Side: Yuki
Ugh... Enough already.
The explosion gag is getting pretty worn out, you know?
'I shouted my love, and became the center of the explosion's hypocenter.'
...I feel like I've heard that somewhere before. Was it a movie title? But I don't think it was this violent...
Anyway, my wives, Eoid, and Amanda managed to evacuate, so that's good.
As for the old man... who knows.
Still, causing an explosion inside the royal castle... Normally, something like this would be completely unacceptable. But the person who caused it was Feigel-san, Cleana's foster father and the court mage advisor... I doubt such an important figure would make such a mistake.
...Did they stage this whole thing?
Just in case, my wives heightened their surrounding alertness the moment they pulled back from me, so we're completely fine even if we get ambushed.
In a situation like this, the absolute worst-case scenario would be everyone being enveloped in the blast and flames. That would mean losing all communication.
For now, I haven't received any emergency signals from my wives, so I'll just stay quiet and wait until the smoke clears.
There's no reason for us to move first and reveal our hand when the opponent hasn't shown their move yet.
While I was thinking about that, the old man standing in front of me turned out to be alive after all. His magic power gathered, creating an unnatural gust of wind that blew the smoke away.
"...Tch. He didn't burn."
The first voice I hear belongs to the person who caused this whole explosion.
Slightly smaller than average and flat as a board, but incredibly cute and beloved—my wife, Cleana.
After seeing how scary she can be when angry, I'm reminded once again that I need to be even more careful when talking about her figure. 'Flat chests are a status symbol. They have rarity value!' I found myself recalling those magnificent words.
As for the unburned old man who just got clicked-at...
"I DID BURN!! What in the world was that high-powered Fireball?! I thought I was going to blow it away, but all I could do was deploy a wind shield strong enough to keep the damage from reaching you! That was completely absurd!"
"Nn. The power of love."
"No way in hell it powers up that easily!"
Well, from the perspective of an old researcher, that answer probably sounds like something a dreamy young girl would say.
But in a sense, he isn't wrong.
If you don't have the motivation, you won't improve very much.
"...The power of love is great and absolute. Want to take another one?"
Cleena gathered magic power once more, locking her target onto the old man.
The spell formula is different from before... Is it ice disguised as fire?
Judging by the magic structure, it's easily three times stronger than the last one... Looks like we're about to see the old man get impaled.
"I was wondering what all the commotion was about. Master Feigel, please put an end to playful banter with your beloved daughter and bring them here quickly."
A voice called down from above.
Looking up, I saw a woman in a dress standing on a terrace overlooking the courtyard, accompanied by a knight and a maid waiting beside her.
How shameless—as if she hadn't been waiting there watching the whole time.
Well, I'd probably do the exact same thing to gather information. They intentionally let a family member cause a scene so that even if a problem arose, they could brush it off as a harmless greeting.
I mean, if they threw a complete stranger at us and caused a scene, it would turn into a full-blown diplomatic incident.
"Guests. My apologies for dragging you into the old master's foolishness. I shall have you guided up immediately. Master, I have work for you around there as well."
"Hohoho, understood, Princess."
Saying that, the Princess withdrew into the back.
The gaze she cast down at us was like that of a hawk, though.
...Not that I've ever stared down a hawk's eyes up close, but you know what I mean—it's a metaphor.
So that was Princess Innis, huh?
Judging from the fact that she stopped observing halfway through and comparing it with our prior info, proposing this little stunt was likely the old man's idea, and Princess Innis was the one who reluctantly gave the OK.
Well, it's also possible she's a sly fox pulling the strings just like the Headmaster, so making hasty assumptions here is a bad idea... Either way, there's no doubt they were probing our combat capabilities, so we should assume they are capable people.
"Everyone, my sincere apologies for showing you such an embarrassing sight. Come now, Cleena, bow your head as well."
"...Master started it. I'm the victim."
"The result is still that we made a racket together, is it not? Good grief, dragging your precious husband into it on top of that... He's going to end up hating you, you know?"
"...!? I-I am so sorry!!"
Hearing the old man say that, Cleana's face turned pale as if the world were ending, and she bowed in apology.
"It's alright, so don't worry about it. Cleana held back so the damage wouldn't hit me, and your master deployed a wind shield to protect me too."
That's right.
In that split second, judging that dissipating the spell was impossible, he deployed a wind shield to protect me alongside himself since I hadn't evacuated.
It seems his reputation isn't just for show; even if Poppuri held back against him, trading spells with her was ge
"Hoh? You noticed?"
The old man had a look of surprise, but his eyes were sharp.
Is he trying to read information even out of a casual conversation like this?
"Yes, my wife uses similar magic, so it felt familiar."
"Is that so? Which one might she be?"
"The blonde one over there..."
When I pointed her out, Eris stepped forward on her own and bowed to the old man.
"Hello, my name is Eris."
"I see, and what kind of magic do you..."
The old man tried to probe further, but without waiting for him to finish, Eris spoke up right over him.
"Her Highness the Princess called for us just a moment ago, so perhaps we can save the detailed discussion for later? Could you please lead the way?"
"...I suppose so. I can ask slowly later. My apologies—I spend all my time in research, so I got a bit carried away. Now, please follow me."
The sheer pressure in Eris's eyes was terrifying, radiating a clear message from every pore: 'Hurry up and lead the way, old geezer.'
Eris is genuinely formidable when it comes to negotiations... The old man must have realized that too, because he quickly averts his eyes and starts leading us.
As expected of Eris—showing zero mercy even to the elderly!
And thanks to Eris's intimidating gaze, we quickly enter the royal castle and are led into a room.
There sat Princess Innis from earlier, sipping tea.
Normally, accompanying members would be made to wait in a separate room, with only representatives like myself or Amanda-san receiving an audience with nobility—that was how it went even with Samantha's father, the Duke.
So what exactly is she trying to accomplish by doing things this way?
"Master, you took your time. Trying to probe them unnecessarily again, were you?"
"Now, what might you be talking about?"
"Playing dumb as usual. They are messengers from Headmaster Poppuri, who is a benefactor to both you and me. If you have questions, ask them straight out. I have no patience for roundabout methods."
When the Princess said that, the old man shook his head with a "good grief" expression. He really has it rough.
Ah, her personality overlaps with Seraria's in every way imaginable.
Well, at least she doesn't yip and bark incessantly, making her better than the old Seraria.
"At any rate, my apologies, guests. Please take a seat wherever you like. We have more people than expected—so the sofas are awkwardly placed."
As everyone sat down in open seats as they pleased, Eris forced Amanda-san—who was hesitating to sit directly across from the Princess—to sit down.
"Thank you for your consideration. However, was it really appropriate for you to meet with so many people of uncertain status like us?"
I sat beside Amanda-san and brought up the question of why the Princess was personally meeting us here in the first place.
"What of it? When I go out on official business, or visit other cities and villages, I'm surrounded by even more people than this. Compared to that, you've already surrendered your weapons, and the Academy guarantees your identities. The purpose of this audience is simply for the Dragon Knight to introduce herself. But since my father, the King, is absent, we cannot hold a formal audience in front of the throne. So this is the minimum courtesy required. Though to be completely honest, my main reason is that I don't want to waste time dragging out tedious formalities. I want to wrap up the troublesome greetings and letter exchanges quickly so I can hear news about my alma mater and my former teacher."
She really is as straightforward as the rumors said.
The people around her must be working themselves to death trying to cover for her.
I can deeply sympathize with the struggles of the knights who served as her escorts during her student days.
"In that case, taking advantage of Your Highness's kindness... Amanda-san, please introduce yourself."
"Y-Yes!!"
Following the Princess's wishes to get the greetings out of the way, I had Amanda stand up to introduce herself.
Naturally, I stood beside her to support her.
"This is Amanda, who recently succeeded in taming a wyvern and was granted the title of Dragon Knight by Headmaster Poppuri. Please treat her well from here on."
"I am Amanda! It is a pleasure to meet you!!"
"I see. I am Innis, Princess of this Kingdom of August. Feel free to call me simply Innis."
"T-That would be far too presumptuous..."
"Don't worry about it. In this continent, there are probably more princesses than you could count on both hands—or even a hundred or two hundred hands. Compared to that, there is only one Dragon Knight on this entire continent. Ordinarily, I should be bowing to you, but please overlook that. Otherwise, the people around me will make a fuss."
"Princess."
"See? The Master and the maid are already complaining. In any case, it would be foolish for us to make each other nervous over this. So let's make use of a convenient relationship we happen to have."
"A convenient relationship?"
"Yes. I'm also a graduate of the Academy. In other words, I'm your senior and you're my junior. With that, there's no need for either of us to worry about status, right? I'm technically your senior, after all. Isn't that right, Master?"
"...Sigh. Very well."
"And there you have it. We came from the same school, so talk to me casually."
"...Yes, Innis-senpai."
"Umu. What a nostalgic way to be addressed.All right, Amanda-kouhai! First, I'll show you around the royal castle!"
The two of them stand up, only for the old man and me to force them back into their seats.
"Kya—" "Otto—"
"First, you should give her the letter from the Headmaster."
"Indeed. Neglecting official duties is out of the question."
"S-Sorry..."
"I get it, I get it, Roshi! So stop glaring at me like that."
The two quieted down after seeing our expressions.
I wondered if she was acting like this on purpose to relieve Amanda's tension... Or is this just her natural personality?
She's definitely the impulsive, instinctive type... Seriously, the people around her must be exhausted.
While I was thinking about that, Amanda hurriedly retrieved the letter entrusted to her by Poppuri from her breast pocket.
"This is a letter from Headmaster Poppuri of Lancer Magic Academy. Please read it."
Saying that, Amanda placed the letter before the Princess.
The standard procedure for these things is for an aide to receive it first to inspect whether it's genuine or trapped before passing it along. But before the old man could reach out, the Princess grabbed the letter directly.
"Princess!?"
"Quiet! It's not as if I am the King myself—why go through unnecessary steps?"
"However..."
"On the battlefield, swift decision-making is everything! A general who sits around waiting for orders from above, or instructions from a distant capital, is completely useless. That's just a messenger! A leader—someone who stands above others—must take responsibility for their own actions, pull those around them forward, and stand at the front! Granted, standing on the absolute front lines isn't the duty of an overall commander. But one must constantly make the best choices. If you cannot choose by your own will, you are unfit to stand at the top. Isn't that what you yourself taught me, Master?"
"T-That is a separate matter..."
"How could they be different? This kind of diplomacy is a form of war in its own right. Acting the same way as everyone else makes us no different from any other country. Rather than wasting time on such things, skipping these ceremonial etiquettes to make time to deepen ties with a junior and a legendary Dragon Knight is far more worthwhile. Besides, if a simple letter like this could kill me, then so be it. Or rather, would Headmaster Poppuri really use such a roundabout trick? If it were her, she'd fly straight overhead and blow up the royal castle herself, wouldn't she?"
"...That old hag certainly would."
Whoa.
Phew, this conversation is hilarious—I'm glad I secretly recorded it.
Well, originally I intended it as a routine conversation log. Keeping records of discussions in settings like this is surprisingly important. Of course, I thoroughly recorded our discussions with Samantha's father, the Duke, as well.
Still, Poppuri really was pretty reckless back in the day, huh? But I suppose the Academy couldn't have remained independent if she wasn't that extreme.
"And that's how it is, Amanda. It may be somewhat rude, but I shall open and read the letter here."
"Ah, yes. Please go ahead! The Headmaster said Innis-senpai would likely say something like that too."
"See? The Headmaster foresaw it as well."
"That damned old hag..."
"...You truly know no fear as always. You're the only one, Master, who would call that cute Headmaster a 'damned old hag.'"
While saying that, the Princess opened the letter and scanned its contents.
"Where on earth you see 'cute' in her is completely beyond me. She has that appearance, but inside she's far older than I am. Even those gestures and mannerisms are done intentionally! Therefore, calling her a damned old hag poses no problem whatsoever."
"All women possess such aspects to greater or lesser degrees. Rather, shouldn't you admire how she utilizes that appearance to the fullest? Fumu, fumu..."
"I do admire her. She is my former teacher, after all. However, there are simply people who cannot get along."
"By 'cannot get along,' do you mean how you confessed your love to the Headmaster back then, Master?"
"""""Pf—!"""""
That bombshell dropped by the Princess caused even the escort soldiers and maids behind her to burst out laughing, while dealing heavy critical damage to those of us sipping drinks.
As for the old man, it went down the wrong pipe and he began coughing violently.
"...Princess Innis. Is that true?"
"What, Cleana, you didn't know either?"
"There are many written records about Master and the Headmaster's battles, but this is the first time I've heard that story."
Cleana was the one who bit hard on that revelation.
Well, it's about her foster parent, so that's only natural.
"Well, it is a rather embarrassing story, after all. Unless asked, it's not something one would willingly bring up. Records worth keeping are those that serve future generations, not those meant to make someone a laughingstock. Now then, my apologies. Before continuing this topic, I have reviewed the letter. We would love to maintain good relations with Dragon Knight Amanda as well. With your extraordinary mobility, we may ask various favors of you in the future. We look forward to working with you then."
"Yes!"
"A fine response. Now then, that gentleman over there is the mercenary leader, so is the man behind you Amanda's husband?"
"Y-Yes. This is my husband, Eoid."
Called by Amanda, Eoid immediately stood up.
"I am Eoid. It is an honor to meet Princess Innis!"
"There is no need to be so stiff. You are my junior as well, so Innis-senpai will do."
"Yes, Innis-senpai!"
"Mm, a fine man. At any rate, having Amanda's partner already decided resolves a major concern for us. Although I have ordered everyone not to lay a hand on Amanda-dono, there's always a chance some idiot who knows nothing might try something completely pointless that yields only net-negative results. If anyone from this country tries to speak nonsense to you during your stay, contact me immediately. I shall protect the happiness of my juniors with all my strength."
""Thank you very much!!""
She really is the big-sister type.
She's different from Seraria and Derieu in a very specific way.
She's definitely her own type.
"Dragon Knight Amanda and her husband Eoid are to be granted access to my room whenever they visit the royal capital, provided I am here. If I am absent, order them to be escorted to the residence of Feigel, the court mage advisor. I will issue the necessary orders and passes later."
"""Yes, Your Highness!!"""
The knights respond and leave to convey the orders.
...But if the written orders are only going to be issued later, how are they supposed to convince people to trust them?
Was this simply another one of the Princess's habits? Terrifying.
"Now then, setting Amanda-kouhai's matter aside, there was also a request to grant the mercenary group permission to browse the Royal Capital Library. While it doesn't state that you need access to restricted materials, may I ask the reason behind this?"
But she does make sure to handle these details properly, so I suppose she really is competent.
"Yes. That's fine. As for why the mercenary company wants to look through the library, I suppose you could say it's for our livelihood."
"Your livelihood?"
"Yes. General knowledge, you could say. What can be eaten, what can be sold for money, whether there are hidden treasures somewhere, and so on. By absorbing all sorts of knowledge, things we never paid attention to before might suddenly become sources of income."
"I see. There are certainly plenty of documents concerning such matters. Though the claims about treasure aren't exactly reliable. Most of them are little more than tall tales, aren't they?"
"Surprisingly, that's not always the case. I've had a chance to look through the libraries in Jilva and Enaria, and there were documents in both places that described the same location, despite having completely different accounts. In other words, the fact that the same information appears from multiple sources makes the story more credible. Of course, there are plenty of false leads too, but sometimes we actually find something."
"...I see. Gathering information from multiple sources is fundamental. But judging whether treasure exists from that sort of angle... That really is something you'd expect from mercenaries who travel from country to country... It sounds interesting. If you don't mind, may I observe your investigation?"
"I don't mind at all."
I made it sound like a casual excuse, but it's actually true.
Zargis thoroughly investigated Jilva, while Ratz, Milly, and Rurua did the same in Enaria. Even though we couldn't uncover the crucial information about Holy Sword wielders or magic power depletion, we found an enormous amount of information about hidden treasures and the like.
We've also had Kirika and the others investigate those locations to see whether any of those treasures contained information related to Holy Sword wielders or magic power depletion.
Well, most turned out to be plain gold and silver treasure, so we haven't found our true objective at all—instead, we ended up in an all-out war with the Holy Sword wielders, while our investigation into magic power depletion has only barely brushed against a possible lead.
"All right, then let us head to the library immediately!"
Saying that, the Princess stood up yet again.
And yet again, the old man promptly pushed her back into her seat.
"Princess. First, the guests should be escorted to their rooms. While they are waiting, you can write your response. In fact, both the royal castle tour and the library tour can wait. The very first thing we should do is inspect Dragon Knight Amanda's dragon."
"Oh, right. My apologies—I shall draft the reply right away, so please wait in the guest room in the meantime. I leave the guiding to you."
"""Understood!"""
With that, we were guided away by the maids.
As we left the room, the Princess was already hurriedly moving her pen across the paper... There aren't going to be typos or missing words, right? That's going to cause major issues on an official document...
Swift decision-making is fine and all, but she skips way too many steps... Look, even the knight and maid beside her were desperately peeking over her shoulder at the letter she was writing.
...Thank you for your hard work, everyone.
