I wanted to investigate using Luxion, but he refused me.

[──I have stationed additional drones in Partner. Master can control those to investigate by yourself.]

"You are saying that you won’t follow my order? You are still going to act as you please in this situation?"

Luxion maintained his distance from me when I questioned him.

[There is something that I have to prioritize, so I can’t help master right now. Please wait for a while.] Luxion ignored my order.

No, was it alright because he had prepared some robots to gather information?

"Is it really that important for you to go around destroying the new mankind’s ruins?"

[That’s my greatest priority. Also, I don’t think that master is in a dangerous situation right now.]

Marie looked down at Luxion’s explanation and muttered.

"Even though the situation is this serious."

[There won’t be any problem for master and Marie from ignoring this.

Although there is some difference, aren’t things still following the scenario?

In that case there is nothing to worry.]

From Luxion’s attitude, his feeling of disinterest no matter what kind of change occurred from that otome game’s scenario was conveyed to me.

This guy, did he consider it as no problem at all even if the kingdom was destroyed as long as we were safe?

──What am I saying, of course that was what he thought.

"So we have to investigate by ourselves huh. More importantly, why does

Olivia-san have the Saintess’s Necklace?" The mass of resentment reacted to my words.

[That’s a fake.]

Marie made a relieved face hearing that.

"Thank god. Then Olivia isn’t taken over by things like you. Ah, I guess not. You are here after all, so that girl must be safe."

The saintess’s resentment was here, so there shouldn’t be any problem at all with Olivia-san──but it seemed we were naïve for thinking that.

[What are you saying? The staff and the bracelet are genuine. My original self poured her power and feeling into her three tools. Those two items also have existence like me dwelling inside them.]

I looked at Olivia-san who was reflected in the projection after hearing that.

"──This is the worst."

It felt like her atmosphere was a bit different compared to the last time I saw her, but could it be that she was being taken over? No, she was the main character. There was no way such thing could happen to her.

Even Marie was able to repel the resentment with her strength of heart.

Surely Olivia-san was also fine.

──That should be the case.

.

Around that time.

Olivia was taking a bath in the academy.

She was soaking and relaxing in hot water that had flower petals floating on the surface.

Nearby there was the half elf boy who was taking care of Olivia’s need, Kyle. He was Olivia’s personal servant. Right now his cheeky personality from before had vanished.

He was watching the smiling Olivia with fear and tension.

Olivia stretched her left hand.

"Kyle."

She only called Kyle’s name. In respond Kyle desperately wracked his brain of what his master could possibly ask for before handing a drink.

His hand was shaking.

"E-enjoy."

"Thank you. It looks like you also finally understand Kyle."

Olivia accepted the drink and took a sip of it before looking up to the ceiling.

"Now then──how should I enjoy myself from here on?"

Olivia smiled imagining what was going to happen from here on. Kyle felt a chill on his back seeing that smile.

(Goshujin-sama, she is like a completely different person from last year.) Kyle obeyed his completely changed master even while in fear.

Olivia noticed Kyle’s fear and turned her gaze toward him.

"That’s right. Kyle, about your mother Yumeria you see, I found a place for her to work. You won’t need to worry about her again with that. Your mother was really happy when I introduced her to her new job. She also told me to keep taking care of you from here on too."

"Eh?"

Kyle went pale when Yumeria’s name came out.

"I have been exchanging letters with Yumeria since quite some time ago.

With this you can also feel relieved Kyle."

"W-where is she working right now?"

Kyle asked while shaking fiercely. Olivia smiled at that question and told him cruelly.

"I won’t tell you. But, you don’t need to worry at all about Yumeria.

That’s why, keep working for my sake from here on too, Kyle."

Kyle was so panicked he couldn’t even say anything after knowing that Yumeria was taken hostage.

And then, he felt terror seeing Olivia before him.

(Who the hell. Who the hell is this woman? She isn’t the goshujin-sama from before. It’s like someone else is replacing her at the inside.) There was only the vestige of the kind Olivia on the surface.

Kyle nodded quietly without being able to make any resistance.

◇

The academy of Hohlfahrt Kingdom was enveloped in an abnormal excitement.

The students were restless.

Not only the volunteer army had obtained great achievements, even the saintess who had been absent for so many years had revived.

The crown prince Julius had formally annulled his engagement with Angelica and decided to be engaged with the saintess Olivia.

The birth of the saintess was an auspicious event for the kingdom. The engagement annulment was considered as something trivial.

There were three female students talking at the academy’s courtyard.

"You heard, a duke’s daughter got her engagement annulled."

"It’s really hard for Redgrave House right now isn’t it? After all Angelica had picked a fight with saintess-sama of all people."

"Right now she also has no ally at all in the academy. It looks like she is completely isolated."

About the case of Julius and others getting worked up and expulsing a lot of students from the academy.

Many of those expulsed students were people who should be Angelica’s ally.

Right now there was no student in the academy who would go against Olivia.

There were only students trying to suck up at Olivia proactively to receive her favor, or students who were carefully watching from afar to see how the wind blew.

There was almost no existence in this academy right now who would get in the way of Olivia and Julius.

The girls were talking about the grand party that would be held in the academy.

"Forget about that, have you heard? The party this year will be attended by students from all years."

"It’s combined with the graduation party isn’t it? I heard that the party will also double as the victory party."

"Eh? Have we won against the principality?"

"Not that. It’s for celebrating the volunteer army’s victory. And Fanoss Principality almost has no fighting strength remaining anyway, it seems that the kingdom only need to attack them to finish them off."

"They will surrender soon."

The war still hadn’t been won yet, but everyone thought that Hohlfahrt Kingdom’s victory was unshakeable.

And that was also a fact.

The principality had lost many capable knights and officers, including the black knight.

They had also lost the majority of their airship and armor. Their military strength had been drastically reduced.

What was left was to attack the principality or waiting for them to surrender.

It was only natural for the students to be giddy.

Angelica appeared in the courtyard that was like that.

She didn’t have even a single hanger-on with her.

Some of her hanger-on were expulsed, but the majority had abandoned her and kept their distance from her.

Angelica was isolated within the academy and also in the noble society.

The three girls huddled closer to each other and intentionally talked with a louder voice.

"Speak of the devil. That’s the young lady of the duke house."

"Isn’t that the fool who picked a fight with saintess-sama?"

"How stupid. The words of not knowing her place really suit someone like her."

Angelica looked down and clenched her hands. The three girls were amused seeing that and left while laughing.

Angelica who was left behind muttered with a voice that couldn’t be heard by anybody.

There was hatred brimming inside her voice.

"I absolutely won’t forgive you."

Her red eyes looked horribly murky, even so there was a sinister light radiated from there.

◇

When Marie and I returned to the academy, the atmosphere had changed too much.

The buildings and facilities were completely the same like before.

What changed was the number of student.

The number of male had decreased drastically. The ratio of male and female had become completely unbalanced.

It wasn’t difficult to find a sight with only girls around and not a single boy in sight.

When we had lunch at the courtyard, Marie looked like she wanted to say something with sandwich stuffed inside her mouth.

She swallowed the food inside her mouth and muttered a comment about the courtyard’s scenery.

"This place is like all girls school."

"Yeah."

I could only agree with Marie.

After all there were only girls having lunch at the courtyard except me.

Thanks to that I was standing out.

"Even though I might be able to enjoy the feeling of enrolling in an all girls school if only the reason why there is no boy isn’t something like that."

I blurted out my honest feeling. Marie looked at me with an expression of disbelief.

"Are you idiot? All girls school isn’t a place like the boys imagine."

"I often hear about that. Well, it’s something unrelated to me anyway, so I don’t care about the dark stories."

There was also the reason behind the decrease in boy ratio, so I couldn’t bring myself to be happy in this situation.

Marie watched the scenery of the academy that had become desolate with a gloomy expression.

"Only a real fiend can be happy with this situation."

"Yeah."

The girls around us who were giddy about the victory of Prince Julius’s volunteer army were talking about a party.

"I wonder what kind of dress will be nice?"

"It will be impossible to buy a new one won’t it? I heard that most of the shops in the capital are closed."

"Why?"

"They said that no goods are coming in because of the war."

"How bothersome."

Marie looked down with a bitter expression hearing them grumbling just because they couldn’t get a new dress.

Marie had seen a lot of things at the battlefield. The remarks of the girls sounded extremely cruel in her ear.

"Are you alright?"

Marie lifted her face when I asked her considerately.

"I’m fine. But staying here is making me feel bad, so let’s go to other place."

"That’s nice."

Marie got fed up by the girls who got excited with party talk and said to change the place.

I obediently agreed and followed her.

We moved from the courtyard to the passage, and from there we headed to inside the school building.

Everyone who we passed by on the way was all female students.

There was one female student among them.

Marie noticed her and she got an awkward look. But she still called out at her.

"U-umm"

The other girl was walking while looking down with a gloomy expression.

When she noticed Marie and lifted her face, she had a haggard face with dark circle under her eyes.

"What is it?"

It seemed that the girl was acquainted with Marie.

"You are Yuria-san right? What’s wrong? Isn’t it better if you take a rest if you are feeling bad?"

Yuria-san obviously didn’t seem well even from an onlooker’s point of view, but she shook her head powerlessly.

"It’s fine. I’m not feeling bad anywhere. The bad one here is me."

What was she talking about? That was what I thought and I was about to ask her, but Marie was looking down beside me.

"Could it be, Lloyd-san was…?"

Marie asked hesitantly. Her gesture made me realized it somehow.

Yuria-san talked about her situation while crying.

"I was told that he fought bravely. His highness Julius gave him his praise.

I──I never expected that it would be like this. Even though I believed that

Lloyd would definitely return because he was strong."

Yuria-san started crying and covered her face with both hands. Marie approached to console her.

However, it seemed she couldn’t find any words to say.

Yuria-san continued talking.

"I wouldn’t send off Lloyd if I knew this would happen. I should have stopped him. I don’t need him to obtain achievement. I don’t need him to be successful or anything. Even though I would be happy with him simply staying with me."

We were unable to say anything to Yuria-san who was sobbing uncontrollably. In the meantime a group of girls were approaching and noticed us.

It seemed they could hear what we were talking about. They interrupted our conversation.

"Shouldn’t you feel proud instead if your lover had fought bravely?"

A girl who gave an impression of haughtiness seemed to be displeased by Yuria-san’s attitude.

"If it’s me who is in your place, I won’t keep grieving forever for the sake of my lover who died in battle. Rather I’ll hold my head high that my lover had fought bravely. A noble lady should only feel proud at this kind of time."

Those were words that really didn’t fit an otome game world. It made fed up. Beside me Marie was enraged.

"Is that something that you should say in front of this girl who lost her lover? Can you say the same thing if it’s your own lover who died?"

"Of course."

The other girl brazenly declared that. It shocked both Marie and me that our eyes widened and we turned speechless.

The haughty girl started to boast as though it was only natural──no, as though she wanted to say that she was different from us.

"Among the boys who joined the volunteer army, there were several boys who confessed to me before departing, asking me to marry them when they return back. I heard that all of them have fought bravely. I’m proud for getting proposed by such honorable men."

Those weren’t lover weren’t they? Furthermore there was more than one? I asked the haughty girl.

"Did all of them die?"

"It seems that several of them are in hospital."

"Have you visited them?"

"Not interested. I like strong man. You got a passing mark in that respect. I’ll allow you to at least invite me to a tea party if only the right side of your face isn’t scarred. Good bye ugly man."

Ugly man. It seemed that I was considered as an ugly man in the standard of those girls due to the scar on my face from the battlefield.

I lost interest at the group of girls who were leaving, but it was Marie who couldn’t keep quiet.

"Wait you bitch!"

"Bugyoo!"

A flying kick landed on the haughty girl who showed us her back.

I was surprised by the haughty girl’s strange scream, but I was even more flustered by Marie’s action.

"Oi, just what are you doing?"

When I tried to stop her, Marie grabbed the haughty girl and lifted her up.

"Take back what you said! Don’t group yourself with Yuria. Besides, you are calling Leon an ugly man? You don’t even know what kind of scary experience the boys went through in battle, so don’t you dare act like a big deal!"

"L-let go of me!"

The girl’s hanger-on tried to pull apart Marie from her.

However Marie wouldn’t let go.

"What honor. Something like that──isn’t honorable at all."

◇

Marie got covered with scratches after getting into a fight with the girls.

She used her hand to tidy up her messed up hair.

Even I got covered with scratches all over in order to protect Marie.

"Just ignore that kind of people. It’s pointless to even try talking with them."

"I know that but, they are just so annoying!"

She couldn’t just stay quiet against that kind of people, but it would be pointless trying to talk some sense into that haughty girl no matter what we said.

Besides, sense of value was something that changed depending on the era.

An era where dying in battle was considered as honorable certainly existed.

We were simply unable to accept that due to our memories of our past life.

"Aa~aa, what an unpleasant era."

After I muttered that, Marie seemed to guess something too and she nodded slightly.

And then she stood up from the bench where she was sitting on.

"I decided. I’m going to the hospital."

"Ha?"

"I can use healing magic despite appearance, so I’ll heal the wounded knights and soldiers. I also want to heal the boys who participated in the volunteer army."

"I see."

If that was what Marie decided then I’d also help.

"I guess I’ll also gather the necessary things."

"You will help?"

"I’ll be worried if you are doing it alone. Besides, I don’t really want to stay in the academy right now."

I didn’t really want to stay for long in this academy when the atmosphere had drastically changed like this.

"It also doesn’t look like I’ll be able to approach her right now. So there is no point with me staying here."

"You mean about Olivia?"

"Yeah."

There were always guards constantly staying around the saintess Olivia, and more importantly she also often came and go to various places like the palace or the temple.

Our investigation was rough going due to her moving around busily. "Even though it would be easy if Luxion is here." Marie looked worried at my grumbling.

"Say, is Luxion alright? He won’t turn traitor or anything?"

"I wonder?"

"Wait! I’m being serious here!"

"Hmm~, perhaps he won’t?"

"What do you mean perhaps huh?"

Marie was worrying about that, but I thought it was a waste of time worrying like that.

It would be instantly over for us if Luxion betrayed us.

We would surely get killed without being able to resist.

◇

At a room inside the palace.

There, Julius and others were surrounding Olivia who was wearing white wedding dress.

"You look pretty, Olivia."

"Thank you Julius."

The two of them were holding each other’s waist. The other men who were watching that were showing a sullen expression.

Greg forcefully interrupted the two who were inside their own world.

He looked somewhat fretful seeing the two of them flirting.

"Don’t get excited with just the two of you like that. Olivia, you are beautiful. Though if I can be honest, I wish that you will become my wife alone."

Chris gave a warning at Greg’s comment.

He fixed his glasses’ position while glaring at Greg.

"We have already talked about that many times right?" "I get it."

Greg showed a vexed expression. Olivia acted apologetically at him.

"I’m sorry Greg. I can’t choose just one from among you five. I better not choose anyone rather than choosing just one of you."

The relationship between Olivia and the five was one where Olivia would still have relationship with the other four even after she had married Julius formally.

Jilk followed up after Olivia.

"Please don’t be sad Olivia-san. Greg-kun is just being selfish. Also your highness too, please don’t monopolize Olivia-san like that." Julius frowned at Jilk’s words.

"I will never do anything that make Olivia sad." The five of them accepted this situation.

The only one who didn’t accept this situation was──Olivia who was loved by the five of them.

Although she was acting happy at the surface, she didn’t hide her disgust at the inside.

Rather the feeling that she harbored toward the five was hatred.

(All of them are idiots without exception. You five are still foolish like in the past even after so many generations has passed. I wouldn’t allow you five to even touch me if only Lea is here.)

Seeing the five chatting happily with each other reminded her of the past when she was the saintess.

Other than the five, there was her and one more young man who was in the position as the leader of everyone.

Julius and others were glaring at each other and holding each other back.

And then Brad brought up a new topic.

It was the topic about the party that also doubled as the celebration party for the volunteer army.

"Olivia’s wedding ceremony is of course important, but there is still the party before that."

Julius turned his gaze toward Brad and said "You’re right" in recollection.

"It seems that the party will be a grand on in order to celebrate our victory. After all it’s also an event to display the relationship between Olivia and me toward the academy students."

His voice was slightly louder when saying Olivia and me.

The fact that the royal family and the saintess were strongly connected could be shown from Olivia and him showing the students their intimacy.

But, Jilk gave a warning about his worry for the party.

"Has your highness forgotten about the uninvited guest?"

"Uninvited? Who do you mean?"

Jilk immediately answered Julius’s question.

"I mean Angelica of Redgrave house. There is the rumor that she seems strange since her engagement with your highness is called off. It’s dangerous to allow her to participate in the party."

The whole academy was excited by the announcement of Julius and Olivia’s engagement. The only one who harbored a grudge against them in such atmosphere was only Angelica.

Angelica had her engagement called off and she lost her standing. The five of them believed that she was surely resenting them.

Julius looked at Olivia.

"Don’t let Angelica participate in the party. Olivia, I’ll protect you."

"I’m so happy, Julius."

Olivia smiled. Underneath that smile was a gloating smirk.

(Angelica Rafa Redgrave──a girl from the bloodline that is connected to royal family Hohlfahrt. You shall fall into hell too. But you won’t be alone. After all I’m going to send the whole family of those who betrayed Lea with you.)

◇

[My name is Ann──there was also a time when I was called the saintess.] A floating island near the capital was used as a port.

Many flying ships were anchored there, but my Partner could also be found among them.

The saintess’s necklace was kept inside a room within Partner.

Marie and I came to check on it. There the resentment──no, Ann was telling us about the detail of what happened in the past.

She finally introduced herself after this late.

Marie sounded a bit surprised hearing the name of the legendary saintess.

"That’s unexpectedly a normal name. I thought it would be a longer and hard to remember name."

The first saintess who appeared in that otome game didn’t have name.

Marie looked a bit disappointed because the name was far too normal compared to her imagination.

[What are you expecting? In the first place we were only youths who we noble in name only who fled from house because we couldn’t succeed our family. Even our house status was near rock bottom. Our livelihood wasn’t any different from the commoner.] Reality was always tough.

But, Ann and her group still counted as lucky because they succeeded. Even so, talking with her didn’t feel talking with a saintess at all.

Was her personality somewhat rough because she was working as adventurer despite being a woman?

I cut off the idle talk and continued with the main topic.

"Forget about that, let’s get into the main topic. From your perspective, does Olivia-san looks like she is possessed or not?"

The most important topic was whether the current saintess Olivia-san was safe or not.

But Ann made a gesture that looked like she was shaking her head.

[To be honest I don’t know.]

The shadow that looked like a swaying flame professed that she didn’t know. It made Marie frustrated.

"Why don’t you know!?"

[It’s you two who should know better than me isn’t it? Can’t you two conclude it by yourself?]

We wouldn’t be this troubled if that was possible.

To begin with, Marie and I were in the category of poor noble and had no point of contact with Olivia-san at all.

Forget about deciding whether she was possessed or not, we didn’t even know how she usually acted.

I had played that otomege so much until I was fed up of it, but I think that understanding the characteristic of the main character that the player controlled was the most difficult thing to do.

It was pathetic but, I could only shake my head.

"I never really talked with her."

Marie also held her head in her wits’ end.

"I think that she seems strange but, I can also kinda agree if I’m told that’s how she normally act."

There were cases when something that seemed strange to Marie and me was actually something normal in this world.

The topic about casualties of war didn’t come out in the game, but in reality it was a hot topic that made us felt fed up listening to it.

In the end, both Marie and I didn’t know Olivia-san really well, so we couldn’t decide.

Also, despite claiming to be involved with the story, we weren’t at the center of it, though we also weren’t completely out of the loop.

"Will you be able to decide if you are near her Ann?"

[If I forced myself to approach her in my current condition, I’ll just get absorbed and that will be the end for me.]

I was thinking to have Ann explained the situation to Olivia-san in case she was possessed in order to make her stop with the revenge.

But, things just couldn’t be that simple.

Marie complained at Ann.

"They are like your offshoot right!? Do something about them then!"

[That’s exactly why we would get pulled toward each other. If that happen, we will only regain our original power and hatred. There won’t be any coming back from that.]

"There should be many other things that you can do, like persuading them for example!"

[We wouldn’t be reduced into this form if from the start we had the presence of mind to listen to other’s persuasion. It was because I had resentment that I went as far as leaving behind my resentment and power into the tools.]

What she said was reasonable.

Saintess Ann put her emotion together with the saintess’s power into the tools that she had.

But, there were three tools.

Both her resentment and power were also split into three.

It was troubling because we couldn’t just bring the saintess’s necklace, had a talk, and problem solved!

I made a suggestion to Ann.

"Won’t they calm down and listen to us if they see Marie and I who descended from Lea and Ann’s bloodlines? Even you were calming down from that right?"

The Ann in the necklace managed to regain her calm until we could talk with her because of that.

Then wouldn’t the same happen with the other tools?

That expectation of me was betrayed.

[In case that girl is possessed, the resentment inside her will be twice of mine. Besides if it is me who has obtained flesh body, it won’t be strange for her to get fixated with you who look similar like Lea. When that happen, she might remove anyone in her way, even if that person is her own descendant.] She would remove Marie, in order to obtain me?

Hearing that, I decided to avoid talking about my bloodline.

"That will be unpleasant. Let’s stop this talk about bloodline."

I showed my refusal. Marie also showed a strong agreement with me.

"Why do I have to hand over Leon! I’ll thoroughly crush her if she say something like that at me!"

Marie was enraged. What should I say to her here?

It was fine for me to think that she was getting angry for me right? ──I too didn’t want Marie to die and getting Olivia-san who was possessed by Ann as her substitute.

Ann was looking at us quite happily.

[You two are really close. I’m jealous.]

So it was impossible to do persuasion by using our bloodline as the reason. Both Marie and I thought for the next plan but──nothing come to mind.

Now then, what should we do now?

"I think I’ll be able to decide if I can somehow talk with Olivia-san though."

I pondered. At the same time Marie turned a doubting gaze toward me.

"You, were you that close with Olivia? Even if she is possessed, you won’t be able to notice if she act like she isn’t."

"Don’t be stupid. I’ll be able to see through something like that right away. She is a woman who is trying to destroy a country right? Surely she will make a villainous face."

I scoffed at Marie, then she suddenly made a dark expression and looked down.

And then, she pressed her hands on her stomach.

Did her stomach hurt because she ate too much at lunch? I got worried and called out at her.

"O-oi, what’s wrong?"

I called at her with a worried tone. Marie’s shoulders shook──then she suddenly bent back and pointed at me with her mouth opening wide in laughter.

"Stu~pid! You are tricked with just this much, it’s absolutely impossible for you to see through a woman who is putting on a mask."

"So you are deceiving me huh!"

It was a waste of time for me to feel worried for her, at the same time I was surprised because to me it looked like she was really feeling unwell.

This girl, wasn’t she too skilled with her acting?

That acting skill rivaled my little sister in my previous life.

Ann who was watching us looked somewhat nostalgic.

[Sorry to interrupt while you two are having fun, but in the end you two can only judge what’s going on by yourself. If Olivia isn’t possessed, you can negotiate with her to recover the too0ls.]

That would be the most ideal way to solve this matter.

But, Marie made a conflicted expression and said that would be difficult to do at the present time.

"Even if she isn’t possessed, it still doesn’t change the fact that it’s difficult to approach Olivia. The saintess’s tools are also considered as the temple’s treasures, will they really hand something like that to us? Besides, the five capture targets are also keeping a watchful eye at her surrounding, so

Leon will be refused if a boy like him try to approach her won’t it?"

Perhaps that sounded exaggerated but, the only male other than those five around Olivia-san was her personal servant Kyle.

Female knights were assigned to guard her. Male couldn’t approach her easily.

We would need to take care of a lot of procedures to have a meeting with her while the guards were constantly keeping a watch on her.

That strict security made the scouting robots that we borrowed from Luxion to only be able to gather information from afar.

Even though the robots would be able to approach closer more easily if only it was Luxion who controlled them.

"She is the crown prince’s fiancée after all. Not, that’s still just a plan though. Still, both Marie and I won’t be able to approach her easily." Even if we declared our wish to have a meeting with her, we would only be regarded as poor nobles who wished to curry favor with the saintess.

It would also be bad to try asking her "Could it be, you are Ann-chan?" at a place where the guards were present.

Also, the possibility that our request would be granted was low.

The only possibility for us at the current time was──.

"──Guess we can only approach her at the party."

A party would be held at the end of the term, but the party this time would be one that could be attended by students of all years.

Celebration for the graduation.

Celebration for the activity of the voluntary army in the war.

Celebration for the victory.

Anyway, everyone was going with the flow to make the party’s scale as large as possible to celebrate all those.

But, it still wouldn’t be easy to approach Olivia-san even in such party.

The other students would also want to approach his highness Julius and Olivia-san who became a saintess.

All of them would hold back and hinder each other. There would be a lot of problems.

In such situation, his highness Julius and the others would be wary to the male who approached Olivia-san.

"The difficulty is super high even just for approaching her." Marie nodded in agreement at my words.

"Yeah. But, we will be able to get closer if the other side gets interested with Leon."

I was a bit famous from defeating the black knight, so such thing was also possible.

But, it would be dangerous if I got too close and got found out as Lea’s descendant.

"I’d be finished if the other side get too interested though." I looked at Ann. She was looking at my face with narrowed eyes.

[But it will also be the proof that she is being possessed if she show a strong reaction at Leon.]

"So she will be innocent if she doesn’t show any reaction or her reaction is the same like before even if I get near her."

Would we somehow manage to get the answer if I got closer until a distance where I could check her reaction?

Even if I was a slightly famous person, I wouldn’t be able to easily approach Olivia-san who was a very important person in the kingdom right now.

Marie seemed to get some kind of idea.

"Ann! You realized that we are Lea and your descendant after seeing us right? Won’t she notice that too using her mysterious sensor if we get near her? We can watch for her reaction from that." Ann rejected Marie’s idea.

[She would prioritize using her five normal senses because she has flesh body now. I don’t think that she will notice you two just from getting closer. In the first place, there will be high possibility that you will get assassinated if she notice you two.]

"S-spare me from that. Wait, if that’s the case then it’ll be better to not get close to her at all!"

But if Olivia-san was really possessed, Saintess Ann would destroy the kingdom.

In the end our only choice was to approach her and check her reaction.

And then Ann asked both of us.

[More importantly, if that girl called Olivia is really being possessed by my resentment──have you thought of how to deal with it?]

──Rather I wanted you to tell us if there was a way to solve something like that.

"I want to rely on you about that though?"

[It would be easier if that round thing is helping with that though.] We wouldn’t have this much trouble if Luxion was here. I really thought so.

◇

And then several days after that.

I was walking in a corridor of the academy with Marie. A boy approached us there.

The one walking with his long green hair slightly swaying behind him was Jilk who had on a sharp gaze.

Marie stepped back to diagonally behind me. She showed a weary face just for a moment.

"It looks like he has a business with you."

"Looks like it."

Jilk’s gaze was fixed on me.

He stopped when he got near and smiled mockingly after looking at my face.

It looked like I was hated.

"Bartfalt-kun, are you planning to join the party with that kind of face?"

"Are you saying that ugly person cannot come to the party? That’s discriminatory."

Was he planning to say that only handsome people could join the party?

Marie pinched on my sleeve and pulled from diagonally behind me where Jilk couldn’t see her.

She talked to me with a small voice.

"He must mean the wound."

It seemed that she got timid in the presence of a handsome guy.

I made a forced cough and replied while scratching my head.

"Do you want to say that war wound isn’t fitting for the party? There are a lot of other seriously wounded people right? Besides, I’m going to hide it so there shouldn’t be any problem."

There were even a lot of boys who lost their arm or leg.

There were also boys who lost their limbs in war and had to live on wheelchair from here on.

Those who could return to the academy were still lucky.

After all there were also boys who couldn’t even more from their bed in hospital.

Jilk shook his head.

"I believe that is a wound of honor, but there are also a lot of female students who dislike seeing something like that. Please participate after making your appearance presentable. I recommend wearing a mask."

"Mask?"

"Yes, with that you won’t need to display your ugly face right? And it will be more elegant than wearing bandage. I won’t mind you participating in the party if you wear a mask. How about using this? It’s my recommendation."

He had purposefully prepared a mask for me? I received the mask and tore off the wrapping. Inside was a mask that I had seen from somewhere before.

──Wasn’t this the mask of the masked knight who sometimes would come to help in the game?

Why did Jilk have something like this?

Such question whirled inside my head while Jilk was chuckling.

It looked like he was smiling, but that was a laugh that sounded like he was making fun of me.

"Surely that mask is suitable for you. Well then, I’m looking forward to the day of the party."

Jilk said that and left.

I spat my words at that back.

"Sorry that I’m ugly."

Marie was exasperated seeing my attitude, even so she was worried about the scar on my face.

"He really said something horrible. More importantly, I wonder why did he prepare something like a mask? Looking closer, it’s really an ugly mask."

"I agree."

The mask of the masked knight──looking carefully at it, it made me thought that this thing was a bit ugly.

Marie considered the reason of why Jilk carried this mask.

"He intentionally prepared this mask, could it be that there are some girls who complained?"

"We had antagonized them since before after all, so perhaps it can’t be helped? But for me to not be allowed to enter the party if not with this mask──well, there is no problem I guess."

I wanted to meet Olivia-san, so I put on the mask.

◇

After finishing his business with Leon, Jilk returned to the exclusive house that was prepared for Olivia in the academy.

It couldn’t be called a mansion, but it was a special space that was filled with expensive furniture.

At the surrounding, female knights that were few in number in Hohlfahrt Kingdom were stationed.

The female knights existed in order to protect the royal family. They were few in number which made them very precious.

This was also the proof of how much Hohlfahrt Kingdom treasured Olivia.

When Jilk returned there, he found Greg sitting on a sofa.

"How was it?"

"I have warned him properly."

"I see. Even so, I never expected that Olivia would get interested at

Bartfalt."

Before the party, Olivia investigated the academy students who caught her interest.

She planned to create connection with them using this party as a chance, but Leon’s name was listed among them.

Jilk and others wouldn’t panic if that was all.

Although it wasn’t done in one-on-one fight, it was still Leon of Bartfalt House who defeated that black knight.

It wasn’t just Olivia who got interested. Julius was also the same.

But, the talk became tangled due to the strong interest that Olivia displayed.

Jilk let out a small sigh.

"I don’t want to imagine Olivia-san getting interested to other man than us."

It was a happening of several days ago.

◇

"Leon──Bartfalt?"

Olivia who was looking at the name register in her room stopped her hand and traced one name with her finger several times.

It seemed that she was curious with the surname Bartfalt.

Julius who was also doing the party preparation together with Olivia noticed her strange condition.

"That’s the third son of Bartfalt House who defeated the black knight. He is a boy who also led a volunteer army and fought like me. I’m thinking to set aside a time to talk with him in the party but──is there something about him that bother you?"

Olivia shook her head.

"It’s nothing. Even so, it’s amazing that he defeated that famous black knight. Now I’m also interested. Say, Julius."

"W-what?"

For some reason Julius couldn’t tolerate that Olivia was showing interest to other man than them.

It looked like Olivia was interested to Leon personally rather than his achievement of defeating the black knight. A feeling of jealousy was budding in him.

"I want to talk with him no matter what. Prioritize him at the party okay?

It will be better if the time can be as long as possible too."

"Priority? No, he is just a baron you know? His elder brother is a count, but his backer is Roseblade House. They aren’t hostile toward me, but they also aren’t an ally. Certainly I wish to get along with him, but he is also not someone that we should spend too much time with."

As someone who defeated the black knight, Leon should be a fighting strength that Julius had to secure with utmost priority.

That was his intention, but his personal feeling got in the way of that due to the interest that Olivia showed.

He was acting emotionally to not allow Leon to approach Olivia.

"Oh? It was Julius who said that faction doesn’t matter right? It’s important for you to get close with the knight who defeated the black knight you know?"

Olivia said that before dropping a gaze that was filled with affection at the register.

She was tracing the Bartfalt surname many times with her finger.

"Y-you’re right. ──Thinking of the future, he is a man who we should have as ally. I-I’ll talk to Jilk about it later. I’ll especially make a time for him at the day of the party."

"Please do."

Olivia smiled at Julius, but Julius couldn’t help but feel like that expression seemed faked compared to before.

(──Olivia, why are you making that kind of face? Are you really that curious of Bartfalt?)

◇

──Jilk recalled the time when Julius consulted him about that matter in panic.

"How troublesome Olivia-san is. But, her capriciousness is also really charming."

To fall in love is to lose. Perhaps it was just like that saying, she was thinking of everything that Olivia did in positive light.

Greg was also the same. He didn’t show any sign of criticizing Olivia’s capriciousness.

"I’ll just make her turn toward me again soon after this."

The two of them were acting composed like that, but they were also showing uneasiness somewhere in their act.

Because of that, they made Leon wore mask at the day of the party.

They also planned to make up various excuses at the party to get in his way of meeting Olivia.

Even so Greg was still showing uneasiness.

"──Rather than that, will Olivia really lose interest just by making that guy wear a mask?"

Jilk toyed with his hair tip using his fingers while answering.

"I handed him an ugly mask, so surely Olivia-san too will lose interest after seeing him. I also spread a rumor that he has a terrible wound that is unpleasant to look at."

"At this point? There are already a lot of guys who know just what kind of wound Bartfalt has right?"

"We can just say that his wound has worsened. Everyone will also think so when they see him hiding his face in the party. No, it doesn’t matter what others think as long as Olivia-san think so."

"What the crowds are thinking doesn’t matter huh." Like this, Leon ended up wearing a mask.

◇

At the day of the party.

Girls who dressed up themselves were standing out at the party venue.

They all were wearing gaudy dresses that attracted attention regardless whether they were graduating students or junior students.

But──it was really sad. The number of the boys was few.

We the poor nobles were gathering around a table that was prepared at the corner of the party venue while watching that sight together.

Marie was looking after her girl friends at some distance away from us.

"Marie-chan, I want to sit down already."

The one who looked like she wanted to cry while saying that was the petite girl who was usually holding a book in her arms.

"This is a buffet party, so endure it! If you really need to sit down, there is a chair near the wall so──wait, don’t head there right away! The party has just started!"

At other place, the girl who liked to draw sat down and took out a sketch book.

Marie confiscated the sketch book.

"Don’t draw in the party!"

"Give it back! I promise I’ll also eat!"

"Are you planning to draw while eating!? I absolutely won’t allow that!"

"At least just the sketch!"

"I said no!"

When I looked at another direction, I could see a girl sneaking to under the table with a pillow in her arms.

She had also prepared a plate that was piled up with food. It seemed she was planning to spend her time under the table during the party.

But Marie stopped her.

She confiscated the pillow. The girl reached out with her hands. "Where did you bring this pillow from!"

"G-give it back. You told me that I only need to come to the party."

"Just who gave you permission to slip under the table!?"

I smiled wryly seeing Marie and others being lively. Then Daniel talked to me.

"We are still the same as usual huh."

I nodded at Daniel’s opinion before turning my gaze to the gaudy girl.

"Nothing wrong with that. Or are you saying that you want to join over there?"

"Spare me from that. Even so, the atmosphere this year is different."

"Certainly."

The reason I agreed with that was simple.

The number of boy was too few that only a few girls got called out during the party.

Among them there were also girls who were competing to see how many boys would call out to them, so they were irritated by the situation.

"Won’t anyone call out to them?"

"The number of participant is so few. Are there a lot of people who don’t come to the party?"

"Stupid. Most of the boys who doesn’t come has died in battle or cannot get out of hospital from serious wounds."

Boys going around calling out to the dressed up girls──such sight was few that the scenery looked different than usual.

Daniel and Raymond had gotten engaged with the girls who Marie introduced to them, so they had no more need to call out to the girls.

There was no need for the two of them to be panicking. They could just watch the party venue without doing anything.

But, the main stars of the party this time was his highness Julius and Olivia-san.

A lot of people gathered around the two of them. A line was formed just to give a greeting to them.

Even now a female student was currently exchanging a greeting with his highness Julius.

"Your highness, please tell me about your achievements with the volunteer army!"

The girl tried to keep talking with his highness Julius after the greeting, but his highness only smiled.

Jilk who was at his side smartly led away the female student.

"My apologies. The next person is still waiting, so please ask for his highness’s heroic tale at the next chance."

"Eh, no way!"

Like that his highness exchanged greeting with the next person in line.

It was tiring just watching such sight. I let my true feeling slipped out.

"They have it hard even though they are at a party. I’m glad I’m someone from this side."

Daniel seemed to agree too. He was smiling.

"Yeah."

I cut off the conversation and observed Olivia-san.

She looked like she had put much effort into her dress and makeup. She was continuously smiling and greeting the other students.

She really looked like a noble like that.

──Now then, which one was her? Was she the real one, or was she Ann who was swearing revenge to this country?

While I was pondering the answer, Raymond approached me.

"Leon, it’ll be better if you stay with Marie-san."

"Why?"

When I looked toward Marie, she seemed busy looking after her close friends.

"Look over there."

Raymond guided my gaze toward some girls who were looking toward me.

I could hear their conversation.

"What’s that mask?"

"It seems that his face wound has worsened."

"But, he is still better from among that group isn’t he?"

They were turning appraising gazes toward me. I then noticed that such gaze also came from several other places. "──What kind of joke is this?" Raymond let out a sigh.

"Your mask looks more like a joke though. But, about those girls’ conversation, in short it’s because Leon is the most successful person here due to your victory over the black knight. The number of boy has also decreased, so they are considering you as a marriage partner."

"I’m not the one who prepared this mask. It was Jilk who gave it to me."

The mask of the masked knight seemed to be unpopular based on the reaction of my surrounding.

It wasn’t a mask that I chose myself, but it was irritating that it made my fashion senses to be in doubt.

"What you should pay attention to from our talk is how they are considering you as marriage partner you know?"

"I’m engaged with Marie so I can’t marry them."

"Those girls don’t give a damn about something like that. After all Mariesan’s house has been crushed. They’ll just make up some excuse to get closer to you."

"There are many other men──no, I see."

I noticed just as I was about to say it. The fact that too many male in our generation had died.

It wasn’t just the students.

Besides, the war was still continuing.

The number of man would keep decreasing from here.

It seemed the girls were sensing that and planned to compromise with the boys who were here.

Next year too there would be many boys who enrolled, but for the third year students this would be their last chance. Not to mention that next year there would also be many girls who enrolled.

There would be no changing the fact that the competition rate was high.

"My popularity period has come because of such unpleasant reason."

"It’s really troubling. Even I have received invitation from them several times."

"Eh? I never heard about that."

"That’s because I never told you."

It seemed that Daniel and Raymond and others got called out by girls while Marie and I weren’t in the academy.

I was really jealous at them, but hearing their story made me bewildered.

"──They told us that they won’t mind getting invited by us to a tea party. Then when I told them that I couldn’t do that because I already have a fiancée, they said [How dare you refuse my invitation!]"

"O-ou"

Should I make a retort here that something like that wasn’t an invitation at all?

◇

Olivia was talking with a smile toward the students who came to greet her.

Right now she was talking with a heir of a viscount house.

"It’s a great honor to be able to be at the saintess’s presence like this. This life of mine has been saved many times during my time with the volunteer army. My many thanks. I hope this life can be useful for the sake of your highness and saintess-sama!"

The man was talking fluently. Olivia responded to him with a smile.

"I hope that you will keep supporting his highness Julius from here on too."

(A man who only ran around in the battlefield is acting like a hero in this place. It’s a useless man like you who should be at Julius’s side. ──Now then, I want to meet with Bartfalt already.)

She couldn’t even take off her gaze from her talking partner and only caught sight of Leon during the interval.

He was a male student wearing a mask, so he stood out, but she was unable to grasp his atmosphere because of the distance.

(That mask, is it from that time? But, I don’t want to believe that guy is

Bartfalt. In the first place, the masked knight shouldn’t be a student.) Olivia talked to Julius.

"Julius, we should call Bartfalt-san soon──"

"I’m sorry Olivia. We should talk with the next person first. I have prepared a lot of time to talk with him later."

Julius had exchanged a greeting with the next person, so Olivia could only follow after him.

(The planning is bad. No, is it intentional?)

Olivia noticed that Julius and others had a strange atmosphere, but then she heard Brad’s voice.

It seemed that he was arguing with someone who was cutting into the line.

"Wait a second!"

The girl shook free from Brad. Chris clicked his tongue seeing that.

"Just what is he doing."

He was partly angry at Brad who allowed the girl to cut in, but it seemed he was also irritated at the one who was cutting into the line.

Olivia approached Julius and showed a slightly scared look.

But, she couldn’t stop laughing inside her heart.

(It’s good that you come──Angelica.)

◇

"Move aside!"

Angelica appeared wearing a red dress. She pushed aside the other students and stood in front of Olivia and Julius.

Olivia leaped to Julius’s chest and showed a scared expression. Seeing that caused blood to rush into Angelica’s head.

"What saintess. You are just a country destroying witch!" Angelica’s voice echoed clearly inside the party venue.

Those weren’t words that should be said toward the saintess who was considered as an important existence in Hohlfahrt Kingdom.

The surrounding became noisy hearing that, but Angelica ignored that and declared.

"Just what are you thinking, joining hand with Marquis Frampton like that?"

Angelica reached out toward Olivia, but Julius brushed away that hand.

"Angelica, you dare to call Olivia a witch? Take back those words immediately! Don’t think that you can be forgiven for that even if you are a duke’s daughter."

Tears spilled out from Angelica’s eyes seeing the enraged Julius.

It wasn’t just Julius who didn’t hide his anger.

Jilk and others were also standing in front of Angelica in order to protect Olivia.

"Your highness, there is no need for her to take back her words. However, we should hold Angelica-san responsible for it." Chris also agreed with that opinion.

"That’s good. We won’t be able to accept it even if she take back her words at this point."

Brad who was pushed aside by Angelica also looked unforgiving.

He tidied up his messed up attire while sending a strict gaze toward Angelica.

"Even if you are from a duke house, don’t you know that there are still things that cannot be done? Your action is lacking in elegance."

Last Greg was showing an atmosphere as though he was going to hit Angelica any time soon.

"If you are a man, I’d already punch you flying. ──Disappear. Don’t show your face in front of Olivia anymore."

Olivia was protected by the five, but she then intentionally sported a smirk on her face so that Angelica could see it.

And then, she immediately changed her expression back to look fearful and acted like a courageous female student facing off against the duke’s daughter.

"U-umm. Even if you are the duke’s daughter, I think there are still things that you cannot do. Please, don’t do anything like this anymore."

The way she spoke made it sounded like she had been tormented all this time by Angelica.

It made Angelica’s blood boiled. She gritted her teeth and calmed herself for the moment.

"So all of you has been completely cajoled already. ──Your highness, please open your eyes. That woman isn’t a weak woman like what your highness think. She is a dangerous existence that will destroy this country. Please think carefully. Since your highness met that woman, there are many things that your highness has lost. No, there has been nothing but lost for Hohlfahrt Kingdom. The faction that should be your highness’s supporter has vanished, and many students who went to the battlefield as volunteer soldiers have been lost. Please look at this place. Don’t you think anything about it!?" Even Angelica’s desperate pleading didn’t reach Julius.

"My faction? You mean Redgrave House’s faction right? Besides, nothing has been lost. My comrades who died are still here even now. They will keep fighting together with me even from now on, here inside my heart!"

Julius’s fist hit his chest and said that his comrades who died in battle were together with him.

The venue heated up hearing those words.

"His highness banzai!"

"That’s right. Their souls are together with us even now!"

"Angelica doesn’t have any noble pride. To think that she is scared to shed her blood like that."

Angelica glared at the noisy female students.

The girls who got glared immediately averted their gaze in fear.

(Pride? I’m here giving this advice because I have pride. I’m here alone because I want his highness to open his eyes.)

Angelica looked into Julius’s eyes.

Those eyes weren’t clear and transparent like before.

"Your highness──I’m not saying to not fight in order to protect the country. But, what’s the point for the students to pointless throw away their life like that?"

Originally students should participate in war.

But, Angelica’s words incurred the wrath of Julius.

"Pointless? Pointless you say!? Are you making my comrades into a mockery!?"

"No. I’m saying that it still wasn’t their time to fight──" There was someone who cut in between the arguing duo.

──It was Olivia.

Olivia approached Angelica and grabbed her right hand with both her hands.

"Angelica-san."

"W-what are you doing! L-let go!?"

Angelica was bewildered by the action of her enemy Olivia. She was flustered.

She tried to shake her off, but Olivia’s grip was strong.

(H-how can she be this strong_

Angelica was surprised by Olivia’s strength that was even stronger than Brad just now. The Olivia talked to her with a kind tone.

"Let’s stop it already. Won’t you please reconcile with me?"

"──Ha?"

Just what was this woman saying to her? Angelica’s understanding couldn’t catch up with the situation. Olivia continued talking at the same time.

"I think it can’t be helped that Angelica-san is angry. But, I love Julius and everyone. I don’t think that can be forgiven. But, I think that we can still reconcile!"

Even though her voice wasn’t loud at all, it echoed clearly through the party venue.

Ange immediately tried to reject her, but Olivia didn’t allow her to interrupt.

After hearing what Olivia said, the surrounding was showing acceptance for some reason.

"The saintess is so kind, she will even forgive such rudeness."

"A certain duke’s daughter should learn from her example."

"To think that she would be the one who bring up the offer of reconciliation, not just anybody can do such thing." Angelica couldn’t understand.

(What is this girl saying? After stealing his highness from me, she is telling me that she can’t return him, but let’s reconcile? Is she seriously thinking that she will be forgiven with that? Besides──why is everyone else agreeing with that?)

Even though what Olivia said was something completely unacceptable, the surrounding was saying things like "The saintess is so kind!".

She should be the one in the right. ──It should be like that.

But, Angelica realized that the surrounding was growing insane.

Angelica held the white glove that she secretly carried in her left hand.

The surrounding was dumbfounded by Angelica’s action. During that time Olivia was the only one who was smiling eerily.

Angelica was the only one who could see that.

Angelica threw the white glove at Olivia.

The white glove hit Olivia, and then the sound of it falling on the floor resounded.

"──Pick it up, witch."

(She is the only one, I’ll definitely drag her down even if it cost me my life. That is, the very least──that I can do for his highness at the end──)

Her action was for Julius’s sake, but there was nobody in this place who understood that.

Olivia let go of Angelica’s hand and stepped back unsteadily.

"Why? Do you really hate me so much? Even though I──want to get along with Angelica-san."

Angelica let out her words to herself when she heard that shameless line.

"──This monster"

◇

The party venue became noisy.

We who were quite far away from the scene couldn’t see what was going on.

We could only hear the voices of the onlookers and the yelling that sometimes burst out.

"How dare she act like that to the saintess!"

"Cut down that insolent person right away!"

"No, capture her! It will be too kind to just kill her in this place!"

I listened to the jeers that the onlookers threw at Angelica-san while looking at Marie who had come to my side and pulling at my uniform without me noticing.

"Could it be, it’s the duel event?"

Marie guessed what was going on from the murderous atmosphere of the venue. She ws showing a slightly fearful look.

"P-perhaps. But, isn’t everyone too scary? They are yelling things like kill, capture, or violate. The atmosphere is just strange."

Array of words that would never be said no matter what if it was in the school of our previous life were being displayed right now.

All the lines were extreme things that weren’t suitable for otome game. It made me got a headache.

And then his highness Julius’s voice resounded at the end.

"We accept the duel just as you want! But, Angelica──the five of us will be your opponent. You better prepare your representatives before the day of the duel!"

After his highness Julius’s enraged voice resounded, the five capture targets surrounded Olivia-san and they left the building together.

I got the feeling that she looked at me during that time.

But, the students who remained in the venue surrounded Angelica-san who was left behind and they continued to shower her with abusive words.

Among them──there were even some who were throwing food.

Daniel became uneasy seeing such sight.

"W-why are they going that far? The other side is a duke’s daughter!" Raymond was shaken and asked me.

"Wha-, w-w-w-what should we do, Leon!?"

I wanted to run away from here, but we also couldn’t leave her alone in this place. So I decided to collect her.

"All of us are going to rush into there and save Angelica-san." Daniel’s gaze darted around.

"Is that alright? That means picking a fight with his highness you know?

Won’t it look like that we are also opposing him?" Marie kicked the butt of the hesitating Daniel.

"Don’t just dawdle if you are a man, we’re going to collect her right now!

Follow me men!"

Marie started running, so I hurriedly followed after her.

"Why are you the one running at the front! Come back! No, I’m really begging you here so come back!?"

My comrades who were in the same group, dozens of people also chased after us into the circle of students.

◇

After saving Angelica-san, we sheltered her in a cabin of Partner.

After doing something like that, hiding in the student dormitory would be too dangerous with the current condition within the academy.

Angelica-san had turned almost everyone within the academy into her enemy. She was sitting on a chair with her dirty dress while hanging her head down.

There was no strong-willed personality like before that could be seen from her. She was simply in a daze.

Her eyes also weren’t focused on anything at all.

Both Marie and I were battered after saving Angelica-san.

A part of our clothes was torn. There were also stains from thrown foods on them.

The only thought on our mind before this was just to evacuate to Partner.

Now we needed to think what we would do after this.

Angelica-san was muttering to herself.

"Your highness, that woman is a monster. Even then why won’t you realize that? I’m──if it’s for your highness’ sake──if it’s for this country’s sake──"

Angelica-san was mentally cornered. Marie told me to get out of the room seeing that.

"I’ll change her clothes for now, so get out of the room. Give some explanation to the others too."

When we ran away from that place, we also led the comrades from our group to here.

We asked them to rest in Partner’s cabins for now.

"I get it."

I obediently went outside the cabin and walked through the corridor. Then a voice suddenly called out from behind.

[Leon.]

"Hyaih!?"

The one who called me in this empty corridor was Ann. "D-don’t startle me like that! That was scary." My heart was racing hard.

[──You are completely similar like Lea in that aspect too.]

"Eh?"

[Even though he didn’t fear any monster, he wasn’t good at all with ghost or scary story.]

"Y-you’re wrong! I’m not scared with something like that at all!"

[Even the way you deny it is similar. It even makes me question whether you’re actually his reincarnation.]

The black shadow shook in amusement, but for me something like that was impossible so I denied it.

"Too bad. I have memory of my past life, but it’s not Lea’s at all."

[That’s too bad. ──I called out to you because I have something to talk about.]

"Talk?"

[That girl called Angelica, she is really similar with me.]

"That’s unexpected."

I completely thought that the one she was similar with was Olivia-san.

For some reason Olivia-san fit my image of saintess more than Angelica- san! That was what I felt.

Well, that was just my own assumption though.

[Listen to what I’m saying properly.]

"No, I’m listening already. You are saying that Angelica-san is similar to you right?"

[That’s right. And going from there, it’s possible that she also might do something that cannot be undone just like me.]

"No, there’s no way that will happen. It won’t right?"

[That girl is really similar with the past me. Her temperament is also close to me. It will be dangerous to leave her alone.]

Ann went as far as becoming a living grudge to destroy a country.

Someone like her called someone as really similar with her.

Would Angelica-san do something that was at the same level like Ann?

I thought that she would just simply exit the stage like in that otome game though?

Ann asked me.

[And, what are you going to do after this? That girl challenged Olivia to a duel right? All the men who follow her around are oddly the descendant of the trashes who betrayed Lea. I have high hope for you.]

"What hope?"

[If it’s Lea, he will surely crush those guys.]

"I’m not that extreme. Besides, me participating in that duel is──no, wait a second."

Knowing that my ancestor was far more hot-blooded than I imagined made me reconfirmed that I was definitely a different person than him. It was then.

I got an idea to solve this matter in a more intellectual and smarter way.

I’d show Ann that I was different from my hot-blooded ancestor.

"I’ll make use of this duel smartly and obtain the trust of his highness

Julius and others. At the same time I’ll also be able to have a meeting with

Olivia-san after that."

[──What are you planning to do?]

Ann’s eyes that were shining inside the shadow narrowed and she asked my strategy but──for some reason, it felt like she was doubting me.

"I’ll nominate myself as Angelica-san’s representative in the duel." [That’s not all right?]

"Naturally. I don’t want to pick a fight with the future king and queen. But, my popularity from defeating the black knight should be tempting for that side too, don’t you think so? If they defeat me who defeated the black knight, people will go, his highness Julius is so amazing!"

I told her that I intended to nominate myself as the duel representative, but I planned to lose right from the start.

Ann looked really dissatisfied.

[Arroganz is it? With your armor, it should be easy to defeat those five.]

"What’s the point winning in a kiddie duel like that? What I consider a victory is gaining a result that satisfy me in the end."

I declared with my head held high that I wasn’t fixated with victory that was right before my eyes. And Ann’s reaction was──. [You are really similar with Lea.] ──She said something like that.

No way. Was my ancestor also a type of person who wasn’t fixated with small victory?

◇

After deciding the course of action, one should act on it immediately.

I returned to the academy alone and visited his highness Julius.

When I arrived at the house that was prepared inside the academy, I got surrounded by his highness Julius and the others. They were giving off a cold atmosphere.

I was in the drawing room talking to the five who were carrying weapon with a dangerous atmosphere.

Then his highness Julius got interested with my suggestion.

"So you are going to participate in the duel as Angelica’s representative and then lose against me?"

"Yes."

Although the black knight was defeated in a joint effort, defeating me who was involved in that was an attractive proposal for his highness Julius.

But Jilk was glaring at me.

"Please tell us what is your intention in allying yourself with Angelicasan. Why are you nominating yourself for that kind of disadvantageous position?"

From their perspective, they couldn’t believe that I would dirty my military fame by myself or allying myself with Angelica-san.

I also thought so.

I was secretly maneuvering like this because I had the knowledge from the game.

They wouldn’t believe me even if I said that to them, so I made up an excuse.

"It’s because having this military fame that is unbefitting for me has been bringing me a lot of trouble. I’m even called an ugly man and made to wear a mask because the girls dislike me. I’ll be happier if I don’t stand out."

When I said that to Jilk, he seemed to feel my sarcasm and averted his gaze.

I continued with a small sigh.

"Also, I don’t want to make this matter to be too complicated. That’s my honest feeling. We are still in the middle of war, it will be troublesome to get into a quarrel with Redgrave House in such time won’t it?"

I wasn’t good with political matter, but they should be troubled to get into an unnecessary quarrel like this in the middle of war.

But, Brad scoffed at my words.

"It looks like you’re poorly informed about the politic aren’t you? For Redgrave House, Angelica is a just a large weak point right now. They shouldn’t even have any strength to make any opposition. Rather we can use this matter to greatly reduce their strength for after the war, we’re welcoming this development instead."

It seemed I was mistaken.

But, I was convinced that these five would accept my offer.

When I turned my gaze to Greg and Chris, they were looking at me even though they understood what Brad was talking about.

No, rather than me, they were looking at the achievement that they would get from defeating me, I guess?

From where they were standing, this was a chance to obtain a great achievement of defeating strong knight.

It seemed that his highness Julius also felt the same. His lips were loosening.

"So you want to tell us to forgive Redgrave House?"

"This is an internal matter of the academy, so it will be great if it’s also resolved within the academy. I’m not asking for anything further than that, and I’m also not in the faction of the duke. I’m just a countryside noble." From the perspective of countryside noble, the country getting into needless conflict was just troublesome.

"Someone in my position is unrelated with the political strife in the palace. Please feel free to do whatever you want if it doesn’t involve us."

The five were suspicious at my action, but they bit at the bait I offered.

"──Very well. The duel format will be five versus one. If you keep winning and get defeated by me at the end, I’ll keep this matter from spreading to outside."

"Your highness, you are going to accept that condition!?"

Jilk hurriedly tried to stop his highness Julius when he accepted my offer.

But──his highness had become blinded by love even more than I imagined.

"If I can win against Bartfalt, Olivia will be even more in love with me right? Compared to that, the matter with Angelica is just something trivial." Jilk smiled a little when he heard that.

"──He might get defeated first before your highness can get a turn you know?"

"Jilk?"

Jilk would defeat me before his highness Julius’s turn came and obtained the military fame for himself──it looked like he wanted to show his own worth to Olivia-san.

The other men were also the same.

"You two won’t even get a turn! I’ll be the one who defeat Bartfalt!"

Greg said that while punching his palm, then Chris looked at him with a cool gaze.

"You won’t have any turn. Because I’m the one who is going to take down Bartfalt."

Brad also joined this talk after a slight delay.

"E-even I won’t lose! Then, let’s decide who will be the first one to fight

Bartfalt. However, his highness is the general so his turn will be last." His highness Julius stood up in panic hearing that.

"That’s unfair you guys!"

The five of them forgot my existence and started to get heated up by themselves, so I gave my last condition.

"Umm~, there is also something that I wish to ask if the duel is concluded safely."

"What?"

His highness Julius was looking at me with an annoyed look, but this was the only thing that I couldn’t concede.

"When everything is over, please allow me to meet with the saintess."

"A meeting with Olivia? Why is that?"

"It’s just so that I can bring a story home that I have talked with the saintess herself directly. It’s something that I’ll be able to brag about for my whole life won’t it?"

When I said that I had no other intention, the five looked at each other ──and they finally decided their answer after a while.

"Very well. But, don’t you dare try anything strange with Olivia."

"But of course."

I shrugged and left that place.

──Seeing those five acting like that after seeing Angelica-san’s depressed figure left a weight in my mind.

I got out of the room, then I left the house, before I muttered when I was alone.

"Now then, guess I’ll work hard holding back."

◇

At the day of the duel.

Marie was watching the arena from the audience seat.

"That stupid Leon. He just decided everything by himself without talking it with me."

When Marie learned about it, the duel with Julius and the other four had already been decided.

And then, Marie was told about how this duel was just a fixed match.

Beside Marie, there was Angelica who got dark circles under her eyes.

She was looking down at the arena and watched Leon with bloodshot eyes.

"I’ll definitely win if it’s with Bartfalt who has defeated the black knight. That’s right, everything will return to normal if I win. I’ll be able to separate his highness from that monster."

Angelica had a ghastly aura around her. Marie was somewhat scared by that.

(It will be bad if I tell her that Leon is planning to lose right from the start isn’t it? We have also prepared countermeasure beforehand, but will it make it in time?)

Leon only told Angelica that he would become her representative for the duel.

A purple armor entered the arena and the audiences were reeled up.

"That’s Brad-sama’s armor!"

"How wonderful!"

"Compared to that, Bartfalt’s armor is as ugly as his mask." Brad’s armor had slender figure and a distinctive pointy head.

In contrast, Arroganz was a completely different type of armor in the first place. It was too large and looked clumsy.

But, Marie had sometimes looked after Arroganz too, so she was enraged hearing what the other girls said.

"Who was it who talked trash about my cute Arroganz! Come out here to get punched!"

Marie stood up, but her girl friends who were sitting around her held her down.

"Marie-chan, calm down!"

Angelica didn’t even pay attention to that ruckus around her.

The way she looked at Arroganz that Leon was riding was eerie.

"Olivia──just you wait, I’ll definitely unmask your true nature."

◇

At the day of the duel.

For some reason I──was made to participate wearing mask.

I displayed my masked self before I boarded Arroganz before the duel began.

[Angelica challenged the saintess Olivia-sama to a duel! The one who nominated himself to be her representative for that is the “masked knight” who defeated the principality’s black knight, Leon Fou Bartfalttttttttttt!!]

The announcer spoke bombastically to heat up the venue. The audiences responded to that and booed at me.

I was in the villain role in this place for allying myself with Angelica-san.

"Forget about that, what’s the deal with calling me masked knight? Why am I the masked knight huh."

Nobody listened to my grumbling, but Arroganz who was standing at my side answered.

[Master is the masked knight. Arroganz has memorized it.]

"You don’t need to memorize it. I’m not the masked knight."

Come to think of it, the identity of the masked knight in that otome game stayed mysterious until the end.

I wonder where was the real thing?

Then, the introduction for Brad who was standing dozens of meter ahead of me began.

[At the other side is our representative, Brad Fou Field! He is the eldest son of Margrave Field and the number one magician in the academy! He is also one of the saintess’s guardian!]

Brad’s introduction was passionate, the announcer even tacked “our” when mentioning him.

It seemed that even the announcer was my enemy.

Brad waved his hand to respond to the cheers from the audiences.

"Thank you. Everyone, watch my fight and sear it into your memory."

Then Brad turned his gaze at me and he pointed the red rose that he was holding.

"Not only your mask, but even your nickname has no flair. It’s my victory in both appearance and flair."

"It was you guys who handed me this mask and prepared that nickname you know? That just sounds sad, so don’t say something like that from your own end."

"Y-you’re wrong! It wasn’t me who prepared them. It was Jilk!"

[Then, both sides please enter your armor! The holy duel shall begin after this!]

The announcer stopped our talk and we got into our armor.

After I entered Arroganz’s cockpit, it was like my body got sucked into the seat and fixed in place.

When I grasped the control stick, Arroganz talked to me.

[Master, this is a fixed game. Arroganz, will lose skillfully.]

It seemed that Arroganz also intended to lose intentionally, but it would be a bit problematic to lose against someone like Brad.

"We’re winning this one. Don’t go too far okay?"

[Arroganz, will work hard holding back.]

"Now then, I wonder how far I should keep winning."

Even if I was going to lose, the way it was done had to be correct.

Losing easily would be problematic in its own way.

It would still be better if it just made me got called weak, but others would suspect that this was a fixed game if I lost too blatantly.

No, there was no denying that this was a fixed game though.

I had to “perform a good match” so that others wouldn’t suspect anything.

After both sides finished preparing, a weapon shot out from Arroganz’s backpack.

The weapon that was shot above me fell down and I grabbed it with the right hand.

That weapon was a battle axe.

It was a sinister battle axe that looked like a bat with its wings spread wide open. Its appearance was truly like a villain’s weapon.

The surrounding sent their cheers to Brad while hurling abuses at me.

[Brad-sama, beat up that guy right away!]

[Just kill that traitorous masked knight!]

There were even guys who said horrible words like kill.

──I’d take a small revenge at them later. For sure!

[Then begin!]

When the announcer proclaimed the beginning of the duel, Brad took a spear on the back of his armor──a cone shaped lance that was specialized for thrusting and he rushed toward me.

I backed down while deflecting his thrust with my axe.

[There is still moreeeee!]

Brad got really into it and repeated his thrust. I dodged them or deflected them.

"He can move better than I thought."

Brad was weak in close quarter combat in that otome game. He had really given me a hard time.

After all that was it for him if an enemy got close.

It was nostalgic how I formed various tactics in order to allow him to fight from long range.

I moved the control stick and stepped on the pedal to make Arroganz advanced forward.

I made a big swing with the axe and deflected the spear that Brad was holding.

Brad backed down and pointed his finger at me. [Not bad. But, playing time is over!]

When he said that, the spears attached on the back of his armor floated in the air and pointed their tip at Arroganz.

The spears were floating in the air by themselves, and then they flew like missile.

Arroganz flew close to the ground, but the spears followed behind him.

Arroganz seemed surprised.

[Homing function. Arroganz, shocked.]

"Amazing huh. Now then, let’s show them a struggle."

I had cut off the mike so that our conversation wouldn’t be leaked out, so I could say whatever I like.

I dodged one of the homing spear, then I swung my axe to another one to slap it to the ground and destroy it.

Then the third one grazed Arroganz’s shoulder, while the spear that should have been dodged changed direction and hit the backpack on Arroganz’s shoulder.

Once that happened, the spears kept flying around Arroganz and repeated their attacks many times.

Brad seemed convinced that he had won. He began to talk in delight.

[Dance to amuse me even more. You will just keep getting whittled down if you can’t dodge the spears that I controlled with magic.]

Arroganz’s armor became covered with scratches. Even so I moved my index finger with composure.

*Tap tap*, I tapped the control stick several times.

"Has the number of attack surpassed a hundred? It should be fine already isn’t it?"

[One hundred and twenty!]

Arroganz had kept track of the attacks accurately. He corrected my words as though in complaint.

"My bad. Well, things goes just as planned."

I stepped on the pedal and charged at Brad’s armor. Then Arroganz swung down the axe.

By forcefully closing the distance with such overbearing movement, Brad’s armor fell on its butt.

The blade that was swung toward the fallen Brad stopped just a few centimeters before it hit. I turned on the mike.

"A splendid battle. I would be in danger if things continued like that." Brad muttered in frustration, but──.

[N-not yet. It’s still not over yet!]

[No, the fight’s over. Get back already Brad.]

[Your highness!?]

──His highness Julius stopped him. Brad accepted his defeat.

◇

"Yosshaaaaaa!! You see that, that’s Arroganz’s power! No. I mean, that’s

Leon’s power."

Marie was the one who acted the happiest when Arroganz won.

She thrust her fist high toward the sky.

As for the atmosphere at the audience seats, although the audiences were sending chilly gaze toward Marie, they were praising the duel just now.

"Even though Brad-sama would win with just a bit more"

"Brad-sama is weak in close quarter combat isn’t he?"

"But, the next fight will be the last won’t it? Bartfalt’s armor is already battered like that."

Marie folded her arms hearing that and sat back down roughly.

(Realize that they are holding back down there. Well, it’ll be bad if they notice though.)

◇

Julius felt slightly relieved looking down at the battered Arroganz from his seat.

(I’ll be troubled if you lose here.)

From a glance, it looked like Brad would win seeing that his armor was still not even scratched.

But, from Julius’s perspective, he would be troubled if the match was already decided at this early.

The next one fighting Greg entered his armor in high spirits.

"I’ll finish him in my turn! Olivia, watch my fight carefully from there."

Greg gave a thumbs up at Olivia. Olivia saw him off while joining her hands together as though she was praying for him.

"I’ll pray for your victory Greg."

"Ou!"

Greg boarded a mass produced type armor. He acted like his victory was assured.

Julius and others made a bitter expression seeing that.

They were competing with each other as rivals to become Olivia’s number one.

Julius folded his arms and looked down at Arroganz that was facing Greg on the arena.

"At least keep winning until you reach my turn."

Julius thought that it didn’t matter even if the other four were defeated in order to get Olivia to like him more.

◇

[The hero who has challenged numerous dungeons and fought at the forefront of the volunteer army! His name is Greg Fou Seberg! The herald of our saintessssss!!]

The arena was enveloped in cheers. Greg in his armor pointed his spear at Arroganz.

[Bartfalt, I’m glad you didn’t lost against that weakling Brad. After all I’m going to be the one who defeat you!]

I was thinking what kind of victory I should perform against Greg inside the cockpit.

"I’m also not planning to lose at this stage."

[Just what I’m asking for!]

The announcer proclaimed the start of the duel and Greg charged right at that instant.

He launched a combo using his spear, but his movement was several levels above Brad.

I used my axe like a shield to endure Greg’s fierce attack.

"Aa~, I should have prepared a shield. Ah, but I’ll look like I’m struggling hard with this won’t I?"

I turned off the mike and cracked a joke inside the cockpit, but Arroganz replied to me seriously.

[Should I make a shield in Partner? Creation possible.]

"No need. I won’t even need any shield against these guys if we get serious anyway."

While I was focusing on defense, Greg seemed to get into a good mood in his fighting.

I would attack back once for every ten attacks that Greg made, but each time I would calculate it so that he could dodge my attack.

From the perspective of the surrounding, it must look like Greg was cornering me.

"Yosh, Arroganz. Purge the fake part."

[Purge!]

It was a show so that the shoulder part was blown away when Greg’s spear hit there.

The part that had been prepared beforehand to make it looked like Arroganz was heavily damaged fell on the ground. Cheers burst out from the audiences.

Greg jumped back for the moment and rotated his spear around while making a pose.

[I’ll keep shaving you off just like this!] I clapped inside the cockpit.

"It’s great that you are getting into the mood. Then, it should be enough already."

Greg started attacking fiercely once more, but I pretended that I was somehow defending against it and continued to fight.

And then, when Greg showed his fatigue──I pretended to land a hit on his armor that looked like a coincidental counter.

The axe’s flat side instead of the blade hit Greg’s armor and it fell down.

There I held his armor down to give a show of a lame victory.

I turned on the mike and played my act.

"Oh man~, you are really strong. I think I win only because of how tough my armor is. If not for that, it would be you who emerged as the winner. Well, perhaps I would be the one who got defeated if only you are riding a slightly better armor."

He would win if his armor was better.

After being told that, Greg squeezed out a voice that was brimming with frustration.

[D-dammit!]

Your chance of victory against me would still be hopelessly low even if you prepared a state-of-the-art armor though.

Reflect a bit on yourself who didn’t care of what kind of tool you were using.

The match was decided and Greg left. The next one who appeared was Chris in a blue armor.

There were several swords of different type on its back, but the armor’s right hand was holding a large sword.

Chris threw a cold sentence at the withdrawing Greg.

[That was unsightly.]

[You bastard!]

The two were about to get into a fight, but Olivia-san calmed them down from the audience seat.

[Both of you stop! Greg, I’m glad you are safe. Chris too, do your best.

Also, don’t tease Greg like that. Okay?]

The two of them reluctantly stopped after being told that. Chris came to in front of me.

The announcer started Chris’s introduction. As expected, it was also filled with passion like before.

[Our next representative is Chris Fia Arclighttttttt!! He is the successor of the sword saint and there is nobody who doesn’t know about the strength of this young sword master from his accomplishments in the volunteer army! This is the entrance of a fierce warrior who has obtained as much war gain as that Greg!!]

Chris pointed the tip of his large sword at me.

[Here I come.]

◇

The audiences were getting heated up.

"Aa~a, I never thought that Greg-sama would lose because of a lucky blow like that."

"That was really unlucky of him."

"But, it’s also the end for Bartfalt with this. His armor is already in tatter like that."

Although Greg managed to corner his opponent, he lost due to a fluke.

The audiences still believed one hundred percent on the victory of Julius and others because of that.

Marie was irritated listening to that.

(The prince is going to win at the end anyway. That’s how it will end. But you know──Leon and Arroganz are actually far stronger than this okay)

Marie could understand Leon’s thinking that it would be fine even if he lost, but she still couldn’t accept it.

Their comrades from the same group, Daniel and Raymond were praising Leon, saying that he had done well.

"It’s already enough that he manage to keep winning until this far."

"He has fought hard. If it’s like this then he can still save face even if he lose."

Leon would be able to make excuse even if he lost against a master swordsman like Chris.

But, a girl stood up hearing those words.

"It’s fine even if he lose you say? Don’t screw around! This is a duel to decide the country’s future! Defeat won’t be allowed. Win──he has to win so his highness can be separated from that witch, if not I──I!"

Angelica’s atmosphere was abnormal. Daniel and Raymond averted their face seeing that.

Marie hurriedly pulled at Angelica to make her sat down.

"S-sit down. Look, the next match is starting."

"This is a duel! It’s not a match!"

"R-right. I get it already so sit down!"

Marie somehow made the agitated Angelica to sit down again. She felt really tired.

While that was going on, the sword that Chris swung down severed Arroganz’s arm.

Earthshaking cheers erupted from the audiences.

◇

[Left arm lost.]

I whistled while sweating coldly inside Arroganz’s cockpit.

"As expected from the swordsmaster-sama. Did he get stronger from experiencing war?"

Chris was stronger than I expected.

No, all of them were stronger than I expected.

It seemed their strength had improved from participating in the war as volunteer soldier.

Chris’s blue armor took a stance with its large sword and immediately slashed.

[Got you!]

That attack targeted my cockpit. I wanted to question him whether he was planning to kill me.

"I have given you my left arm. So it should be fine for you to quit here." Originally I planned to lose that arm at further point than this, so it should be fine to end this here in exchange for that. I made Arroganz stepped forward.

I swung down the battle axe. It severed the two arms of Chris’s armor that were holding the large sword.

"You can’t hold a weapon with this right? It’s over."

I turned on the mike and told Chris that. Chris showed bewilderment in respond.

[W-what was that attack just now? Don’t tell me, were you holding back?]

He almost noticed the fact that I was holding back, so I pretended that it was a coincidence.

"No way. I only stepped forward because I wanted to make my last attack."

[You’re saying that the attack just now was just a coincidence?]

"I too am a man who survived fighting that black knight even if only by chance. Besides, I’m also someone lucky."

Was my luck good or bad? If I was asked to answer that honestly, I wouldn’t know how to answer it.

But, I believed that my luck wasn’t bad.

[To think that I’ll have to concede this achievement to Jilk or his highness]

Chris withdrew with a bitter voice. I saw off his back while turning off the mike.

"You guys are strong. But, that black knight old man was even stronger." Arroganz looked damaged all over, but the duel wasn’t over.

[It’s amazing that you managed to win until this far. You are strong. You are worthy of respect.]

The one who appeared from the sky while showing off with such line was Jilk in a green armor.

When he landed, he made a pose that excited the audiences.

"This guy’s next huh."

I turned on the mike and responded to Jilk’s address to me.

"My armor is already battered like this though."

[It seems so. But, I still won’t hold back.]

He said that with much enjoyment in his voice, for me something like this wasn’t enjoyable at all.

While I was thinking that, Jilk talked to me with a volume that couldn’t be heard by the audience.

[Bartfalt-kun, how about we make a deal?]

"A deal?"

[Look at it from my point of view. Simply winning easily here won’t become something that can appeal to Olivia-san. You too want to have a good fight where both of us are showing everything we have aren’t you?]

That was my plan from the start, but it seemed this guy wanted to be the one who defeated me.

"I’m already planning to lose right from the start though?"

[No, please lose against me. There is no need to bother his highness for this.]

"That’s──"

[I’m asking for a favor here. After all unlike the others, I am somewhat falling behind in my relationship with Olivia-san.]

"Falling behind?"

Jilk talked about what he meant by that.

But, that was something unacceptable for me.

[I mean Claris Fia Atlee. She is my former fiancée, but she has caused a lot of problems. She was also the main culprit who assaulted Olivia-san. It makes me feel guilty toward Olivia-san because of her fault.]

"──Guilty?"

[She has really done something uncalled-for. I have cancelled my engagement with her, so she should just withdraw without making any fuss. And yet she got in the way of my relationship with Olivia-san──even though I would be able to be in a romantic relationship with her, just the two of us if not because of her.]

I recalled the extremely haggard figure of Claris-senpai.

When I saved her, she had become really thin.

The man who she loved to such degree was this kind of man. That was just too pitiful.

"I, hate someone like you."

[──I guess I don’t mind either way. Then, you don’t mind if I don’t hold back anything against you right?]

The announcer began to introduce Jilk.

[To think that we will reach the fourth match! Is there a goddess of fortune accompanying Bartfalt today!? But, our next representative is Jilk Fia Marmoria! The foster brother and best friend of his highness Julius! He is a rifle expert and no enemy who entered his scope in the battlefield managed to get away! How long will Bartfalt be able to last against him?] After the start was announced, Jilk flew up to the sky.

[Lose unsightly.]

You see──I had decided that you were the only one I wouldn’t lose against for giving me that strange mask.

◇

Olivia was looking up to the sky.

After Jilk’s armor flew to the sky, Leon’s Arroganz chased after it.

Arroganz was already damaged all over and even lost its left arm. It was painful to see.

Jilk took position in the sky and attacked Arroganz with his rifle from afar.

Arroganz’s armor was whittled off by the bullets. It was in disadvantage in everyone’s opinion.

(What a farce.)

Olivia know that this duel’s result had been decided from the start when she saw Arroganz’s movement.

When she turned her gaze to her surrounding, she saw Julius following Arroganz’s figure with a heated gaze.

"Dodge that one! Win this no matter what and then fight me!" He spoke like he wanted Jilk to lose.

And then the other three were also the same.

Brad looked like he still couldn’t accept the result.

"Even though I’m the one who dealt the most damage on Bartfalt" Greg folded his arms and denied his words.

"You would still lose even if you continued the fight at that time. I’m the one who got lost just because of a lucky punch. No way in hell I can accept that."

Chris scoffed at Greg’s opinion.

"It’s me who dealt the most damage to Bartfalt. You two only managed to scratch his armor, but I took his left arm."

It seemed they were talking about who managed to obtain the most accomplishment, but Olivia only averted her gaze.

(They don’t even notice that their opponent went easy on them. So unsightly. However, Leon is also a disappointment. If he is Lea’s descendant, I thought that he would amuse me a little bit more but──I guess he only has the same surname by coincidence.)

If he was someone who descended from the bloodline of her beloved Lea, then she wished he would show a bit more backbone.

The duel would be prolonged until Julius’s turn anyway, and then he would lose there. That was Olivia’s prediction.

In fact, Leon was showing a figth to make Jilk looked good.

Jilk had run out of bullet and switched weapon, then he assaulted Arroganz and the two of them fell until the arena.

(What a boring man. It seems that he wants to meet with me, but his worth is only as a disposable pawn.)

While Olivia determined Leon’s value in her heart, Jilk’s armor was thrown on the ground.

Arroganz wrenched victory through a battle that was like a mud fight.

Most of its armor was battered.

There was even a spot that was smashed and the inner mechanism could be peeked from there. There were also many cracked spots.

Seeing that, Julius threw off his mantel and headed to his armor. "Now it’s my turn! Olivia, I’ll offer a victory to you." Olivia joined her hands and smiled just like Julius wanted.

"I’m praying for your victory Julius."

(Make this farce flashy at the very least.)

She was completely exasperated in her heart, but she didn’t show any sign of that at the slightest at the surface.

Julius tensed his expression to look really serious, then he expressed his feeling to Olivia.

"Wait for me Olivia. I’ll become a worthy man for you."

Olivia saw off Julius entering the cockpit. Then she turned her gaze toward Arroganz with the mask of smile still pasted on her face.

"Now then, I wonder how he will lose."

◇

A beautiful white armor descended in front of Arroganz that was damaged all over from the consecutive battles.

It was an armor that was mainly for show. It was even wearing a mantel.

It also had a sword and a shield.

The announcer made the introduction. It was even more passionate from before seeing that this was the last match.

[Bartfalt has advanced until this far, but it’s finally the end for him! The last fortress and shield that protect the saintess! The crown prince of Hohlfahrt Kingdom and the leader of the volunteer army in the battlefield, it’s his highness Juliussssss!! Just how many enemies has he consigned to oblivion with that shining white armor!? The crown prince of Hohlfahrt

Kingdom has make his entrance to face the traitorous masked knight!]

His highness Julius intentionally opened his armor’s hatch to show himself. The audiences shrieked shrilly in response.

"Princeeeee~!"

"Defeat that trash Bartfalt~!"

"Ah, his highness waved his hand to me just now!"

And then after he finished giving service to the audiences, his highness Julius looked at me with a smile that was filled with slight implication.

[Bartfalt, I’m pleased that you manage to win until this far. Though it seems that it has taken a lot out of you. Do you need a break first?]

"Please allow me to continue just like this."

[Very good! That aside, where did you get that mask from?] It seemed that he was curious with the mask I was wearing.

"It’s something that Jilk gave me. So this mask isn’t due to your highness’s instruction?"

[If it was me then I wouldn’t give you such tasteful mask. However, why did Jilk choose such mask?]

Tasteful? It seemed that his highness Julius’s sense differed from the society at large.

More importantly, you wouldn’t give me a tasteful mask? That meant you would hand me a distasteful mask instead? The way he said it was really bothersome.

His highness Julius took a stance with his sword and shield in preparation for the duel.

[──Well, it doesn’t matter. More importantly, let’s us have a “fair and square sacred duel”.]

It was amazing that you could say that.

Asking for a fair and square duel in a fixed game, that was just funny.

But, it was something that I suggested from my own initiative, so let’s held back from laughing.

"May the best one win, or something."

The announcer declared the start of the match. At the same time both of us stepped forward and exchanged fierce blows with each other.

Weapons clashed and sparks scattered, but the one armed Arroganz was in the defensive.

I turned off the mike and took a deep breath.

"The only thing left is to lose huh." Doing this much was enough.

If I lost after putting up a good fight, surely his highness and the others would also feel satisfied.

But, his highness Julius got into a good mood and talked to me.

[You are skilled. I’ll permit you to join us after this duel is over. I’ll even allow you to join my royal guard.]

I turned on the mike and talked to him.

But, our talk wouldn’t reach the audience with this volume.

Because of that, his highness even talked about something that other people mustn’t hear.

"Thank you for the fofer. But, I’m just a countryside noble, so please allow me to decline about the matter of the royal guard."

[No need to hold back. Work as my knight from here on. I recognize that you have skill.]

So persistent.

Well, guess this was also a period of time where he wanted to have a pawn of his own.

After all, Redgrave House’s faction that was supporting his highness Julius until now had been disbanded.

It was also unknown how much Marquis Frampton’s faction would cooperate with him right now, so no wonder he wanted a fighting strength that he could personally control.

"You were too hasty in dissolving your faction huh."

[──I guess. But, just that much is a cheap price if it’s for the sake of obtaining Olivia.]

"Eh?"

We locked swords. During that time his highness Julius chuckled.

He let out a dark voice as though he was discarding his image as a good young man.

[I’m thankful to you. After all you give yourself to become my achievement like this. With this Olivia too will see me in better light than the others. You served as a really good bait.]

I lifted up my axe and took distance. His highness held his shield on his front and tackled me.

I intentionally allowed myself to be hit. However it seemed that Arroganz couldn’t fully endure the impact and got pushed back. Cheers erupted from the surrounding.

"That armor isn’t as strong as it look."

"his highness’s armor is cutting-edge. Bartfalt’s junk can’t be compared to that!"

"Your highness, finish him off just like that!"

The cheering of the audiences who didn’t know anything and the way his highness Julius talked made me felt complicated.

His highness Julius who you guys put your hope on was a man who carried out everything until now just for love. I wanted to tell them that.

He dismantled his own faction, expulsed a lot of students from the academy, and participated in war leading the volunteer army just to play hero.

I should be allowed to at least say something back.

"I myself cannot say anything about other person, but still, you are the worst."

[So what! I wouldn’t be able to obtain her if I didn’t do that! It doesn’t matter even if I’m called the worst, I’ve obtained Olivia!]

I blocked the sword that was swung down on me with Arroganz’s axe, but then his highness Julius kicked Arroganz’s undefended body.

Arroganz shook and stepped back. His highness spread open the arms of his armor.

[This is love. Can you understand it, Bartfalt? Love cannot be replaced by anything else──that was what Olivia taught me.]

"Then, please cancel your previous engagement more kindly. Thanks to that it become a ruckus like this."

I wouldn’t say to do it in a smarter way, but he should at least talk it out with Angelica-san too beforehand.

If he did that, it shouldn’t become a ruckus that led to duel like this──I think.

Well, from Angelica-san’s perspective, she got her fiancée stolen.

It was only natural for her to get enraged.

From there it led to something like this duel commotion. Just what were they doing?

"At least go talk to here when this is over."

Arroganz swung the axe to the side with enough room for his highness to dodge easily.

His highness avoided my large swing with a dancing like movement from his white armor. Such movement charmed the audiences.

His skill in controlling the armor was also excellent, but it was doubtful whether such showy movement was practical for real battle or not.

[You mean Angelica? That woman doesn’t have that much worth.] "Ha?"

[Compared to Olivia, everything else is just garbage. She is the one and only, an absolute existence.]

Was he this kind of man who would say something like that? As a capture target in otome game, shouldn’t he be an ideal person for woman to a degree that should be impossible?

My selfish expectation was betrayed. His highness Julius then continued talking as if he was possessed.

[She is the only one I need. There is nothing else I need other than Olivia.

If it’s for that──I’ll do anything!]

The white armor rapidly approached. It used its shield to smash away Arroganz’s axe and thrust the sword toward the torso.

The audiences screamed seeing that attack that targeted the cockpit, but I had prepared countermeasure for that after the fight against the black knight.

The area around the cockpit was surrounded by tough material as armor. It couldn’t be pierced by a blade.

The sword broke, but the white armor kicked Arroganz flying until the wall. Arroganz crashed and fell sitting down on the ground.

──It was over with this.

I turned off the mike.

"Arroganz, you did great."

[Arroganz worked hard. Master also worked hard.]

"Something like this can’t be called as hard work though."

When Arroganz stopped moving, cheers burst out from the audiences. Then applauses welled up and after that the announcer announced the victory of his highness Julius with a volume that was even louder than before.

[The winner is his highness Juliusssss!! It was a battle that was truly worthy for a crown prince!! Even though his opponent is the masked knight who defeated that black knight, his highness still showed us such magnificent fightttt!! Overwhelming! Truly an overwhelming victory!]

──I had already faced four people before this who looked like they were cornering me, but in the end only the winner who gained the spotlight.

Arroganz picked up the voices of Olivia-san──and the other four at the audience seats.

Brad was talking in vexation.

[Even though I was the one who cornered him the most.] Greg was resentful from losing due to a fluke.

[It would be over already at my turn if only that lucky punch didn’t happen.]

Chris also looked like he couldn’t accept the result.

[His highness is helped by the order of turn. Bartfalt has also gotten really exhausted after facing me.]

Jilk was smiling, but he must be really irritated at the inside.

[There is no need for his highness to even come out. The smartest way to end this duel should be with me as the one defeating him.]

The four couldn’t accept the result. In respond Olivia-san was talking kindly to them.

She was smiling. It looked like she was really happy.

[I know that the four of you have done your best. That’s why, please don’t look that discontent. Everyone was really wonderful out there.]

The four got embarrassed and blushed at Olivia-san’s words.

"──She doesn’t look possessed but, I wonder what’s the truth?"

I returned my gaze to his highness Julius. He was making his white armor’s hand to wave at the surrounding.

It looked like he was getting absorbed in giving service to the audiences.

And then, he began to talk about his love with a voice that echoed through the arena.

[I’m thankful for everyone’s support. With this, there is nobody else who object to my relationship with Olivia isn’t it? I believe there is nobody else but, allow me to say one thing. I──love Olivia! I love Olivia more than anybody else! It’s not because she is the saintess. I love Olivia herself. This is the first time in my life I feel like this.]

He extended his armor’s hand toward Olivia-san at the audience seat. She also waved her hand back in respond.

[I also love you──Julius.]

[Thank you Olivia.]

I could hear cheers "His highness banzai! Saintess banzai!" from the audiences.

Hearing that made me thought.

"I’m the one who did it, but still, this just look like a farce to me."

[This is a farce. Arroganz has remembered it.]

"Aa~, so you’re memorizing that word in this situation. I don’t think it’s good for your education to learn this."

Also, this must be very hard for Angelica-san right now.

After all, the prince he loved was singing about his love to other woman in the presence of so many people.

When I considered that, I was unable to keep listening to this love confession.

"But, this is just like in the scenario. This is fine──it should be fine."

I tried to persuade myself to accept the situation, but I couldn’t erase this murkiness in my chest.

Unlike me, his highness Julius was making a dramatized speech in a good mood.

[Angelica, the representative you prepared is defeated. It’s a fitting result for someone without love like you. Now you cannot make any excuse anymore. Now, apologize to Olivia right here!] ──What was this guy talking about?

This wasn’t in the plan.

I turned on the mike and talked with a volume that his highness could hear.

"This is enough already. There shouldn’t be any need to go that far." But his highness didn’t stop.

He heard my voice, and yet he ignored me and continued talking.

[The birth of the saintess is an auspicious event for the kingdom! And yet you denied that and clung on your engagement with me for your own selfish interest. You are the one who is a disaster for this country. You insulted Olivia as witch in the party didn’t you? That word is only fitting for you! You pitiful cursed witch imprisoned in your own greed!]

"Oi, I’m telling you to stop already!"

His highness Julius turned his armor’s head toward me only briefly.

But, he immediately returned his gaze back to Angelica-san at the audience seat.

[You are an ugly woman who only think of yourself. But, I shall give you just one more chance. Come down here and apologize to Olivia. Kneel and bow your head in regret of your own sin and repent!]

The arena that was enveloped with shrill cheers before this instantly got enveloped in hysteric shouts chanting "Apologize!".

When I looked at the audience seats, I could see Angelica-san looking down.

And then Marie who was beside her stood up.

"What is that idiot doing"

Even though it would be better if she endured it, Marie stood up and getting angry.

[T-there should be a better way to say that!]

Angelica-san was defeated. To be more accurate, her defeat had been determined from the start.

And yet, his highness Julius was acting as though he had wrenched victory by his own effort.

[She need to show her sincerity now that she is defeated. I will report the particulars of this event to the palace. Angelica’s apology will greatly affect how she will be dealt with at that time. ──If she apologize and beg for her live unsightly, then her crime will also be slightly lightened at that time.] I frowned hearing that.

Not only she had to apologize, but also begging for her life? Besides, for this matter to get reported to the palace──that would be a violation of the promise with me.

"What happened with the promise to keep this thing within the academy?"

I spoke to his highness Julius with a volume that couldn’t be heard by the surrounding.

[It’s your fault for trusting a verbal promise like that. I’ll reduce Redgrave House’s power using this chance in consideration for after the war is over.

Have you gotten smarter from this, country bumpkin noble-kun?]

"──Yeah, thanks to you."

Somewhere inside, I couldn’t forgive myself for trusting these capture targets.

I should be more vigilant.

No──it was my own fault for suggesting something like this so thoughtlessly.

Arroganz consoled the frustrated me.

[Master, you angry? Arroganz, can still work hard.]

"──No, not yet."

I didn’t move Arroganz and observed the flow of the event there.

"Calm down. It’s not like it’s my business whatever happen to Redgrave

House. What’s important is whether Olivia-san is still sane or not. As long as I understand that, who cares whatever happen to whoever. That’s right, it’s fine like that. I’m just making use of Angelica-san."

Thinking back now, I became her representative in order to lose. "I myself am also a liar. I have no right to blame his highness." I acted like I was giving up. Arroganz asked me.

[Really? Master, you liar. Lying isn’t good. Master, is angry.]

"──"

I quietly observed the situation without answering Arroganz.

No matter what happened here──it wasn’t my business. I just needed to achieve my own objective.

◇

[Angelica, apologize to Olivia! Cry and beg for forgiveness!]

Angelica shed tears at how the man she loved had changed completely.

"Is Olivia really that much better? Do you love that saintess──that witch to such degree? I love you. Even though I love you"

She was grabbing the handrail and broke down crying, but the surrounding didn’t stop showering her with insults.

"You witch!"

"Go down and apologize already!"

"This is a fitting end for a villain."

The worried Marie approached Angelica and helped her stood up.

"Angelica-san."

"──Your name is Marie right? I’m sorry that it ended like this after I borrowed your fiancée. I thought that I’ll surely win with the knight who defeated the black knight as my representative."

If even Leon was defeated, then Angelica had no more way to stop what was going on.

Angelica stood up and held her head high. Then she answered with dignity.

"Apology? I’m not going to apologize. I believe that my action is right.

I’m not that obsessed to live that I’m going to lie just to get through this.

──This is my answer, your highness." She wouldn’t apologize.

Even if she died because of that, Angelica didn’t intend to concede that.

The surrounding got enraged by her defiant attitude. Marie casted her gaze down.

"Why. It will be better if you apologize and ask for forgiveness. At this rate things will become really bad for you."

Marie was worried for her. Angelica expressed her feeling at her.

"You’re right. I myself think that I’m being stupid. But, if I yield here, that will mean rejecting everything that I am. My feeling to his highness, my loyalty to the country, and──that saintess. No, that witch, I won’t tolerate her even if I have to fall into hell."

The feeling that was like a black flame blazing inside her was aggravating her hatred toward Olivia.

For some reason Olivia who was far away from here looked like she was smiling in her eyes.

"──I’ll definitely take revenge on you someday"

◇

While the surrounding was feeling righteous indignation toward Angelica, Olivia was the only one who was impressed by her spirit.

(Is it instinct? Or perhaps love? It’s amazing that she can be so hateful at my existence. She can even resist the ability of this Olivia girl. Her willpower is really powerful.)

Olivia’s mysterious ability.

It was an ability to send her feeling to other people’s heart.

It didn’t care of logic. No matter what she said, her words would shake the other side’s feeling.

Even if someone was hostile toward her, everything would be over as long as she could have a talk with that person. It was such excellent ability.

Angelica repelled that ability and still showed the will to fight even now.

That was a proof of her excellence.

(But, everything is already too late. Your words can’t reach your beloved Julius. Too bad for you, daughter of Redgrave House. You can curse your own bloodline for that.)

She smiled to herself and enjoyed Angelica’s defeat.

She imagined what kind of future was awaiting Angelica in delight──then Arroganz stood up.

[EXHIBITION MATCHHHHHHH!!]

Just when she thought what he was going to do, the battered Arroganz started saying that it could still fight.

The arena that was raining down insults at Angelica fell silent and focused on Arroganz once more.

The surrounding was bewildered.

"What is he saying?"

"Does he want to do an informal fight?"

"Oi, did that guy get hit on the head? His armor is already damaged like that."

Olivia was surprised by Leon’s yell. She felt nostalgic in her heart.

(What is he saying out of nowhere? But──what is this feeling? It’s nostalgic. Also, it’s making my heart pounding.)

Arroganz moved to the center of the arena and stabbed its axe to the ground.

[There are representatives who think that their turn order is bad right? If there is anyone who think that they can win against me right now, then come at me. This chance won’t come again you know! If you want then you all can come at me simultaneously. It’s a race to see who can defeat me!] Those words were directed to the other four than Julius.

The four had lost against Leon, but they didn’t think of their defeat as valid. The corner of their lips were raised and nasty grin formed on their face.

Leon spoke more to push the back of those four.

[Is it alright that his highness Julius is getting further ahead like this~?]

For the four those words became the trigger. Greg rushed toward his armor.

"Yeah. There won’t be any more fluke! I’ll defeat you and show everyone my true strength!"

Seeing that, Brad also broke into a run.

"You cheater! I’m the one who is going to defeat Bartfalt!"

Chris and Jilk also ran after them. They got into their armor and descended to the arena.

It seemed only Chris was riding a spare armor.

Olivia was looking down at the arena.

"What is he planning?"

When she noticed, Julius’s white armor was drawing near to Arroganz.

[What are you doing! The match is already decided!]

[That’s why, I’m thinking to heat up the place with an informal match. It’s just too pitiful for the other four if your highness becomes the only one to show off your coolness isn’t it?]

[Don’t screw around! Defeating you is my achievement! It’s mine alone!]

[I don’t deny that. But, it looks like the other four are fully motivated though.]

Leon conversed with Julius flippantly. During that time, the other four who responded to his sudden proposal had descended with their armor.

Arroganz was surrounded by five armors. It lifted up its axe and stored it into its backpack.

It seemed that it was planning to fight barehanded.

The four rushed toward Arroganz with weapon in hands.

[This time I’m going to beat you up thoroughly!]

When Greg rushed forward in full speed, the other three were also heading toward Arroganz.

Comrades were competing with each other over achievement. That was what they were showing.

Anybody who watched saw that the thoroughly damaged Arroganz had no chance of victory.

Rather──wouldn’t he get killed if the four got carried away?

The four’s momentum was so energetic that it made everyone considered that.

But──.

"I see. As I thought you are going to do that huh, Lea!" ──Nobody heard Olivia yelling like that.

Everyone’s gaze was focused to the arena. The right arm of Greg’s armor got grabbed and crushed with tearing sound that reached everyone’s ear.

Greg’s armor was lifted with one arm and swung around to be thrown at Brad’s armor immediately.

The two armors got blow away. Then Arroganz approached the armor of Jilk who was taken aback by what occurred.

[W-what’s going on──]

He immediately raised his rifle and pulled the trigger, but Arroganz’s armor deflected the bullet.

Arroganz didn’t stop and caught Jilk’s armor. Then without pause both flew until the wall. When Jilk’s armor crashed on the wall, Arroganz started running along the round wall of the arena while dragging the armor. A lot of sparks scattered from Jilk’s armor.

[S-stop. This is different from what we-!?]

[I can’t hear youuu!]

Jilk’s armor that was scrapped by the wall was thrown. Then this time Arroganz turned toward Chris’s armor that was rushing to attack.

Chris’s armor was just about to swing down its large sword at Arroganz.

Everyone must be imagining the scene of Arroganz getting split into two.

[This is the enddddddd!]

The slash should become a full powered attack, but it was smashed by Arroganz’s right arm.

The blade was broken into pieces. Chris was so shocked that he couldn’t even say anything.

Arroganz grabbed his armor and slammed it onto the ground, then it stomped it roughly.

It kept stomping and stomping until the armor’s arms and legs were crushed. Then it turned toward Julius’s armor.

Unbelievably, the four armors were turned to pieces in an instant by the rampaging Arroganz.

It seemed the four had fainted. There was no sign their armors rising up.

But, the audiences got really quiet as though they had been frozen by that one-sided slaughter.

Leon talked to the remaining Julius.

His voice was low. It contained anger somewhere in it, but he was forcefully acting cheerful.

[Now, only your highness remains.]

[Y-you, do you understand what are you doing!]

[This is just a friendly unofficial match you know? Let’s enjoy it more.]

[Don’t screw with me. The duel should end with my victory.]

[You’re right. But, this is just an unofficial match! The duel end with the victory of you guys. There is no changing that fact!] Arroganz walked closer. Julius backed away.

The guests seemed to realize the strangeness of what was going on from that.

"Why is his highness fearing Bartfalt?"

"His highness just need to defeat him again."

"Forget about that──how can that armor still fight with that much damage?"

The armor had lost its left arm, its body was also battered all over.

It was strange that it could still move.

However, Leon who heard the voices of the audiences moved.

[Oops, I guess I should take off everything soon. Arroganz──remove the parts for the show.]

After those words were said, there was a small explosion and Arroganz got enveloped in white smoke.

Arroganz’s cracked parts were scattered on the ground around it.

And then, when the white smoke was blown by the wind and Arroganz’s figure showed up, what appeared was Arroganz’s undamaged form.

The left arm was still gone, but it looked as though it had been cut off from the start.

Julius clearly looked shaken. Olivia was desperately holding back her laughter seeing that.

"You already fulfilled your end of the deal by letting them win the duel, so there won’t be any problem even if you beat them up afterward. Is that what you are thinking? That’s great. You are really the best, Leon!"

Leon’s action made the nostalgic image of Lea to overlap over it. Olivia cleared her throat slightly before talking to Julius.

It was her form of support to make the hesitating Julius decided to fight Leon.

"Julius──please offer victory to me one more time. Surely you can do it if it’s you."

(Now you have no choice but to fight after I say that aren’t you?)

Olivia laughed inside her heart. Just as she expected, Julius regained the willingness to fight once more.

[Olivia!? G-got it. Someone bring me a weapon!]

When he demanded a replacement for the weapon that he lost, a new weapon was brought to him.

Julius received that and took a stance with his white armor, but Arroganz didn’t carry any weapon.

Julius was doing nothing but backing away. Perhaps he was scared of Arroganz that didn’t have any weapon.

Before long, his back hit the wall──Julius stepped forward as though to oppose his fear and swung down his sword on Arroganz.

Arroganz dodged that with its large body and kicked the leg of Julius’s armor. It made him stumbled and fell.

Olivia recalled the nostalgic past after seeing Julius’s pathetic figure.

(Leon, you are really similar with Lea. Perhaps you are really descended from Lea’s bloodline. Or perhaps──you are his reincarnation?)

Suddenly Leon whose figure she couldn’t see inside the armor felt lovable to her.

She touched her blushing cheeks with both her hands. She was staring down at Arroganz like a maiden in love.

Arroganz grabbed the head of the fallen white armor and lifted it up. Then it crushed the head in its grasp.

After that, it slammed the white armor of the ground many times.

The audiences screamed seeing that sight, but Leon was laughing.

[You guys are really small fries! It was the right decision that you guys didn’t participate in the war against the principality. If you guys are only this strong, you would already get cut down by that black knight bastard and go to that world! You guys narrowly escaped death!]

The white armor Julius was riding got battered. At the end Arroganz threw it until it crashed and bounced several times on the ground.

When the five armors stopped moving, Arroganz slowly floated up to the sky.

[That’s all, the exhibition match is finished! Don’t forget that the winner of the duel is his highness Julius and others! Then everyone, have a nice day!]

After Leon finished saying that, he laughed loudly while flying away.

When Olivia hurriedly sent her gaze toward Ange and others, there was nobody there anymore.

"──What a dashing retreat. It makes me recall the past."

Was it really dashing? Even Olivia wasn’t sure of that, but she was happy that Leon was acting like Lea.

Olivia overly evaluated Leon’s action because of nostalgia and affection.

However even though she was in such a mood, her gaze became terribly cold when it turned toward the five armors on the ground.

"It’s good that I can see Leon’s true nature from this. Even you guys can be useful, so I won’t abandon you yet. ──But, you guys are really unsightly."

Olivia turned around and walked away from that place. She gave an order to the bewildered guards.

"Call Bartfalt-dono to my room immediately. Absolutely don’t lay a hand on him at all. I won’t tolerate any discourteous act toward him."

The female knights regained their senses after being given such order and saluted.

"As you command! B-but, his action toward his highness the crown prince is problematic. We have to report it to the palace immediately."

"No need. That’s just an informal match. The duel ended with Julius and everyone’s victory. Report only the victory to the palace."

"But, Bartfalt’s action is unforgivable!"

"──You will bring him to me immediately won’t you?"

When Olivia smiled, the disobedient attitude of the female knight just now softened.

Her cheeks reddened and her anger toward Leon who had behaved so outrageously toward a royalty vanished without a trace.

"Y-yes. I’ll immediately bring him."

"Don’t do it forcibly okay? Treat him with decorum──just like how you would treat a royalty."

Olivia only said that and left the arena.

◇

"I MESSED UPPPPPPP!!"

"YOU IDIOTTTTTTT!! There is no need to go that far!"

When I returned to Partner, I held my head in my wits’ end while Marie slapped my head with a paper fan.

I planned to endure it at first.

However, his highness Julius’s attitude and the surrounding’s atmosphere──anyway, there were a lot of things that made me unable to endure.

The bastards who got full of themselves just from winning a fixed match really touched my nerve.

Also──they broke the promise so I wanted a payback.

There were also a lot of other problems.

The biggest one was Angelica-san.

"Forget about that, is Angelica-san angry? She is angry right?" Marie slapped me with her paper fan again.

Marie slapped me with her paper fan again.

"She is angry, or rather, enraged? She is already furious now, she said that she absolutely won’t forgive you when learning that you lost in purpose."

From Angelica-san’s point of view, I joined the duel while holding back, so no wonder she was angry.

"She has nothing but enemy on all sides."

"It’s your fault!"

"I’m sorry!"

*Bam!* The paper fan hit me. I could only laugh dryly.

Then a guest that we had been impatiently waiting for appeared at Partner.

◇

"Don’t screw with me. A fixed match in the sacred duel? Bartfalt, even you are toying with me! So you are only a man at that level!"

Angelica who was locked inside a cabin was venting her fury at the furniture inside.

When the door of the ransacked cabin opened, she glared at the intruder──and immediately got flustered.

"B-big brother."

The one who came to check on her was her big brother Gilbert.

"Good grief, I’ll need to compensate for this. I’ll send him the apology and the reparation for the damages."

He looked over the cabin and let out a small sigh, but then his expression immediately turned grave.

"I heard that you challenged the saintess to a duel?"

"Please listen to me. She is the only person who we have to do something about. There’s no doubt about that. Please, gather the troops. That woman isn’t a saint or anything──"

"That saintess is acknowledged not only by the temple, but also by the palace. And you are telling me to gather soldiers to attack her? What are you saying? I sympathize with you that his highness abandoned you, but are you planning to destroy Redgrave House?"

"Big brother?"

Gilbert was looking at her coldly. Faced with that, Angelica crumbled on her knees.

Gilbert dispassionately explained the position of their family to her.

"Redgrave House is supporting the saintess. We have also accepted the annulment of your engagement with his highness. We aren’t protesting at all."

"No way!"

"If only you didn’t cause anything, we would be able to obtain a great amount of reparation from the palace. But thanks to you making a ruckus with this duel, even that talk has vanished. Good grief──just what are you trying to do, really."

Angelica looked down and shed tears when she realized that she had caused a great bother to her family.

"I wanted to save his highness. It was just, for that person’s sake."

"And this is the result? I had also consulted with father who is currently in recuperation, we decided to send you to the countryside. After all the palace also wouldn’t accept it unless you get married off to an ugly man at the countryside."

Angelica who was once engaged with the crown prince would be wed with a countryside noble──furthermore an ugly one. That was a punishment in itself.

Perhaps the palace’s side also felt some responsibility about this incident, because they didn’t bring up any talk of execution.

Angelica listened to Gilbert’s words without saying anything.

Gilbert left the room.

"It has been decided that you would be left at Bartfalt House for a while. Don’t give him any more trouble than this. That’s all I have to say.

──Angelica, this is my advice for you as a brother. Rest for now." After Gilbert left, tears spilled down from Angelica’s eyes. "Why am I──so powerless like this."

◇

Thank god I explained the situation to Redgrave House.

I wanted them to take off Angelica-san from my hands, but for some reason things developed to me taking her back to my family home. I couldn’t wrap my head around it.

I was talking with Gilbert-san on the deck.

"Thank you for the help."

"Your family saved my father in the battlefield. I’m just returning the favor."

It was a sincerity that I hoped a certain stupid prince somewhere could learn from.

The duke house was far more proper than I thought huh.

Gilbert-san told me the reason why she entrusted Angelica-san to me.

"I’m sorry but, please take care of my little sister. It’s a bit hard shelter her right now, not only in the capital, but even in Redgrave House."

"It’s not a problem but, is the marriage talk really true?"

I thought it was horrible that she would be forcefully married off like that.

But when I said that, Gilbert-san looked at me with narrowed gaze.

"The family of your fiancée was crushed right?"

"Well, yes."

"Then, let’s move the talk of marriage to be done with you. I’ll be able to buy time with that."

"Time?"

It seemed that he had no intention of actually marrying Angelica-san with me. But, if there was a marriage talk like that with me, would it fulfill the condition of her marrying with an ugly man at the countryside?

Certainly I got a scar on my face, so it couldn’t be helped even if I got called ugly but──somehow I couldn’t just accept it.

"I won’t break off my current engagement though."

"I won’t ask you to go that far. But, I want you to protect my little sister.

My family has too few ally right now."

In addition to the engagement cancellation, there was also the change of family head and various other things happening at the same time. It caused the strength of Redgrave House to greatly fall.

It looked like Gilbert-san also had it hard.

"Also Leon-kun, there is a summon from the palace to you. It seems that the saintess want to meet and talk with you directly."

"The saintess is?"

I myself wanted to meet with her, but it was actually the other side that summoned me?

Gilbert-san headed toward the ramp.

"Take a good care of my little sister."

"Aren’t you going to tell her that you are worried for her?"

"She might run wild again if I carelessly give her even the slightest hope right now."

──Certainly it was worrying after witnessing the way she ran wild like that.

◇

Marie and Ann were waiting when I returned to the cabin.

"You used your ability to look at my card aren’t you!"

[I-I’m not.]

Seeing Marie playing card with a mass of resentment made me admired how unflappable she was.

When I came, Marie discarded the match that was heading to her lose and ran to me.

"How is it!?"

[You run away at this point!? You run away because you almost lose!] This resentment too, she was getting too heated up in her game with Marie──well, it’s fine I guess.

"Rejoice, I get a summon from the saintess. I can meet her openly."

"Doesn’t it smell like a trap?"

"Don’t say that. After all I’m also thinking the same." Perhaps I should make a preparation to escape.

Ann approached us and asked about Olivia-san’s condition.

[And, what do you two think about the saintess in your opinion?]

Marie couldn’t make any judgment, but she was thinking in negative direction due to her instinct.

"She is being possessed I think? Or perhaps her personality has been bad since the beginning? There is also the current situation, isn’t it just too horrible right now? Things are still similar like in the scenario but, I also feels like it’s not."

The whole academy was wrapped in a strange atmosphere. Even though we were winning the war, it felt like things were moving to a bad direction.

If the objective of Saintess Ann was to destroy the country, then was she succeeding in a sense?

But, my opinion was different.

"I think she isn’t possessed though. In the first place, will she get engaged with the descendants of the guys she resented if that’s the case? Besides, this flow of event is just like that otome game right? Rather than Olivia-san, isn’t things worsening because the idiots around her are too horrible?" I was considering that perhaps she wasn’t being possessed?

No, that was what I was hoping for.

Even though things became like this, wasn’t it just the result of the people around Olivia-san running wild?

After all the capture targets were more horrible than I expected.

Marie wasn’t convinced and spoke about her opinion in more detail.

"How should I say it, that girl’s words sounded flimsy."

"Her words sounded just like her lines in game right? Besides, do you think she will get engaged with the descendants of the guys she resented?

What Saintess Ann wants to do is taking revenge."

"If it’s me than it’s impossible but, what if it’s you?"

Marie asked for Ann’s opinion. She gave an unexpected reply to that.

[If I can destroy the country by doing that, I’ll do it. I’ll do it thoroughly. Even though I resent them, hate them, if it’s for the sake of destroying this country then I won’t hesitate.]

I shuddered at that opinion that was filled with resentment. I also gave up thinking any further about this, in the end we couldn’t judge the situation just with the information we had right now.

Marie asked me.

"More importantly, what happened with the information gathering robots that Luxion lent to us?"

"I have them investigating but, checking all the information they gathered is really time consuming."

They brought me a lot of information, but it was tiring checking them all with just Marie and me.

Also it was difficult to control them.

It would be great if we could monitor everything for days and nights, but even we had our own things to take care of.

"As I thought, we need AI to manage them. This would be easy if only

Luxion is here." Ann muttered.

[So in the end, it’s still difficult to make the judgment huh. We can only leave this to Leon then.]

◇

One day had passed since the duel commotion.

Olivia was waiting in her residence inside the academy. She was alone with even Kyle being sent out so she could dress herself.

Her attentive preparation since the morning was an expression of her expectation.

"Now then, I have to ask various things to Leon Fou Bartfalt. First I have to clearly confirm whether he really descended from Lea’s bloodline or──tsu!"

Olivia was looking forward to the meeting, but her expression suddenly turned grave.

"Olivia, why are you suddenly coming out──no, stop!"

Olivia suddenly looked pained, but then a knocking sound could be heard.

[Saintess-sama, Leon Fou Bartfalt-dono has arrived.]

Olivia tried to tell the guard to make Leon waited for a while, but her mouth opened on its own.

"Se──send him in. I permit it."

When Olivia tried to cover her mouth, the resentment of Saintess Ann who was inside Olivia got sealed temporarily.

◇

It was the day of my meeting with Olivia-san who had become a saintess.

When I entered the room, I found Olivia-san looking at her own hands.

She looked terribly surprised──no, more like she was shaken I guess?

Her breathing was also a bit rough, and her hair was slightly messy.

When she noticed me entering the room, she came running and leaped on my chest.

"Saintess-sama!?"

I was shocked and stiffened without giving my greeting but──Olivia-san was shedding tears.

"Sir knight, please save me."

"Eh?"

She called me sir knight and lifted her face while sobbing.

"Save me! Please save me. At this rate, I’m going to vanish completely.

Sir knight, I’m begging you please save me. Please save me! I──I!"

Olivia-san tried to plead about something to me desperately. I grabbed her shoulder, but then the guards who noticed the abnormality opened the door and entered inside.

"Saintess-sama, what’s wrong! ──Y-you bastard, how dare you touch saintess-sama!"

The female knights unsheathed the sword on their waist and they were about to slash me.

"No, this is!"

While I was pondering of how I would get out of this situation, Olivia-san stepped forward to cover for me.

"Don’t lay your hand on sir knight!"

"Saintess-sama?"

The female knights were shocked by Olivia-san’s action and stepped back.

Olivia-san hugged me.

"I’m begging you. Please take me away from here. If not, I’ll really──vanish"

Olivia-san was asking me for help, but her gaze suddenly turned hollow and her body crumbled down.

When I caught her body, the female knights came running and forcefully separated us.

And then they pointed their sword to me.

"You should leave here for today. Also, don’t say a word about this to anyone else."

I was forcefully dragged outside and thrown out of the house.

"W-what the hell?"

◇

A few hours later.

Olivia──no, Saintess Ann woke up from her unconsciousness.

She was lying on a bed with doctors and healing magic users surrounding her.

"Oo! The saintess has opened her eyes!"

The surrounding were making expression of relief. It was only Olivia who was feeling frustrated at the inside.

(──Olivia, I never expected for you to wake up at that timing of all time.

What was the trigger?)

Even though she should have taken over this body, Olivia’s consciousness was awakened due to some kind of impetus.

Saintess Ann told the people around her"I’ll rest for a bit" and closed her eyes.

She sent her consciousness into her deep psyche. Olivia was there locked inside a prison.

And then Saintess Ann had the appearance of her form when she was called as saintess in the past.

Her appearance──looked really similar with Angelica with a white robe wrapped over her body.

She was looking down with a freezing expression on Olivia who was hanging down her head.

[Bad child. How did you slip out from here? Because of you my meeting with Lea was wasted.]

Olivia kept her gaze casted down.

Her arms and legs were chained. It didn’t look like she could get out of this prison.

Tears were spilled out from her eyes.

"──Sir knight."

When Olivia muttered sir knight, a hazy figure of a man appeared inside this deep psyche.

[Is this your knight?]

The she reached out to touch that illusion, that figure vanished.

[Fuh──it’s pointless regardless of who you ask help from. I’ll have you accompany me till the very end.]

Then Olivia lifted her face and showed a strong-willed gaze.

"I won’t let you do as you please. I swear that I’ll take back my body and stop you."

She declared that she would stop Ann’s dearest wish to destroy this country.

Ann narrowed her eyes.

[You still haven’t given up? You are really a strong child. But──if you get in my way, I’ll make you unable to oppose me thoroughly. Let’s see──for the start, perhaps I’ll try to make a bloodbath with this sir knight who act as the support of your heart? Now, tell me the name of that person.]

"N-no"

[It’s pointless even if you oppose me. This place is inside your heart. The identity of that person will become clear to me sooner or later. I’m looking forward to that, Olivia.]

Ann then vanished from that place. Olivia bit her lower lip.

She recalled Leon’s figure when he helped her during the field trip.

"Sir knight, please──stop that person."

◇

"A lot of things happened."

It was spring break. I returned home after so long. I was at my wits’ end with how many problems were cropping out.

My family got really panicked and busy because I came home with Angelica-san, and there was also the matter with Olivia-san.

Marie was also at her wits’ end.

"What does she mean help? Just what does she want to be saved from? In the first place, is she being possessed or not? Make it clear." Which state Olivia-san was in at that time?

To me she didn’t look like she was being possessed. It looked like she was seriously asking me for help.

"Is she asking me to save her from his highness Julius and others?"

"She didn’t show any sign like that during the duel though."

In the end we still couldn’t make the judgment. Ann made her conclusion while we were worrying about that.

[──It’s also possible that her body still haven’t gotten taken over fully. If she is a girl who can even become the saintess, it won’t be strange that she can oppose it somewhat.]

In other words, it could be that she was almost getting taken over completely?

"Then I guess we should save her immediately." Marie tilted her head when I said that.

"How?"

"──I-I’m going to think how after this."

"You are really unreliable. How about calling Luxion back?"

"He won’t answer even when I call him! That bastard, just where is he and what is he doing right now?"

While we were being noisy *gyaa gyaa* inside the room, the door opened and Korin entered inside.

"Nii-chan, Marie, welcome back! Where is my souvenir?"

Korin had just returned from outside. It seemed he came running to our room when he learned that we had returned.

Ann had vanished before we realized it. Marie took a box of candy from the piled up mountain of souvenirs and handed it to Korin.

"Don’t address me without honorific! Call me Onee-san(sister-in-law).

You get it?"

"Ee~, the only one I’ll call Onee-san is just Claris-san." I got a headache at Korin’s misunderstanding.

I should correct him quickly.

"Korin, don’t say Claris-senpai’s name so openly like that. Also, I’m not going to marry with that person okay?"

"Eh? Then, who is Nii-chan going to marry?"

Korin looked genuinely surprised. That made Marie’s hair to stand on end angrily.

"It’s with me! Just what do you think I am huh!?"

"Marie got angry. Run~"

"Wait you little bratttttt! You absolutely won’t get awayyyyy! There is nobody who can get away from me!"

Marie chased after the running Korin and got outside. I saw her off and shook my head.

"She is getting teased like that because their mental age is close."

Ann showed herself again with the two gone from here. She was showing skepticism at me.

[If you say that, that means you also have the same mental age with them with how you always quarrel with Marie every time. Are you fine with that?]

"──Eh?"

◇

In a room inside the palace.

Julius was lying on a bed with bandage wrapped all over his body.

"Unforgivable, Bartfalt. How dare you shamed me in front of Olivia."

Julius’s anger toward Leon was stoked up. A part of it was also because he had just woken up.

It was fine and all that Leon lost in the duel just as planned, but them getting into that informal match after that was bad.

Leon displayed an overwhelming strength and won there. Now they were being suspected of holding a fixed match.

Certainly Leon kept his promise to lose in the duel, but his action after that was unforgivable.

Julius forgot that it was him who broke the promise first. He continued resting while seething with anger.

It was at such timing that a wounded Jilk who was using a crutch entered Julius’s room.

But, from his expression he didn’t come just to visit.

"Your highness, there is someone who I wish you to meet."

"──Jilk, you look really unsightly."

Julius didn’t hide his irritation and vented his anger. Jilk frowned at that.

"Your highness is in the same state you know? More importantly, I come with an interesting person. ──Enter."

Jilk was showing his disgruntle toward Julius by inviting a man to enter the room without even asking Julius for permission.

Julius was about to chase away the guest, but he felt doubtful when seeing the person who entered.

"Who?"

"Lutoart Fou Bartfalt. He is an elder brother of that Leon, the eldest son of Bartfalt House. It seems he lost in the struggle for the family headship and ended up being chased away from his house." Julius observed Lutoart after hearing that.

Lutoart was showing a servile attitude. He had the same smell like the unpleasant bunches who always tried to curry favor with him.

"He lost the family headship despite being the eldest son? Why?"

Jilk’s eyes when looking at Lutoart was also cold. It seemed that like Julius, he was also evaluating this person poorly.

"Even though he is the eldest son, he not only refused to participate in the war, he even did various other things like forgery of documents. There should be a limit in how foolish one can be──but, the information in his possession has some worth."

Julius glared at Lutoart.

"What information?"

Lutoart straightened his back, and then he acted ingratiatingly to butter up Julius.

"This information that I have is simply amazing your highness! After your highness heard it, your highness will definitely realize how beneficial it will be for you. After all this is information about that Leon’s weakness!"

"Say it already!"

Julius shouted threateningly at Lutoart’s useless preface, so Lutoart spoke in fear.

"Hii! It’s Claris. I saw Claris of Atlee House in my family house. T-that guy, Leon is sheltering Claris in Bartfalt House." Julius’s eyes widened hearing that.

"Claris of Atlee House you say? That woman, she is still alive?"

Even though it was a matter about his former fiancée, Jilk was talking as though it wasn’t his business at all.

"I considered the possibility of him mistaking the person, but he heard that person got called Claris when he was in his family house. Her appearance is also really similar."

Julius narrowed his eyes.

"This isn’t a fake information?"

Jilk’s lips twisted into a malicious grin.

"Even if that’s the case, it’ll be just a destruction of a single countryside baron isn’tit? We’re just going to erase a single countryside noble who opposed the kingdom by sheltering a criminal."

Julius hesitated to reply because that sounded too forceful to do, but then all expression vanished from Jilk’s face.

"Your highness──that Leon has met with Olivia-san. According to the report that I heard from a female knight who I’m close with, it seems that she saw the two of them embracing each other. Apparently Olivia-san forbid everyone to say a word about it, but that’s just even more proof of how much she thought about him."

Something snapped inside Julius when he heard that.

"He laid his hand on Olivia? Why haven’t the palace heard anything about it?"

"It’s because of Olivia-san’s order. But, if we keep leaving him alone like this, he will settle in to be the sixth person sooner or later. Even your highness won’t be able to tolerate that correct?"

Jilk──wanted to crush Leon now that a possibility of him marrying Olivia appeared. Because of that, he suggested to Julius to crush Bartfalt House.

Lutoart’s information was simple an excuse for that.

Julius made his decision.

"Very well. But, take care of this matter carefully. Kill that guy without fail. Don’t cut any corner at all for that." "As you command!"

Jilk left the room. Then Lutoart who was left behind raised his hand.

"Y-your highness? Um, about my reward?"

Julius glared at Lutoart, and then he gave him a verbal promise.

"After Leon is killed, I’ll give the remaining territory to you. Any complaint?" "N-no!"

Lutoart left the room. Then Julius pressed his right hand on his face.

"I’ll remove any fool who dare to lay his hand on Olivia. Olivia──is mine alone."

◇

Marie and I entered the hot spring to heal our fatigue that had accumulated recently. After that we walked outside.

"Aa~, I want to drink sake."

"You speak like a middle-aged uncle. I prefer shochu highball myself. I can’t drink with this body though."

"Haa? We are already adult in our world you know? Just drinking sake shouldn’t be any problem at all."

"I’ll refrain until I’m twenty years old. Or rather, in the first place I wasn’t really a heavy drinker."

I almost never drank alcohol even in the previous world.

Sometimes I would, but it was only when I got invited to drink.

Marie was exasperated at my story.

"You are really similar with my big brother in the previous life. Big bro also didn’t drink much alcohol and did nothing except playing gal game."

"Don’t group me with your big bro. But, it feels like I’ll be able to have some talk with him. Though I also played other game than gal game."

Marie’s big bro in her previous life was apparently a dangerous man who might do something messed up if he got angry.

I didn’t want to be confused as such guy, but if he liked to play game than I guess we might be able to have something to talk about at least.

──Even so, Marie was completely the same like my little sister.

Marie was thinking of what she was going to drink when she returned to the mansion.

"I want to eat yakitori today. Ah, beer might be better for that!"

"You are also really similar with my little sister you know? That girl, she would drink every night once she got a taste for an alcohol."

Marie made a really disgusted face when I talked about my little sister in the previous life.

"Stop that. Leon’s little sister in the previous life was like that wasn’t she? A woman who liked to play innocent right? Don’t group me with that kind of detestable fellow. But, if she also like to drink than she might become a good drinking partner. I’ll punch her if she is just a hypocrite woman though."

"Then it would surely become a fist fight. You two are completely the same after all."

"I’m telling you’re wrong! If I could live skillfully like your little sister, I would be able to enjoy my life even more mon!"

Mon! She said. You, how old were you again at the inside?

We were walking on the road at night. The robot that was floating in front of us was illuminating the path.

Marie turned her gaze toward the idyllic scenery of the floating island.

"Ah, firefly."

"It’s a bug that looks similar with firefly. It’s not an actual firefly."

The insect that was radiating light was only flying around. It gave a very tasteful feeling to the scenery.

Marie kicked at pebble on the road with her sandal.

"Even so, everything is really troublesome isn’t it? The saintess’s items are actually cursed items, then the saintess might be possessed."

"If only the world is more fantasy like and full with sweet dreams. Or a worl like in gal game, that will be far better."

"You are stupid. There is no convenient world for man like that. The woman that is in man’s imagination is just a fictional creature."

"It’s 2D so it’s accurate to call them fictional, but that statement can stab back at you. From a man’s perspective, otome game is also just a bunch of nonsense after all."

"I can differentiate between fiction and reality."

"As the result of that, you went out with the ideal man in game while meeting failures in reality. Ouch!?"

Marie kicked my butt when I laughed at her.

The pain reverberated until my bone. Marie glared at me while I was holding my butt.

"Don’t put on air you virgin. You were also a virgin at the previous life right?"

"W-why are you baselessly accusing me as virgin!? I’ll sue you!"

"Your reaction is the proof."

We were glaring at each other. Then I got tired and averted my face.

"Let’s stop this unproductive argument. None of us will get out unscathed from it."

"Guess so. Let’s refrain from saying anything that just pour salt on each other’s wound."

We decided to stop talking about the past because we would just gouge out each other’s wound.

We walked on the road at night alone.

The path was only made from hardened soil. Marie then quietly stretched out her hand.

I grabbed that hand and walked while pulling Marie behind me.

The short Marie fastened her pace to catch up with me.

I slowed down my pace in consideration to her.

"──There are a lot of troubles, but we will surely manage somehow, right?"

Marie muttered that uneasily, so I cracked a joke to reassure her.

I wanted to reassure her, and also to persuade myself.

"This is a world of that otome game right? The last boss is also gone already, so how can it get any worse than this. At the end we will get at least the better ending."

The last boss had been dealt with.

What was left was just to solve the problem with the saintess.

I told myself like that.

What was important for me was──to protect my current environment.

Marie strongly gripped my hand.

"You’re, right. Surely it will be fine won’t it?"

"What’s more can happen after this? We will get busy in dealing with the saintess at the new term, so let’s rest for now while we can."

"Yeah! Ah, I’m hungry. Let’s get back quickly and eat."

"That’s the only thing in your mind huh."

We walked on the road while laughing and returned to the mansion at night.

◇

"We’re back~. What’s for dinner?"

When we returned home and I made such lighthearted remark, Clarissenpai wearing a maid uniform came running.

Behind her there were also the male seniors who were Claris-senpai’s followers following her.

It seemed that they were helping out in my family’s mansion every day.

But, everyone was making a grave expression.

"Leon-kun, it’s trouble."

"Is there some kind of accident?"

I got a bad feeling wondering what happened this time. From Clarissenpai’s expression, surely it wasn’t good news at all.

It seemed that Claris-senpai’s family, Atlee House was still in contact with her even now through master.

Because of that, it wouldn’t be strange for her to get some kind of information.

I had enough already in my plate without anything more happening, but then Claris-senpai said something that I didn’t expect at all.

"Alzer Commonwealth is destroyed."

"──That’s a lie right?"

When I turned my gaze to Marie, she looked dazed and couldn’t make any voice.

According to Marie, that place was "the stage of that otome game’s sequel", but that country that would become such a stage was destroyed?

Claris-senpai was getting a fright.

"It’s true. The palace is also in commotion right now like a poked beehive.

Also, there is a bad rumor spreading." There was still more!?

"This is an uncertain information but, it seems the palace is having dissatisfaction with Bartfalt House, no, with Leon-kun. There is a rumor that they are moving to subjugate you. What did you do?"

Unpleasant cold sweat covered my body even though I had just gotten out of hot spring.

Marie also froze with a pale face.

My gaze swam around while I said what came to mind.

"──I beat up his highness Julius after the duel."

Claris-senpai put her hand on her forehead. The seniors behind her also made a face that seemed to say "Just what the hell are you doing?". Eh? Could it be, I would get subjugated by the country?

To be continued