The Strongest Prince Returns

Cheers surrounded the boy. Every cheer was infused with joy and full of congratulations. The people who filled the palace plaza―there was nothing but a smile on their faces. The one who monopolizes the gaze of the people is a boy standing on the balcony. A country that had been cornered to the brink of destruction at one time has now reached the point where it is called the supreme ruler of the central continent. This is all thanks to the boy who has continued to support the King by his side, overcoming despair and difficult circumstances and leading him to victory in many wars. “…Are you really going to go back?” The boy showed hesitation before nodding at the young man who showed a sorrowful face. “…Yeah. It’s a regret, but I have to go back.” The young man―the first and last person to speak to the King of this country in such a manner, would be the boy alone. If any other person had spoken to the King in this way, they would surely be punished with death or something close to it for impoliteness. But as the two men were kindred spirits, the King only smiled and did not blame the boy. “I was hoping you would stay here for a long time because… you are the hero of our country, after all. We’ll even prepare you for the position you deserve. The country will have a period of stability ahead. We’ll have no trouble–and yet, you still want to go back?” “Then it’s even better if I’m not here, you know. What this country will do from now on is domestic politics, isn’t it? You will need talented civil servants instead of military officers like me. The sooner you get rid of this useless food-eater, the better.” When the boy said this, a bitterness spread across the graceful King’s face. “Do you have to?” “Yes.” “…I see.” They even sipped the same muddy water. The humiliation they have suffered is extraordinary. A stubborn man stuck with him―a man who stuck with a country on the brink of destruction until the very end. They were comrades in arms, best friends, and family. That’s why they know each other’s personalities so well. The boy’s feelings are the same, no matter what. The King shook his head slightly as he realized this. He shook his head and said, “Then take this.” The King randomly tossed a plain white card to him. The boy who received it looked at it with a dubious expression on his face. Then the King smiles like a child who has thought of a prank. “If you don’t want it, you have to stay.” “Haha, I’ll take it, but what’s this? I’ve never seen it.” “You’ll find out sooner or later. Well, from what I’ve heard about it, I don’t think you’ll need it in that world.” When he finished, the King turned away and started walking in the opposite direction of the boy. As the boy continued to walk away, the King stopped and spoke over his shoulder. “This is where we say goodbye. You know I dislike gloomy things, don’t you?” The King hesitated and then opened his mouth again as if to say goodbye. “…Well, I won’t see you off. Take care.” “Yeah. You too. I had a really good time.” “Yeah… I enjoyed it too.” So the hero’s story comes to an end――. “――I had a dream like that.” The one who said that with a serious face was Ouguro Hiro. He’ll be seventeen this year, a sophomore in high school that can be found everywhere. “I-I see… good for you.” Fukutaro, a childhood friend of Hiro’s, was slightly taken aback by what he heard. Although they were both sophomores at the same high school, Fukutaro’s blessed physique was two sizes larger than Hiro’s. “You don’t believe me?” “It’s a dream, right? Even if I believe it, there’s nothing I can do, right?” “No, well, I guess so.” As to think it was right―before the awkwardness began to flow through the air, Hiro decided to change the subject. “Speaking of which, I heard from your mother that you got a recommendation from the university, is that true?” That old hag… after swearing, Fukutaro shrugged his shoulders and spoke of his confusion. “I’ve only just entered high school, you know.” “It’s no wonder, after all, you’re the hope of the judo team.” “It’s still too early. I don’t have any feelings, and I don’t even know what college is called.” After scratching the back of his head in trouble, Fukutaro gave Hiro a meaningful look. “Well, rather than me, what about you? Aren’t you going to start your club activities again?” “You know it, right? The doctor told me to stop doing strenuous exercise.” After receiving Hiro’s words, Fukutaro gives him a concerned look. “Well, it’s been over three years since then. Isn’t it about time you did some light exercise? You had a diagnostic day yesterday.” There is a reason why a doctor is diagnosing Hiro. Three years ago, Hiro was involved in a mysterious incident. Until the day before the incident, he hadn’t seemed any different from his usual self. But on the next day, when his mother had come to wake up Hiro, she let out a scream because her son was lying completely naked with a horribly emaciated body. If that had been all, there would have been no problem. But his body was covered in wounds and mud, and his hair had changed from short to long, so he was rushed to the hospital at once. The diagnosis was: dislocated shoulder, torn muscles, a few cracked bones here and there, and although the lacerations had been treated first, the sutures were so poorly done that they would last a lifetime. He was also diagnosed with several infections and was admitted to the emergency room. Unfortunately for the parents, their son had lost his memory of the injury, and the hospital called the police because of the possibility of abuse. They were interrogated about their son’s unusual condition. The parents must have felt an immeasurable psychological burden. “Hmm… it doesn’t look good yet.” His memory never came back, but if we talk about his body alone, he has made a full recovery. The doctor in charge has even endorsed that he can withstand strenuous exercise now. Nevertheless, due to a certain secret, Hiro does not participate in club activities. Even the doctor doesn’t know about the aftereffects, and even now, three years later, the aftereffects are still lingering―and when he realized the aftereffects, he didn’t want to give his family and close friends any more worries, he gave up his club activities. “I see. I’m sorry to hear that…” Fukutaro fell silent for a few seconds, perhaps feeling sorry for himself for being so insensitive. But the next time he opened his mouth, he was back to his usual Fukutaro. “But that time, I was surprised. You were a different person. Even your hair was long, like a fallen warrior.” “It reached all the way down to my waist. My mom was very surprised too.” “And your body has tightened up a lot. How do you get to that level in a day?” “I have a special ability. When I sleep for a day, I level up with a cheat level.” “Bullshit!” Fukutaro laughs and tries to push Hiro. At that time―something buzzed in Hiro’s mind. He unconsciously dodged Fukutaro’s fist by moving his foot to the side. Not only that, but he also kicked the ground and dove into Fukutaro’s chest. “…A-as always, your reflexes are unbelievable.” And Fukutaro’s lips quivered without hiding his astonishment. Hiro’s fist was perfectly placed on his chin. “…Ah, S-sorry!” He moved away in a hurry and――. “Hmm?” Hiro noticed something strange. Fukutaro was frozen in a cold sweat, with a surprised expression on his face. “Hmm…? What’s going on with you all of a sudden?” Hiro gave a wry smile. It’s a prank that even kids don’t do nowadays. He waved his hand in front of Fukutaro’s face. Still, he doesn’t budge a bit. “Forget it; we are going to be late.” He tried to shake it out of his frustration. But it didn’t work, as it should. “How long are you going to be doing that? Stop being so ashamed of yourself.” Then Hiro looked around and saw a strange sight. ――The world had stopped. Not only did Fukutaro stop moving, but the passersby around him also stopped moving. Even the crows at the garbage dump. A cat threatening an elementary school student at the side of the road. The sun that was coloring the sky as if it were its own. A white cloud floating in the blue sky. The everyday scenery―everything has stopped. “………Eh.” Hiro couldn’t understand the situation―there was no way he could, and he had a face that he couldn’t show to others, like his jaw was off. Still, he tried to approach a nearby female student, hoping for a bit of hope. “Uhm… Is this a prank?” It was a cliche question. But he couldn’t think of anything else to say. “……” Of course, there was no way he could get a response. Thinking about it again, there is no point in trying to make a prank on a single high school student on a large scale. “In the first place… why would they do that?” No matter how many times he looked around, everything was still stopped all the same. “Haha… what is this?” His mind is going blank. His feet are wobbling underneath him, and his chest is palpitating faster. He has to take some action, but there’s nothing he can do about it. Anxiety surges through him and tears well up in the corners of his eyes. (What would you do at a time like this?) My heart is calling to you, who have been through so much battle together. (What would you say if you saw me in such a wretched state?) Will you laugh and comfort me? Will you extort me for being pathetic? (Who was I speaking of? I don’t know――… I don’t know what I’m thinking about.) It’s as if drowsiness has set in, and Hiro’s vision is fading. ――When in doubt, rely on me. I will depend on you too. We’re brothers, after all. I remember your voice, your face, the words that you once said to me, and they come back to me in rapid succession. ――I am sometimes an older brother and sometimes a younger brother. But no matter what happens, we will always be family. The person who resides in that world, the only family I have ever known. ――Look for salvation. Begging for help. There’s nothing to be ashamed of. (But you’re not in this world. How am I supposed to ask for help?) Leaving everything behind, throwing everything away and running back to the world he came from. Is it okay for me to seek salvation like that? Such a question flashed through his mind. ――I’m going to go with you. We will face many hardships in the future, yet no one will be able to break our bond. As soon as the young man appeared, Hiro lost consciousness. Hiro’s consciousness was awakened by a dazzling light coming through his eyelids and stimulating his pupils. After creating a shadow with his hand, he slowly opened his eyes, and the first thing that jumped out to his eyes was a large tree that made him feel like an annual ring. Sunlight spilled through the gaps in the branches and leaves that grew haphazardly. When he raised his upper body and looked around, he saw countless trees―a forest so dense that it was impossible to see beyond. But strangely enough, he didn’t find it eerie. Rather, there was something calming about it. Hence, Hiro wasn’t distraught or crying out, but it was also unpleasant to remain silent――. “…Haha, where is this place?” It’s a cliche line, after all―still, those are the only words that come to his mind. Besides, he must have been walking along the way to school a while ago, but the feel of the bushes to the touch and the natural aromas that the wind brings are so real that it’s hard to believe that it was a dream. And what’s more, it’s not the asphalt that spreads out in front of him, but a dense growth of trees. “If it’s a dream, I’ll wake up eventually…” Hiro muttered to himself. Soon he would wake up in a familiar room―he would be writhing with the embarrassment of remembering how scared he had been in his dreams. “It wouldn’t be a bad idea to explore until then.” He forced himself to convince his mind and decided to leave the big tree and proceed through the forest. But no matter how far he advanced, he was unable to get out of the forest. The dense trees still filled his vision, and even if he strained his eyes, he couldn’t see ahead. When Hiro’s spirit was about to be frustrated by the fact that he was too exhausted to walk. ――It appeared. A golden pair of eyes emerged in the darkness, shining like a blur. It stomped the earth forcefully and approached with a loud growl. Drool was dripping from its long, bared fangs as if it was pleased with the appearance of food. “…A wolf?” The sunlight spilling through the trees illuminates the beast, and he notices that it has beautiful white fur. It’s probably about the size of a medium-sized dog… it closes the distance as it gouges the ground with claws that extend from its well-honed quadrupeds. “Ugh…” He braced himself for an attack, but the beast stopped at a certain distance. (Is it being vigilant?) Then―it might be possible to escape. As he recalls, wild creatures are supposed to be afraid of fire… but there’s no way he has anything like that. After that, you don’t have to look away; you don’t have to be afraid; you just have to step back and escape slowly. Hiro decided to put into practice what he had heard on television. But then as he stepped back, keeping eye contact, the wolf took one step forward. When he took two steps back, it took two steps forward; when he took three steps back, it took three steps forward. Ah―this doesn’t make sense… He doesn’t even know how far to walk backward or where the exit is in the first place. (Besides, isn’t this wolf going to chase me all the way?) Despite Hiro’s confusion, the wolf suddenly sat down on the ground. It opened its big mouth and made one missing movement. It scratched its head with its hind legs, looking bored. Without looking away from Hiro, the wolf stretched out like a cat and lay down on the spot. Stay alert; if I move, it will bite me. The golden eyes told him so. …How much time had passed? The wolf that had been standing still suddenly twitched its pointed ears and stood up. Almost at the same time, a rustling sound could be heard from behind the bushes. He didn’t expect to see a new wolf… but the one who appeared in front of Hiro was a beautiful girl. “Hmm? Who are… you?” The girl stopped beside the wolf as she wiped her wet hair with a cloth. Keeping her gaze on Hiro―she put her hand on the wolf’s head and began to stroke it. “……” She tilted her head curiously at Hiro, who had been watching the series of actions in silence. “Hey… I’m asking, you know?” “Eh, ah, aah, you mean you were asking me?” “Who else is in here other than you…?” I was just fascinated by her―there was no way he could say that. Her red hair reminds him of a flame with a silken thread-like sheen. Her well-formed face is young but more beautiful than a ruby, and her blazing crimson eyes give off a strong will. Underneath her porcelain-white skin, her veins were blue and translucent. It is often said that the heavens do not give you two gifts, so, unfortunately, her breasts are small―but her charm will not be reduced by half, and she will surely become a woman full of charm in the future.

“Ahaha… I’m Ouguro Hiro.” Since he couldn’t stay silent all the time, when Hiro mentioned his name, the girl tilted her head slightly and wandered her gaze. “Ouguro Hiro?” [T/n: the Author wrote this in English/Katakana, so that’s why I will just put the name in Japanese order.] “Yeah… but if it’s difficult to call, just call me Hiro.” “All right. Then, I’ll call you Hiro, but―what are you doing here?” “I’ve been looking for a way out, but…” “Hmm.” With a small frown, the girl’s gaze clings to Hiro’s body, as if she is observing him. It was only for a moment――. “Well, fine. You don’t seem to be a suspicious person. You’re looking for a way out, right?” This way, the girl said and began to walk away. Hiro hurriedly followed her back. As if to protect the girl, the wolf stepped in between. As he walked, watching the wolf’s tail sway from side to side, he eventually recognized a massive mass of light at the end of the forest. That’s the exit that he couldn’t find even after walking around so long. Yet, it was so easy to find, and Hiro felt as if he had been pinched by a fox. [T/n: Being pinched by a fox’ (kitsune ni tsumareru) means being disbelieving one’s eyes because the situation feels surreal like a fox had put a spell on you.] (I never thought of finding the exit so easily…) Although confused, he walked through the trees that were becoming speckled, and as he passed through the light――. “Eh…” Hiro blinked his eyes as he looked at the scene spread out in front of him. When he looked up, the sun was shining on the cloudless azure sky arrogantly looking down on the ground. The sunshine was pouring down on the land in its fullness, and the ears of grass were swaying comfortably in the wind. While his eyes were drawn to the endless grasslands, Hiro caught a strange group of people at the edge of his vision. A group riding on war horses spread out in a horizontal line―heavy armor, well-kept spears, and swords at their waists. The rude looks directed at him by those on horseback are not very friendly. As Hiro becomes hesitant, a horse comes out of the group. The man on the horse has a large scar on his cheek. The fact that he is wearing armor gives him a warrior-like appearance. The man took a glance at Hiro with his sharp, beast-like eyes and then turned his gaze to the girl. “Milady… are you bathing again?” “It was so hot after the training, you know?” “Can you at least bring a bodyguard with you?” “Ara, I brought a bodyguard, you know? Isn’t that right, Cerberus?” When the girl called the white wolf’s name and patted its head――. “Woof.” Cerberus barked happily. After one breath, the man shook his head in dismay. To a third-person view, he looks like an older brother struggling with his tomboyish sister, but――. “So, who is this guy?” Suddenly, the man pointed at Hiro with his thumb. “Um, I’m just a lost child… so can I go now?” He said that and then gave an amiable smile. “…Are you trying to fool me?” No doubt, it failed because of the vein floating on the man’s forehead. “He’s Hiro.” The girl put her hand on Hiro’s shoulder. “We met there earlier. We’re already like friends, Right?” The girl walked around in front of Hiro and looked into his face. Hiro’s face instantly turned red. It may be that he is not used to talking to a girl at such a close distance―but it is even more so when it is a beautiful girl. “M-maybe it’s like a friend, I wonder? I don’t know if we can be considered as friends, though.” Hiro said that very quickly so that he didn’t realize how shaken he was. “Woof.” Cerberus barked at him. Maybe he agrees with him. Obviously, the man with the cheek scars frowned in disgust. “He’s your friend…? That would be too suspicious.” The man didn’t even try to hide his grumpiness as he glared at Hiro. “And what’s with that unfamiliar outfit? You don’t belong to the Empire, do you?” Indeed, Hiro is the only person here who wears school uniforms. To begin with, Hiro isn’t used to seeing people wearing armor and holding swords at their waists, but――. “More importantly, your face and hair color is not like that of the Empire’s citizens. What country are you from?” After being told by the man who has the cheek wounds, he now realizes that everyone has an unJapanese face. They all have blond or brown hair, but none of them have black hair like Hiro’s. And on closer look, their features are uniformly chiseled, with high noses and broad shoulders. Compared to Hiro’s body, they are two sizes different. When Hiro revealed his confusion, the girl who had moved next to him lightly tapped him on the shoulder. When he turned his head in that direction, the beautiful beauty came close to the tip of his nose. “He has such a gentle face; even his eyes are so bright, he looks like a little Cerberus.” It’s so close that if he pushed his back just a little, their lips would touch. The faintly sweet scent stimulates Hiro’s nostrils. In spite of the fact that Hiro was flustered, the girl put on a carefree smile. “I like it, you know?” “Eh, aah… T-thanks.” What did she say all of a sudden… my mind is violently disturbed. “What are you blushing about? This is even more suspicious. Do you know where you are?” “Dios. Don’t be so intimidating with this child. You’re frightening him!” “…Milady. Even if he’s a child, isn’t he still suspicious?” The words sounded unheard of to Hiro. It was fine for the man called Dios to call himself a child. However, it was strange for a girl―who was younger than him―to say that he is a child. “Why? He’s so cute…” “He’s not cute at all――.” Hiro raises his hand, interrupting Dios’ words that make him twitch his mouth. “U-um~…” “What is it?” The girl gave him a compassionate look. It is deplorable to find out that it was actually directed toward a child. “Even if I am like this; I’m still sixteen. Seventeen this year.” “…That’s a lie, right? You’re older than me?” Why did she have to look at me like she had been scammed? When she looked at Dios on the horse, he seemed as surprised as the girl, and his mouth was half-open. “Aren’t you actually about ten years old?” The girl comes up to him in disbelief. “I’m really sixteen. I’m definitely not ten.” Indeed, Japanese people are often seen as being younger than their actual age. Above all, Hiro was 165 cm. He’s small for a sophomore in high school, not much different from a girl. On top of that, he has a childish face, which, combined with his good looks, made him sound less than truthful. When Hiro was wondering what to do to make them believe him――. “Are you some kind of spirit?” Dios gave him a serious look. “Oh, I see! So that’s why you were in the forest. But I wonder if a spirit could get lost…” As soon as the girl is convinced, she tilts her head and grumbles, “Hmm.” She’s a girl whose expression changes all the time. It’s fun to watch, but when Dios pulled his horse over, Hiro was once again filled with tension. “For now, let’s take this guy with us.” “Eh? We can’t. His parents might be looking for him. We’ve got to make sure he gets home.” “Milady, this guy is sixteen, isn’t he? A child might have been forgiven, but he’s a respectable adult. He entered the royal family’s private property without permission. I’ll have to interrogate him, just in case.” “Eh, I don’t think there’s anything to worry about. Let’s get him home.” “He could be an enemy spy.” “I don’t think he’s anything like that, but…” “No.” “Then, I’ll have him ride in my carriage. Is that okay?” Dios opens his mouth, loosening the wrinkles between his eyebrows at the girl who refuses to give up. “…Sigh, fine. Then we’ll return to the fort.” Dios, who had turned his horse, walked back to his subordinates. As if to replace him, a luxurious carriage came in front of Hiro. “Come, get in. It’s spacious inside, so you won’t feel cramped.” Cerberus got in first, and when Hiro looked inside, there was enough room for six people to sit. After avoiding Cerberus, who was lying on the floor, Hiro sat down on the seat provided. The girl who boarded later sat down face to face. “I’m sorry for startling you in so many ways.” “No, it’s just a dream, so I don’t blame you.” Even at this point in time, Hiro was still not admitting that this was not real. The girl tilted her head in wonder. “…A dream?” “Yeah. There’s a lot of things that can’t be explained otherwise.” “Can’t explain what?” “I was on my way to school a while ago, and then I found myself here. You know how in a dream, the scene suddenly changes, and someone you’ve never seen before appears?” “…Well, yeah. But you’re here. I think it’s real.” Suddenly, the girl floated her hips and approached Hiro. Just as he was wondering, a warm hand was placed on his cheek―he felt it was soft―and then he was struck with intense pain. “It huuuurrrrtttts!” The girl pinched Hiro’s cheeks as hard as she could. “How is it? Does it hurt?” “Thoroughly!” When he shouted an incomprehensible word, the girl’s hand moved away, and she sat back down in her original position. Surprised by Hiro’s scream, Cerberus, who was at their feet, rolled his eyes. “See. It’s not a dream, right? “But you don’t have to pinch me.” “I’m sorry. But I figured it would be the quickest way to find out.” “Mmm…” There’s nothing I can say when she smiles at me that prettily. What will happen if I wake up with a strange sexual habit? As Hiro silently stroked his throbbing cheeks, the window provided on the carriage was tapped on. “Is something wrong?” Dios looked at her suspiciously, but the girl replied nonchalantly. “It’s nothing. Hiro told me this was a dream, so I just pinched his cheek.” “Hmm, it’s an escape from reality, huh… As I thought, he’s a spy.” With that, Dios moved away from the window. Hiro sighed as he held his aching cheeks. Although he admitted it in the corner of his head, somewhere in the back of his mind, he couldn’t give up the hope that it was a dream. “What should I do now…” Hiro looked down at his feet and put his hand on his head. He feels shallow for understanding that it’s a different world because of the pain in his cheeks, but… Can he return to his former world, or can he get out of this situation? The anxiety of what to do from now on is flooding in one after another. “Hey… are you okay?” The girl who sat across from him worriedly patted Hiro’s head, who was at a loss. ”Don’t be so depressed. It’s okay; It’s not like you’re disrespectful.” “No, that’s not what I’m depressed about, but… what do you mean by disrespect?” “Oh, by the way, I haven’t introduced myself yet.” Hiro’s voice, which was uttered weakly, seemed to have failed to reach her ears. “I’m Celia Estreya Elizabeth von Grantz, the sixth princess of the Great Grantz Empire, and I’ve just turned fifteen. Everyone calls me Liz. Hiro can call me that, too.” She placed one hand on her chest and smiled gracefully. “……” It would certainly be disrespectful if I called a princess by her nickname, wouldn’t it? Maybe I should change my speaking manner as well. I don’t want to be beheaded under such an incomprehensible situation. “What’s wrong?” “Would it be so disrespectful to call you, Liz?” “It’s okay. I said it was okay. You see, even Dios can say and do things like that without being disrespectful.” “Oh, come to think of it, you’re right… I guess I’ll call you Liz, then.” She was friendly from the moment we met, so maybe she’s a friendly princess. “Yes, it’s good to be honest. But as expected, even Dios wouldn’t call me by my nickname, though.” “Uwooooooooo, I’ve been tricked! I knew it was disrespectful!” Seeing the flustered Hiro, Liz laughed with tears in the corners of her eyes. “Hahaha, don’t worry about it. But I guess you shouldn’t call me by my nickname in public. Aside from Dios, the people in the fort might get mad if they know about it.” ――What is it like to be played by someone younger than you? She’s having fun and laughing and holding her belly, but please don’t play with life and death. But why does she let me call her by her nickname and be nice to me in so many ways? “I have a few questions for you…” “What is it?” “Why are you being so nice to me?” “Because you’re alive.” “Huh?” I tilted my head, not understanding the meaning of her words. “Could you tell me a bit more clearly?” With those words, Liz wandered her gaze with a clean finger to her chin, saying, “Hmm.” “Hmm. Cerberus wasn’t biting you, and besides, the spirits weren’t making any noise either.” “Um… what happens if Cerberus was biting me or the spirits were making noise?” “You have to be dead.” Liz shrugged her shoulders and continued. “The forest from earlier―Anfang Forest is inhabited by many spirits. His Majesty, the first emperor, made a contract with them to protect the forest in return for letting the spirits dwell there, and even now, more than a thousand years later, they continue to protect it with the utmost discipline. That’s why no one other than the royalty is allowed to enter the forest, and they won’t be able to leave alive either.” “I didn’t know I was in such a dangerous place…” There was no way to find a way out of there. If I stayed there, I might have actually died. A chill ran down Hiro’s spine as he listened to the horrible story. “That’s why I saved you. Are you convinced?” “Yes. I understand that I was in a very dangerous situation. But why am I alive? I’m not even royalty, you know?” “I know it’s weird. So Dios suspected that you were some kind of spirit.” “Aah, so that’s why… he reacted like that, huh?” “That is the way it is. So now that I’ve convinced you, can you tell me your story? What were you doing there? Or are you really a spirit?” “If I knew that, I wouldn’t be in so much trouble…” “Amnesia?” “It’s not like that. I’m just a commoner, a sixteen-year-old high school student.” “What’s a high school student?” “…Hmm? The students who attend the school.” “Oh… you mean the students at the training school?” As expected, he couldn’t make her understand the story. There is no way there are high school students in this other world. The language seems to be Japanese, but that doesn’t mean that the words of the world where Hiro was from can be understood… (No―this is different.) Hiro finally realizes. “…I’m speaking Japanese, aren’t I?” “Japanese? I don’t know if there is such a language.” Liz tilted her head and snorted. “Um, just to make sure, what language am I speaking right now?” “It’s Grantzian.” “…What’s the meaning of this?” “Eh, what?” “No, I’m just wondering how I’m able to speak in Grantzian.” “I don’t know what you mean by that. More importantly, just tell me, what is that high school student?” Liz leaned in and brought her face close to him. This is the second time today, but he still doesn’t get used to it, and Hiro exposed his agitation to the point that his heart almost jumped out of his mouth. “So close! You’re too close!” “Y-yes? You don’t have to yell at me…” When Liz moved away with a dejected look on her face, he felt a chill in his chest and wanted to apologize. But it would be heartbreaking to have her approach him again. In the end, he couldn’t utter an apology, and he had a lot of things he wanted to think about, but Hiro decided to answer her question as if to escape the guilt. “Back to the topic… high school students are like students in a training school like you said.” “Heh! So in the spirit world, it’s called a high school student!” She clasps her hands together like a maiden praying, and Liz turns to him with sparkling eyes. Hiro gave a wry smile, then opened his mouth. “No, I’m not a spirit. I’m a human like you.” “As I said before, you have a very young face. Besides, you seem to have a bit higher voice as an adult.” “In my world, a sixteen-year-old is a minor, though. Anyway, are the spirits you’re talking about also like me?” “Not at all. Spirits do not have a figure or a voice. But His Majesty, the First Emperor, seemed to be able to communicate with them.” “So, how do you think I’m a spirit?” At Hiro’s question, Liz tilted her head slightly with a finger on her thin chin. “Umm… It just feels like it somehow? Besides, it makes a lot more sense for you to be a spirit.” When he was impressed that she really is a girl who can make any gesture look spectacular, Liz suddenly threw a glance across the window. “We should be arriving at the fort soon. I’m a bit fussy, but I’ll treat you as a proper guest, so please take your time.” Hiro turned his gaze in the same direction, and the setting sun was about to sink beyond the horizon, leaving a reddish-red color like an afterglow on the ground. The Great Empire of Grantz, the supreme ruler of the Central Continent. Its capital is called the great imperial capital, Cladius―located two days’ walk away from the eastern side of the city, Fort Taoen. That fort is recorded in history as the most important fort for the first emperor. The reason for this is that the country was on the verge of ruin, and from here, the country began to march forward. The successive commanders of such a historical and important stronghold were appointed only by those linked to the Grantz imperial family. Right now, Celia Estreya Elizabeth von Grantz, the Sixth Princess of Grantz, holds the grand appointment. She was currently holding a meeting with her entourage in the operations command room inside the fort. In the center of the room―Liz and two men surrounded the desk. “All of the luggage is loaded into the wagons. Now all we have to do is figure out when we’re going to leave for Fort Berg…” said the man with a large scar on his cheek, Dios von Michael, the Hundred Banners chief. “We cannot dismiss the possibility of an attack.” Following Dios’s words, the one who spoke up was Tris von Termier, the Five Hundred Banners Chief. Despite being a senior warrior, he still exuded supremacy from his muscular body even in his old age. He didn’t even try to hide his confusion as he continued to speak, scratching the back of his head. ”The Princess’s move is known throughout the Empire. There is no guarantee that someone will not come up with something insolent.” “As expected, a hundred cavalry and two hundred infantry aren’t exactly reassuring, huh?” Liz’s face turned grim as she met Dios’ gaze. “It can’t be helped. Most of the soldiers in Fort Taoen are the First Imperial Army. We can’t take them with us. Besides, if we go to Fort Berg… Nah, if we go into Margrave Grinda’s Territory, we’ll be safe.” The Fort Berg in Margrave Grinda’s territory is ruled by Liz’s uncle―Margrave Luzen Kiork von Grinda. “My uncle would be happy to receive me… But I’m concerned about what’s going on in the Principality of Lichtine.” To the south of the Margrave Grinda’s Territories is the slave state of the Principality of Lichtine. Depending on how the desert starving wolf moves, the future policy will change. When Liz’s worried expression appeared on her face, Dios reassured her by saying emphatically. “We’ll be fine. I can’t imagine an attack by the Principality.” The Principality of Lichtine has been under the strong influence of the Great Grantz Empire for many years. Therefore, despite the fact that Margrave Grinda’s territory and the Principality of Lichtine shared a border with each other, it was still a peaceful area that hadn’t seen any conflict in the past few decades. “Indeed. This time the problem is with those who have a negative view of the princess.” Tris joined the conversation and continued with his words. “The most troublesome thing is the interference from the other heirs to the throne, I suppose.” This move was due to the plot of the other heirs to the throne. She was transferred to a fortress in a peaceful area where there is no battle―which means that she was cut off from rising to the top because it’s equivalent to not being able to take credit for it. “I don’t understand that. Milady is the eighth in the order of succession, you know. There’s no point in interfering with her.” Dios avoided stating it explicitly, partly because of Liz’s presence, but it wouldn’t be wrong to say that she was left out. “That’s because… she was bestowed with one of the Five Emperor Spirit Swords.” “What does it matter? It’s just a sword, isn’t it?” At Dios’s abusive words, Liz gives him an accusing look. “Ara, if father hears you, he’ll put you to death for disrespect, you know. Or maybe you’ll be cursed by the Spirit King.” “H-Hmph, If I’m afraid of the spirits, there’s no way I can wage war.” Dios said strongly, but his face was drawn with fear. Tris laughed vigorously at the sight of him. “Gahahaha, make sure you apologize before you go to bed.” The Five Emperor’s Spirit Swords. These are the five treasured swords that were refined by the first emperor after receiving power from the Spirit King. It is said that the will of the spirits dwells in the Spirit Swords, as the name implies. They will never appear unless they acknowledge you as their owner, and if you try to force them to appear, you will be cursed. However, if you are recognized, you will be given an immense amount of power. For that reason―they were also called a “Gift” from the Spirit King. The Spirit Sword Flame Emperor is a sword in which the spirit of fire resides. The Spirit Sword Ice Emperor is a spear in which the spirit of ice resides. The Spirit Sword Thunder Emperor is an ax in which the spirit of thunder resides. The Spirit Sword Wind Emperor is a bow in which the spirit of wind resides. The remaining spirit sword has been lost in history for so long that there is no documentation of what kind of weapon it was. It was only mentioned in the legends that the second emperor favored it. Among those, the Flame Emperor was the first emperor’s favorite. However, no subsequent emperor was ever selected as the Flame Emperor… A thousand years have passed, and the owner of the Spirit Sword Flame Emperor finally appears. She is Celia Estreya Elizabeth von Grantz, the Sixth Princess. Unable to give the princess who possessed the Flame Emperor to be married off to another country, her father, the Emperor, gave the Sixth Princess the rank of Major General and appointed her as the commander of Fort Taoen, which was under the jurisdiction of the First Imperial Army. So far, it was fine, but there were those who couldn’t sit idly by and let this happen. ―The heirs to the throne. As the centripetal force of the Sixth Princess, who was chosen as the Flame Emperor, grew stronger and stronger by the day, and at the same time, the people began to rumor and support her as the reincarnation of the first emperor. Deciding that it was dangerous to keep the Sixth Princess near the Great Imperial City, the First Imperial Commander, First Prince Reinhardt Schtobel von Grantz, decided to move her left to the frontier. Normally, this is where the other heirs to the throne would be criticized for using the military for personal use, but that was not the case this time. This was because the other heirs to the throne were in sync with the First Prince. They worked together to put pressure on the nobles who had lifted Liz up. After losing her backing, Liz ended up as the commander of the remote fortress―and along the way, there’s no guarantee that the Schtobel’s faction won’t send an army to try to make her a deceased person. It’s also possible that another heir to the throne will send their private army. So, she would have to pass through those dangers to reach Fort Berg. Dios scratched his head and pointed at the map spread out on the long table. “There are two roads to the Fort Berg. One that goes straight south, this one can be considered a complete trap. Assassins, troops, thieves, and bandits of all sorts. The other is to the east, beyond Mount Himmel in the Glaozarm Mountains, on the side of Baum’s small country, into the territory of the Margrave Grinda.” “We have horsemen, too, you know. They can’t cross Mount Himmel.” “If we choose to go south, we won’t be able to avoid total annihilation. The only way to improve our chances of survival is to cross Mount Himmel.” Following Dios’ words, Tris next to him placed two pieces on the map. “Let’s split up. We can’t just send all of our men to Mount Himmel; we need a diversion. Dios, I want you to lead the fifty infantry with the cavalry to the Berg. If you meet the enemy on the road, abandon your wagons and do all you can to get assistance from Margrave Grinda. Is that alright with you, Princess?” Liz looked unconvinced, but after a moment, she gave a small nod. Dios let out a sigh of relief at having successfully settled on a policy, and turned to Tris. “What about you, old man?” “I will cross the mountain with the princess.” “You’re an old man, so don’t push yourself…” “Hmph, I’m not ready to let a greenhorn beat me yet.” “Is that so? You’ve got a lot thinner around your arms lately, you know?” “What? Really?!” Liz’s joke brought a bit of brightness back to the operations control room. Outside the window―the sun has gone down completely, and the stars are twinkling in the night sky. In a room at Fort Taoen, Hiro is there, but he is just sitting on his bed, not doing anything. On the table beside him is a plate that had been decorated with food just a short time ago. Apparently, Liz wasn’t lying, Hiro was welcomed as a guest. Although he was never interrogated, his actions were restricted, and there was always a soldier standing in front of the door on guard. It was selfish to be vigilant, but to Hiro, in a world where he didn’t know left or right, there was no way he would move around without a care in the world. However, time passes in vain as he tries to figure out what to do next, without any good ideas. It was around the time that Hiro began to fight his drowsiness――. “I’m sorry to interrupt your rest.” Suddenly the door was opened, and it was Liz who walked in. As soon as she came in front of the startled Hiro, Liz scratched her cheeks apologetically. “I’ve got something urgent to do…” “What’s going on?” “We’re moving out of here, and we’ll be leaving tonight.” “…In other words?” “We’ll have to return this place to the First Imperial Army, so Hiro won’t be able to stay here.” “That’s… indeed, a problem.” He is thrown into a strange land, a place where he doesn’t know right or left. And at night―there’s nothing more frightening than this. He wanted to think about what to do here, but… he suddenly looked at Liz and saw that she had an impatient look on her face. Maybe there is no time to think about this anymore. Then… Hiro decided. “Is it okay if I follow you?” “Eh?” Liz blinked her eyes as Hiro gave a wry smile. “Can’t I?” “It’s going to be a tough journey. You’ll be dead if you’re not careful. You sure you want that?” “Either way, I’d probably die if I was thrown out alone on a night like this.” “I wouldn’t leave you empty-handed, you know. At least I’ll give you a little flexibility and food…” “I owe you a meal, though. There’s a chance that I might return the favor, but… if it’s okay to follow you, I’ll follow you.” “You’re a strange man, aren’t you, Hiro?” “Yeah. I have been told that a lot.” ――Mostly by Fukutaro, though. Liz led him out to the central square of the fort, and there, a bonfire lit the area. Looking up at the sky, a full moon peeked out of the clouds, showering the ground with a calming light. In front of the main gate of the fort―a large number of soldiers were waiting in armor, their armor emitting a dull glow in the moonlight. At the head of them stood Dios and a man in his mid-forties. The middle-aged man was approaching Liz by pulling the reins of her horse. “Princess. We are ready. We’re ready to leave at any time.” “Thank you. Well then, let’s go.” After receiving the reins from the middle-aged man, Liz gallantly mounted her horse. A moment later, there was a burst―and a shout of cheers. When Hiro turned around in surprise, he saw that many soldiers from the fort had come to see them off, regardless of when they had gathered. “Celia Estreya-sama, take care of yourself! “Long live Celia Estreya-sama!” “Long live the Great Grantz Empire.” “May you have the blessings of the Spirit King!” “May you have the blessing of the Twelve Grantz Gods.” “See you again!” Liz smiled and waved back, and that brought another round of cheers. “We’re leaving!” As Liz shouted while turning her horse’s neck, the horn blew, signaling their departure. The soldiers began to move forward in step. Hiro walked behind Liz’s horse to avoid getting too far away from her. “When we can no longer see the fort… we’ll split up. Keep following me, so we don’t get separated.” Liz’s voice came down from above his head. “Yeah. I understand.” After returning the reply, Hiro continues to walk in silence. No one speaks a single word in private. Only the sound of armor shaking the night air. Surrounded by a strange sense of tension―she suddenly looked back and saw that the fort was shrouded in darkness and out of sight. “Tris! You’d better show us the way properly!” Liz shouted and jumped off her horse. “I do wonder if you can keep up with this old man, Princess.” Tris started running ahead of Liz. “Hiro! Let’s go!” Liz grabbed Hiro’s left hand, and they started running without saying a word. Behind them, they were separated from the soldiers who were breaking from the ranks, and those who were advancing without any problems. Next to them, Cerberus sprinted along at a steady pace with a relaxed look on his face. Slightly envious of the wolf’s agility, Hiro tried his best to keep his legs from getting tangled up, and desperately followed Liz. Rather, it would be more correct to say that he was being forced to run――. When Hiro was nearing his limit, Liz finally began walking. “Are you okay?” Liz looked into his face. Her forehead is drenched in sweat, but her breath isn’t disrupted at all. Surprised at her, Hiro gave her a feeble smile. “I-I-I’m fine,” While breathing wildly, and careful not to bite his tongue, he says it, and Liz smiles at him. “Is that so? Let me know if it’s too hard. We can take a break for a bit…” “You shouldn’t do that, Princess.” It was Tris who interrupted the conversation. “If you spoil the boy, he will only become a weakling. A man grows by being pushed down from the valley.” He wanted to retort it, but with his mouth monopolizing the oxygen, he couldn’t do that. As if to mock Hiro, Cerberus was running around happily. “Hiro is just a child. If you push him out of the valley, he’ll die.” “Hm? That boy is 16 years old, isn’t he? That’s what I’ve heard from Dios.” “But he’s a child on the outside. You have to be nice to him.” “Hmm? It is true that he looks young at sixteen… but a child? Fumu, I can’t understand.” Removing his gaze from Tris, who had begun to laugh, Hiro looked behind him. A large number of soldiers were following them. Even though their breaths were ragged from the heavy armor’s burden, they didn’t seem to fall off. (They must all be well-trained. Still, the most amazing thing is――.) Once again, looking at Tris, despite being the oldest, he wasn’t even sweating. Anyway――. “Is there anyone left behind?” Liz said worriedly, and the old soldier looked confident. “There is no such thing as a weakling. We are not trained half-heartedly.” Without any checking, Tris assured her. It seemed that he trusted the soldiers so much, and the trust could be felt from his words. “Is that so? That’s good then…” Liz lets out a sigh of relief, and Tris gives her a good-natured smile. “So far, so good. We should be able to set foot in the mountains before sunrise. If we keep this up, it’s likely we won’t be seen by anyone.” “How do you think Dios is doing?” “Don’t worry. That guy’s very strong.” As Hiro listened to their conversation, the sky began to turn white, and he could see the vast mountains in front of them. Liz still held Hiro’s hand. Maybe it’s from fatigue… or perhaps he’s getting used to it, he’s not as embarrassed as he was the first time. When they step into the entrance to the mountain path, Liz comes closer to his face. Hiro’s face turns red again at the sudden approach, but he decides to wait for Liz’s words in silence. “Beyond this mountain, there’s a small country of Baum, and it’s a very safe place. A beautiful city full of nature. But we don’t have time to stop by this time, however.” “I wish I could have shown you around. I’m sorry.” Liz muttered regretfully and called out to Tris. “I wonder if my brother’s hand has reached out to the small country of Baum?” “I’d like to say that there’s no need to worry about that, but I don’t think that’s a comforting thought. However, we cannot dismiss the possibility that they have discovered our strategy.” Tris made a problematic face and continued to speak. “Besides, since we haven’t notified the small country of Baum this time, we have to head to the Margrave Grinda’s territory as soon as possible without causing any unnecessary inconvenience.” “…You’re right. I mean, we’re about the size of a company, so they’ll likely find out pretty quickly.” “Even if they find out, they can do nothing against the Empire. Though they may swear at us inwardly.” “It makes me feel guilty that I’m taking advantage of their weakness.” “I’ll send them a letter of apology when things are settled in Margrave Grinda’s territory.” “Yes. I’m sure they’d forgive us if they knew what we’re up to.” After they finished, Liz turned her gaze upwards. When Hiro looked at her, he saw a gentle hill. The plant-filled path was really a perfect picnic spot, and although he had heard it was steep, the air was so peaceful that he felt nothing like that. A small animal ran up the mountain path, and as Hiro looked on, his eyes softened. “Fufu, looks like you’re having fun.” Liz called out to him. Hiro nodded with a smile on his face. “Yeah. I heard it was steep. I was prepared for it, but it’s a nice hill. I think it’s perfect for a nap.” “Agreed. Himmel is one of the easiest mountains to climb in the Glaozarm mountain range. But it’s so riddled with monsters that it’s impassable to peddlers. We’re still okay here, though.” “Mo-monster?” He asked back in a hysterical voice. “Yes, that’s right. The closer you get to the summit, the more violent it gets. This time we have to cross that and get to the other side, so it’s going to be tough, you know?” It’s scary to hear these words that he only hears in games from a beautiful girl. It’s because her face is so well-defined that she is strangely compelling. “Don’t worry, I’ll protect you, so you can stand behind me and keep your chest up.” “Woof.” Cerberus is barking. I’ll protect you too, bro. That seems to be what he said, looking by his expression. But after a moment or so, they didn’t see the monster, and then――. “Why don’t we take a break here?” Liz called out to Tris. And the old warrior nodded while stroking his beard. “You’re right… Considering what’s ahead, it’s best to regain some strength.” “Then it’s decided! Each of you can rest as you please!” The soldiers began to lower their shields and swords to the ground, as Liz’s voice was heard. Hiro sat down in the shade of a nearby rock while watching it with a sideways glance. (Not as painful as I imagined it would be…) Perhaps he’s taking it too easy since they’ve only just entered the mountain… but his body is enduring this climb more than he thought it would. The same is true when he ran from Fort Taoen to the entrance of the mountain road. Although not as much as Liz and the others, Hiro was able to keep up with them properly. It was amazing that Hiro, who hadn’t even done any club activities, was able to run like the soldiers who trained on a regular basis. (Maybe that’s why… I find it enjoyable.) When Hiro couldn’t help but smile――. “Oh, boy. You’re doing great.” An old soldier patted Hiro’s shoulder and said so. “You’re pretty solid for someone so young. I thought you’d be scurrying back in an hour or two.” “Good grief. It’s not so easy, you know.” A young soldier approached with a laugh. The old soldier shook his head with an exaggerated gesture. “Still, he deserves a compliment for following us this far at his age, doesn’t he?” “Well yeah. That’s certainly a big feat considering his age.” Somehow… it seems like he may be misunderstood, so Hiro decided to correct it. “Just so you know… I’m sixteen years old, okay?” “Haha, the boy’s got some funny things to say.” “That’s right. You shouldn’t be joking.” “It’s the truth.” Liz interrupts the conversation. The two appalled soldiers looked at Liz. “No, eh, really?” “Yes, it’s true. Do you think I would lie?” When Liz smiled and nodded, the old soldier looked at Hiro while scratching the back of his head as if he was troubled. “No, Princess-sama wouldn’t lie. But, oh boy, it’s too confusing…” “Well, now that I think about it, I guess I can understand that you’re sixteen years old.” The two soldiers take a good look at him. Hiro was puzzled, but out of the corner of his eye, he noticed Liz looking at him happily. (Ah… maybe she was paying attention to me?) An unknown man is accompanying them on their journey. Naturally, the soldiers would be tempted to ask who he was. However, due to Liz’s presence, they didn’t erupt in the complaint. Liz may have interrupted the conversation in an attempt to close such a delicate distance. “Well then, the break is over! We’re leaving!” Moreover, he was interrupted at the most critical conversation. He did not know when the next break would be, but he was sure that the distance between him and the soldiers would be closer than it was now. Hiro stood up, thanking Liz for her help. It has been five hours since Hiro made his way to the top of the mountain while forming friendships with the soldiers. The sun had fully risen when Hiro looked up over his head, and the area was completely bright. When he looked up, he could see the top of the mountain at a distance, but then. ――that guy suddenly appeared. A big and ugly face. The two bloodshot eyes moved around as if evaluating Hiro and the others. Seeing from its gaping mouth, you can see the yellow teeth that have fallen out in some places. The neck is thicker than Hiro’s waist, and the belly bulges out in front like a balloon. It was an ugly humanoid monster. “What is… that…” And then Liz comes closer to Hiro’s ear, who is panicked and speaks up. “It’s an Ogle. It’s said that they were originally human, but were cursed by a spirit and turned into an ugly form. It is a monster that was driven out of the human village and inhabits these mountain ranges, attacking travelers and devouring human flesh.” [Editor Note: Yes, it is Ogle, not Ogre. I thought it was a typo at first, too, but keep reading and you’ll understand why its not a mistranslation later in this chapter.] Liz calmly explains to him, but he can’t concentrate much because her breath tickles his ears. “It’s strong but not very intelligent, however, so it won’t be too hard to take it down.” And as soon as Liz finished speaking, Cerberus ran over. “Guruaaahhh!” He flashed his sharp claws at the Ogle’s neck in a flash. Accompanied by an eerie buzzing sound, the top of the Ogle’s neck is gone, and the earth is dyed red-black as blood gushes out. Gross… Hiro turned away, but even beyond that, there was a scene that made him want to cover his eyes. Ogle’s head rolled down the rumbling slope. As Liz watched the scene, there was a smile on her face as if a flower had bloomed. “Look!” “…Yeah.” “As expected of Cerberus-dono. The invisible clawing! It was a wonderful thing to see.” “Woof.” Cerberus responded to Tris’s praise by wagging his tail. “There are more powerful ones out there than that one.” A threatening smile spread across Liz’s face as she turned around. Hiro shrugged his shoulders and gave a single sigh. “I can’t even imagine that…” After muttering behind Liz’s back, Hiro started walking again, but he felt a dull ache in the soles of his feet. (As expected, it’s getting harder.) What was once a green mountain path is now a gravel path mixed with large rocks. Every step he takes causes pain in the soles of his feet. However, if he tried to concentrate on avoiding the large rocks, he would lose his strength. Liz looked into Hiro’s face with concern, as if it had been shown on his face. “Hiro, are you okay? If it hurts, I’ll carry you on my back, okay?” “No, I’m not going to let a girl carry me on her back… I’m a man, after all.” Showing gratitude for her kindness, Hiro turned his attention to the summit. It seemed so close, yet so far away. Still, the change in scenery made him feel that they were making progress. Besides, Liz gave them several breaks in between. They can’t allow themselves to be weak. Most importantly, every time the soldiers took a break, she would say, “You are quite gutsy” and “Just a little more patience”. So it’s more of a pleasant feeling than a painful one. From the bottom of his heart, he’s glad to have accompanied her on this journey. When Hiro was immersed in the sense of fulfillment that he couldn’t get even in his former world, Liz gave him a serious look. “There are a lot of monsters from here on out, so you should never leave me, Hiro!” “Is there still something like the Ogle?” “Yeah. Or rather, there’s a bunch of Ogles here.” “Seriously…” “I’m serious, you know.” And as Liz imitated Hiro―a large amount of rocks rolled in from ahead. “Hide behind the rocks!” When Tris shouted aloud, the soldiers swiftly hid behind the rocks. Hiro also tried to hide behind a rock―but he couldn’t do it. He couldn’t move because Liz pulled his arm. “Liz! We have to run away quickly!” When he says it with frustration in his voice, Liz turns her calm face to him. “No. You should stay here. It’s safer for you to stay close to me.” “What are you――!?” The ground shook greatly, making it difficult to stand properly. A single rock struck a nearby rock and shattered into pieces on the ground. The debris rained down on the two of them. It would have been fine if that was all, but like a meteor, a large group of rocks tumbled down. One of the largest rocks among those fell to the ground. We’re not going to make it. I’m going to be crushed. Hiro couldn’t help but close his eyes as he thought that he was going to be crushed. But no matter how long it took, the pain didn’t come. When he opened his eyes, he saw a large rock that had broken in half and was now melting. “Eh, what’s this…” Hiro looked at it with a stupefied look on his face. However, there was not a single rock. The melted rock was used as a foothold, and with a heavy, dull sound, more rocks flew overhead. When the large shadow enveloped Hiro and the others ― Suddenly, the rock was swallowed by the powerful flames and crushed. The debris scattered around as if to avoid Hiro and the others. “Hiro! Don’t move from here!” When the stunned Hiro responded to the voice―Liz was running towards the rocks. The soldiers, who had been hiding behind the rocks, came to Hiro with impassive faces. Beside them, Cerberus was looking up at the sky and stretching himself absentmindedly. As Hiro is puzzled as to why they have so much leeway, the sound of an explosion shakes the stunned Hiro’s eardrums with a loud bang. Looking at the source of the sound, he saw that the red hair was dancing. With the rocks in front of her, Liz waved her arms, and strangely, the rocks exploded one after another―the debris melted in the air and collided with the ground, causing a burnt smell to stick in the nostrils and white smoke to drift around. “I wonder if there’s anything else. Hiro, are you hurt?” Liz, who had dealt with all the rocks, came back without breaking a sweat. “Eh, no, no, but…” Hiro tried to ask her a question, but――. “There’s a group of Ogles!” Someone shouted that. Everyone’s gaze came together and turned to the same location. A group of ugly looking Ogles was looking down at them. In the center of the group was a single large Ogre, and seven Ogles surrounded it. “There’s an Ogre, too. If Dios had been here, he would have been happy.” Liz next to him, muttered in a nervous tone of voice. “Ogre?” [T/n: Ogle = オグル (Oguru) and Ogre = オーガ (Oga).] When Hiro asked back, Liz nodded, keeping her gaze intact. “That’s right. There’s that big, creepy one, right? It’s a mutation; it’s more violent and intelligent than the others. That’s why it forms a group and attacks people.” “Is it possible that the rockfall that just happened was…” “Correct. They did that. I guess they thought it would be fun to eat human flesh.” “…But is everything okay?” “This is not the first time we’ve faced an ogre, so it’s not a problem if we keep our cool. Besides, there’s the fact that Dios has been called the “Ogre” because of the number of times he has killed an Ogre.” “Heh~…” While Hiro and Liz were talking, the soldiers were getting ready for battle. The heavily armed infantry was building a wall with their shields propped up against the ground in front of Hiro. Behind them, the archers were drawing their bowstrings and waiting for the signal. Liz, who looked at them, raised her hand to the sky and then waved it vertically. “Archers, shoot!” Countless arrows flew straight at the group of Ogles. In the blink of an eye, countless arrows pierced the large giants’ bodies and succeeded in killing four of them at once. Two angry Ogles rushed down, enraged by the death of their own kind. “Archers, aim for their legs!” As Liz ordered, the Ogles, who had been struck in the foot with precise aim, rolled down with great force. They slammed into the wall of shields that the soldiers had improvised and stopped their movement, only to be topped off by the spears that extended through the gap. The remaining Ogre and a single Ogle seemed to have chosen to escape and were trying to climb the slope. “Cerberus!” “Woof!” Responding to Liz’s voice, Cerberus jumped over the wall and climbed up the hill at a brisk pace. He quickly caught up with the Ogle and bounced its head off of it, bringing the Ogre to a halt. “Heavily armed infantry! Clear the front! Light infantry, come with me!” “Oooh!” the soldiers shouted in unison. The shield wall opened up on either side, and it was Liz who took the lead from there. Tris and the light infantry chased after her from behind. “Don’t let your guard down just because there is only one Ogre! It’s a lot more intelligent and powerful than the Ogles!” The lightly armed infantry unit focused on the Ogre’s feet. They retreated quickly before a counterattack could come, and then a covering shot was delivered by the archers, but it wasn’t fatal enough. The Ogre continues to rampage even as countless arrows pierced it. It was a back-and-forth battle in front of the Ogre’s incredible life force. However, the equilibrium was broken by the hand of the red-haired girl. “Stand back! I’ll take care of the rest!” When things got to this point, Hiro finally realized that there was something in Liz’s hand. “Oh, is that the first time you’ve seen that, kid?” One of the soldiers tapped Hiro’s shoulder and told him. Hiro held his gaze and opened his mouth. “Eh, what do you mean?” “Look at the Spirit Sword, the Flame Emperor.” His heart―thumping and pulsing. “Oh, yes… probably for the first time.” Hiro pressed his chest and caught Liz dancing against the Ogre. In her hand was a single red sword―a beautiful, bright red blade like a ruby, with a golden hilt that was even more sparkling in the sunlight. The Ogre’s ugly face seemed to be distorted with fear as flames of the hellfire erupted from the tip of the blade. The Ogre decides that close combat is dangerous and starts throwing nearby rocks at Liz. However, Liz continues to dodge effortlessly, and the inevitable rocks are burned up by the Flame Emperor’s flames. The moment Liz closes the distance between her and the Ogre unobtrusively, a hot wind blows in the air. The next thing that happens is a deafening scream from the monster, and the giant Ogre is engulfed in the crimson lotus. The flames only grew stronger, instead of diminishing, until its body was turned to ashes. “I’ve defeated it~!” After confirming that the monster has died, Liz puts on a full, charming smile and waves her hand towards Hiro. The sight of her walking with the Flame Emperor’s blade pointed at the ground, caught Hiro’s eyes, and glued his eyes to her. The beauty that rivals any painting exists in the world. Again, the depths of his chest pulsed with a loud thump, Hiro let out a hot breath as he clutched his chest. “What’s going on… what is this…?” His heart is beating fast, and he knows that something is raging within. But then the pretty girl asked him, “Are you okay?”, and he was brought back to his senses by looking into her face. “Hiyau!?” “Hiya!?” Hiro was surprised and made a strange sound. Liz was also surprised and rolled her eyes. “What is it? Are you hurt somewhere?” “S-sorry. I’m not hurt… I mean, you looked so cool! So-!” As Hiro waved his hands in front of his face as he spoke his thoughts, Liz’s face came even closer and grabbed him by the shoulders, not wanting to miss. “Really? Was it that great?” “Eh, no, I don’t know, it’s just… it’s kind of… breathtaking; it’s really… it’s just so beautiful.” “Geez, don’t embarrass me like that! You can say that again, though!” Liz pats Hiro’s shoulder repeatedly while shaking her head in embarrassment. “Alright, you guys, let’s go~.” “Hey, kid, bring some of my stuff.” “I want you to do the same to mine too.” “Me too.” “Please.” “Maybe you can help me too.” The soldiers who had been so kind to him changed their attitude. A pile of swords, spears, bows, and shields piled up in front of the dumbfounded Hiro. (Aren’t these things essential to protect their lives? What is it, even Tris-san is taking advantage of the situation too…) The blatant harassment gave him a headache, and he looked up at the sky, which was turning reddish-brown. Liz had said they would be at the summit by evening, but perhaps plans meant that things didn’t work out the way they were supposed to. “Let’s take a break around here for today, shall we?” Liz said, and Tris nodded. “That’s fine. The number of monsters will increase from here on out. I think it would be best to make camp around here.” “Then let’s get our equipment sorted out and get the tent up before nightfall.” After saying that, Liz skipped the precise instructions, and the soldiers began to move unsteadily. By the time they finished putting up the tent, darkness had utterly swept over the area. When Hiro looked back, he saw that the soldiers had pitched the tent for them to sleep in, centered around the largest tent for the Princess’s use only. There were also many bonfires set up to prevent the beasts from approaching or appearing, and heavily armed infantrymen were guarding in pairs of four on all sides to deal with the monsters no matter where they came from. “Haah―… we’ve managed to get through today, haven’t we?” Hiro let out a long breath and looked up at the night sky to see the stars shimmering in the sky. After watching for a while, Liz came out from the tent behind him while putting her breath on her hand. “What’s wrong? We have to go to sleep early tonight, you know… or are you hungry?” Hiro shook his head when she asked him. “No, no. I was just looking at the stars.” There were other reasons… “Does Hiro like the stars?” “No, not really. But I’ve never seen them up close before, so it’s unusual.” “I see.” Liz approached until their shoulders were close enough to touch. To hide the embarrassment and agitation, Hiro looked up at the sky again. The sky was so full of stars that it looked like he could reach out to them with his hand, giving off an overwhelming glow. His exhaled breath turned white, but strangely he didn’t feel cold. “I heard about it from my mother a long time ago.” Liz’s sweet, clear voice pleasantly came to Hiro’s earbuds. “When people die, they become spirits, and the spirits’ souls become stars, watching over the world together with the Spirit King. When you feel scared, when you feel sad, when you feel lonely, look up at the sky, because then you will know that you are not alone.” “That’s a good saying.” “Every citizen of the Empire knows this lullaby.” Liz smiled shyly and grabbed Hiro’s left hand with white teeth peeking out of her mouth. “Let’s go back to the tent and go to sleep before you catch a cold.” Hiro was pulled without a moment’s embarrassment. “W-wait! Wait! I can’t!” “Why?” “W-why, you ask? Because a man and a woman of age, sleeping in the same tent together are just…” That was the reason he was outside. When Liz had finished putting up the tent, Liz’s words, “Hiro’s going to sleep here too,” made Hiro shudder. He wanted to avoid that―he planned to pass the time outside and wait for her to sleep first, but it seemed futile. “There’s Cerberus, too.” “No, still…” Inside the tent, Cerberus was already asleep. “Come on, just come in, come in!” Hiro was pushed on his back and stepped into the tent. On top of the tent, a candle-lit lantern hung from it. It wasn’t bright enough to show the entire interior, but it was bright enough to give it a glow that made his heart beat faster. The ground is covered with a thick blanket to keep from hurting from the gravel. Cerberus positioned himself in the center, and looking to his left, a blanket that looked like a duvet had been prepared for them. “It would have been nice if we could have bathed, but I’m sorry if I smelled like sweat, okay?” “No, I mean, I can’t sleep with you, as expected.” “Eh, do I really smell like sweat…?” Liz began to sniff her own body odor as she moved her smooth, shapely nose. (That’s not what I’m talking about. Rather, I’m probably sweating more than you are.) When Hiro is unsure of what to say to her, Liz gives him a carefree smile. “I don’t really know what I smell like. But you know, let’s just sleep without worrying about each other.” “No, I don’t want to sleep with――.” “Geez, stop complaining! I told you we have to be up early tomorrow!” “Gubuh!” Hiro let out a gasp as he received a strong shock from his back. For a moment, his vision turns black, and the next time he opens his eyes, he’s already lying down. Liz’s face is close enough that he can see her face at the edge of his vision―his whole body feels her warmth, so he doesn’t have to bother checking it out with his eyes. “Cerberus won’t let me hold him when he sleeps.” ―But that doesn’t mean you can use me as a substitute instead. Said Hiro inwardly. “Fuwaah, I think I’m going to sleep early today…” Hiro’s heart was pounding so loudly that he couldn’t sleep, on the contrary. “Fuu… nnn…” “…What a great sleeper you are.” ――Well, what to do now… It would be nice if the sheep would show up soon, but all that appears is the devil. Even now, it’s dangerous, but when he looks to the side, he can’t help but develop an evil feeling. Hiro fell into the darkness while dealing with the devils that appeared one after another. [Editor Note: sounds like sleep paralysis. Relatable.] ――At the same time. One hundred cells (three hundred kilometers) southeast of the great imperial capital, Cladius, there is a small village called Zegen. Due to the proximity of the Second Imperial Capital, it is a safe area with few bandits and monsters, but it was currently enveloped in a bleak atmosphere. A number of tents of various sizes were set up around the village, and the ones guarding the area were heavily armed infantry. The villagers, either not wanting to get involved or afraid, uniformly shut themselves up in their homes. Dozens of heavily armed infantry were on guard around the village chief’s house. In front of the door was a flag with a sword and shield emblem on a purple base, floating in the air as the wind blew. Once inside, a well-kept passageway―and by going to the left of it, you’ll reach the guest room. There were two people there, a lovely girl and a young man with a fearless face. “Aura-sama. Should I check around this place for more?” The young man’s name was Lawrence Alfred von Spitz. He looked at his superior, who was a woman who he adored like a goddess. “……” Perhaps because of her silver hair and leaden eyes, she looks terribly cold. But it’s also true that her bangs are trimmed at the top of her eyebrows, and perhaps because of her large eyes, she looks as protected as a small animal. Due to her small and slender stature, the word “lovely” fits her well. Despite being 17 years old, one might say that this body shape is a miracle. (Ah… God-given looks are as good as the princesses of the Grantz imperial family.) Aside from her looks, she also has a tremendous background. Trea Luzandi Aura von Bunadara. Graduated from the Imperial Training School with the highest grade. She was the youngest person ever to be selected for the Third Imperial Army staff and the commander in chief and is now the chief of staff. She became chief of staff when she was 15 years old. It was also the year that the third prince, Brutar, who wanted to gain an achievement, invaded Felzen, a great power in the west, which had been engaged in a series of smallscale clashes on a daily basis. However, he was forced to fight harder than he had expected and caused enough damage to destroy the trust of the Emperor. The Third Prince, Brutar, who had been cornered, gathered his staff and said: “Whoever can devise a plan to win this war, step forward! If you speak poorly, I shall have you beheaded.” Every member of the staff was silenced, and the anger of the third prince, Brutar, was about to reach its peak. “Your Excellency. I can lead this war to victory.” The girl, who had been added to the end of the staff, stepped forward and brought curiosity to the table. The third prince, Brutar, named her chief of staff for her bravery and, since he was disappointed by the fact that the others did not come forward, he beheaded all of them except for the children of the most powerful noblemen. She was chosen as the chief of staff, and her extraordinary intelligence was soon put to good use. She devised, executed, and succeeded in a succession of clever and cunning operations, and in the blink of an eye, she began to chip away at Felzen’s territory. Meanwhile, the great power of Felzen would suffer war after war, resulting in many deaths and a rapid decline in national power. It was decided that further warfare would lead to the collapse of the state, so Felzen offered a ceasefire, which resulted in negotiation. The third prince, Brutar, praised her as the “War Maiden” for her contribution to the Empire’s victory, in honor of the second emperor’s nickname, the God of War. She is now leaning back in her chair and opening a book. “……” The only sound in the room where the silence fell was from the sound of flipping papers. Maybe she didn’t hear it, or perhaps she was ignoring it, but still, Spitz didn’t give up and called out to her. “Aura-sama. I would appreciate it if you could listen to what I have to say, instead of just reading the book.” Whenever she has even a little spare time, Aura has a habit of reading books. Moreover, she always reads a book―a book about the life of the second emperor. Probably no one else in the entire Empire would know the second emperor as much as she does. “Aura-sama, please listen to me.” At last, Aura’s eyes turned to Spitz as she closed the book, perhaps because his voice had reached her. Aha―and Spitz was so moved that he dropped to his knees and prostrated himself. “Viscount Spitz. What I am about to say is not an insult to His Majesty the First Emperor.” “…Huh?” It’s starting again, Spitz lamented inwardly. After reading the folklore, she would always commence with this story. “The reign of His Majesty Altius, the first Emperor, was brilliant. But who laid the foundation for it is… His Majesty Schwartz, the second emperor, who brought victory to the country on the verge of destruction and conquered the surrounding countries. Without him, we wouldn’t have the Great Empire of Grantz today.” “That’s very true, Ma’am.” “After Altius’ death, his brother, His Majesty Schwartz, was over 70 years old when he took the throne. He had little time left. In fact, he passed away after only one year on the throne. If he had been the first emperor, he could have united the world.” Spitz’s head drooped in a paragraph as he looked at his superior, who was talking passionately with muffled expressions. She’s talking about a story from a thousand years ago―both of them are now revered and worshipped as the one and two great gods of Grantz. Since the Great Grantz Empire exists, it’s certain that the two of them were real. However, the story must have been adapted in many ways. For example, Schwartz, the second emperor, defeated an army of 10,000 men in his last battle alone. Also, with a single swing of the sword, the city was destroyed in the legends, but even with the five spirit swords, such a feat would be impossible to achieve. After all, the wielder is a human being. It’s also a problem in terms of physical strength. Spitz thinks it would be around a thousand people at best. It’s a great achievement, but… ――I would like you to focus on what’s in front of you rather than that right now. “How long are you going to stay here, Aura-sama?” “…I still have a lot more to say.” “A letter from Brutar-sama has come for you.” When he mentioned the name, she grumbled but listened grudgingly. “Mmm… what did it say?” “I haven’t read it yet.” “Why?” “…I can’t just tear open a letter from a member of the imperial family without permission.” “I’ve just read the folklore of His Majesty Schwartz. I want to enjoy the aftermath of this. So read it, Lord Spitz.” “…Alright. Then I will read it for you.” Spitz took out a fancy decorated envelope. On a piece of paper is written: “My dear War Maiden”. It has been ten days since you left the castle and I am surprised that the good news has yet to arrive. You do not have to hesitate just because you are dealing with an imperial family. Give the impudent little girl the hammer of death. If you are worried about something, I will send an army to help you, as many as you wish. May the twelve great Gods of Grantz bless you, my “War Maiden”. 

“――That’s what it says.” “…A stupid person.” Aura declared with a disgusted look on her face. Spitz turned a wry smile on her face. “It can’t be helped. Even though he is the third in the order of succession, if something happens to the First Prince, the Sixth Princess, who has the blessing of the Five Spirit Sword Emperors, could take the throne.” “The twenty-eighth and thirty-sixth emperors didn’t even know how to handle a sword. It’s not about being chosen for the Spirit Sword, it’s about having the qualities of an emperor.” “…I hoped Brutar-sama would understand that.” “If he understood, he wouldn’t be doing anything to incur the Emperor’s wrath. In fact, he didn’t even think that he was endangering his own position.” “Well… he has a short temper.” “Burn the letters, it’s just disgusting.” “Understood.” After throwing the letter into the nearby furnace, Spitz took out a single red paper. As he continued to throw it in, a small pillar of fire rose up and turned it into ashes, leaving not a single piece of the letter behind. When Spitz looked at Aura again, a difficult color spread across her face. ”It’s a waste of a spirit talisman to burn a single letter.” “We have burned the letters from an imperial family. If even the smallest fragment of the letter is left behind, Aura-sama will be in danger. We have to be thorough about these things, or we won’t know what will happen.” “Mm… you have a point. I’ll send a letter to the Spirit King’s Temple later. The paper should be charged to Brutar-sama… are 20 sheets enough?” “No, you don’t have to do that, just a single spirit talisman is no big deal.” Spitz says so, but one spirit talisman costs three Grantz gold coins. A commoner’s wage per day is three Dratz silver coins. Ten Dratz silver coins are worth one Gratz silver coin, and ten Gratz silver coins are worth one Grantz gold coin. Although they are too expensive for the average person to afford, spirit talismans are valued for their ability to cure diseases. Many people, regardless of their status, come to the Spirit King’s Temple to buy spirit talismans. However, it is unlikely that commoners can purchase them. This is because the number of papers that are produced in a day is between eighty and one hundred, and the imperial family and great nobles buy most of them. And if they did occasionally appear on the market, most of them would be sold for double the price. “And we also have some reserves, so we should have enough for this mission.” These days they are mainly used when dealing with spirit weapons because they are expensive and rare. So no one uses it to light a letter on fire as they did just now. Even if it’s the imperial family, if they used it like that, their finances would collapse, and waiting for them would be ruin. The Spitz family is not poor, but they are not wealthy either. Spirit talismans are valuable, but… (For the sake of Aura-sama, I don’t care if my house falls over.) It’s not much of an expense, Spitz thinks, compared to his respected and beloved lord. Looking at her workaholic subordinate, Aura sighed and then turned serious. ”It’s not that I’m playing around here. This place is right next to Margrave Grinda’s territory.” If they travel a few dozen cells south of this village, they can enter the Margrave Grinda’s territory. “…Are we going to invade them?” “Don’t be so hasty. And above all, you don’t have any cause to do that. If you do that, your head will be flying.” “Then why are we here?” “To meet with the sixth princess.” “I doubt they would be willing to be obedient if we met in person, right?” “Then I will give up and go home.” If the sixth princess said she didn’t want to, Aura would go home as she said. However, if she did that, Aura would be the one responsible. “Brutar-sama wants the sixth princess dead.” “What do you think will happen if we kill the sixth princess?” “…If His Majesty the Emperor is angry, the worst case scenario is that Brutar-sama will be beheaded.” “The owner of the Flame Emperor is rare. I’m sure His Majesty will not forgive his son’s barbarism.” “But we would be in danger if we disobeyed Brutar-sama’s orders.” “Therefore, we must buy time for His Majesty to return from his campaign. Then Brutar-sama will give up too.” Currently, the Emperor is not present in the Great Empire of Grantz. This was because the negotiations for a ceasefire with Felzen had broken down, and they were invading again with the first prince. In other words, the third prince, Brutar, was, as it turned out, taking advantage of the Emperor’s absence to turn his sister into a dead person. If the Emperor returned, the third prince, Brutar, would have no choice but to give up, but the anger of his failure would surely be directed at Aura. (That much must be avoided.) Spitz decided to make it look like he was convinced on the outside. “I understand. What do you want me to do now?” “First, write a letter to the Margrave Grinda. The content is appropriate.” And then Aura dropped her gaze and went back to her pleasant reading. Spitz exited the guest room and let out a heavy sigh as he leaned back against the door. “I’ll have to do it when it comes to this.” When it comes down to it, Aura will be stubborn. She wouldn’t move, no matter what. Spitz bowed his head towards the door and started walking out of the house. Nothing feels longer than the time you’re awake. Nothing feels shorter than the time you are asleep. There was a boy sleeping with his body wrapped up in a blanket and only his head exposed. ――It was Hiro. “Cerberus. Don’t you think he sleeps very soundly?” “Woof.” “I feel sorry for him, but I have to wake him up.” “Woof!” Though his eyelids are heavy, Hiro’s consciousness is drawn out of the darkness as he hears such an exchange. But he still wants to surrender to this warmth and happiness. So he covered his head with the blanket. At that moment――. “Gubooohhhh!” Hiro’s eyes popped out of his head with a shock that spread from his stomach to his entire body. “That… is not the reaction I was expecting.” His belly was in intense pain―but his body couldn’t move, even though he wanted to dissipate the pain. Hiro could only twitch his mouth like a fish being swept ashore. “Fufu, ahahahahahaha.” Laughter comes down like a shaking bell. “Hi-Hiro… Why are you making a face like that? Do you want to make me laugh in the morning?” Hiro looked up with teary eyes and saw Liz holding her stomach in front of him. “T-that’s my line… what are you doing?” She stepped over Hiro’s stomach. The place where he could feel the throbbing pain. The source of the pain is definitely her. When he asked her why she did such a violent thing――. “B-because I wanted to wake you up!” “No, but that doesn’t mean there isn’t a more gentle way to wake me―.” Hiro couldn’t finish his sentence. That was because there was a demon standing at the entrance of the tent. “…You little brat. What are you doing…” It was a muscular, bear-like body, Tris. “T-this is different from what you’re thinking!” Depending on how one looks at it, it looks suspicious, but it’s not really such a sexual story. Liz looked at Hiro with a blank face. “What’s the difference?” “This is getting too complicated, can you not talk for a second?” This was a matter of life and death for Hiro. Tris approached with thumping and bearlike footsteps. “I didn’t know you were a beast with such a face… Princess, please step away from him. I must cut this bastard to pieces.” The blade that slid out of Tris’s waist glowed dimly, and Liz, not being able to read the atmosphere, tilted her head. “I don’t understand, but… are we ready to leave?” “…Yes, we’re ready, but…” “Then we’ll leave as soon as we finish our breakfast.” The weight disappears from over Hiro. “Hiro. We’re having bread and soup for breakfast, can you eat it?” “Oh, yeah… I’m fine, but.” “Then, let’s eat quickly, and we can move on to the small country of Baum! Tris, don’t just stand there, go get some breakfast!” “B-but, guh――kid, I’ll let it pass for the Princess’ sake for now…” With his momentum completely killed, Tris dropped his shoulders and walked out of the tent. After patting his chest in relief, Hiro grabbed the breakfast that Liz had brought him. While chewing a bit of hard bread, he took a sip of the soup, which had chicken in it and was well salted. Cerberus was sitting in front of him looking hungry, and when he shifted his gaze, Liz was changing her clothes. “Hmm? So you’re changing―buhoooh!” The breakfast that was spat out was splashed on Cerberus’ face as much as possible. There is no time to apologize. Hiro immediately raised his voice to Liz in protest. “Wha-, cough, what, cough cough, what are you doing?” “What do you mean, I’m changing my clothes of course?” “Why did you change your clothes?” “I mean, I haven’t bathed yet, so I thought I would at least change my underwear, you know?” “No, I guess you’re right, but I’m here, you know.” “What’s wrong with that?” Liz looked at Hiro curiously. As for the matter of last night, does she not know what a man is like? Doesn’t she have a sense of shame before that… Hiro felt the urge to question the person who raised this girl. “You know… men are――.” “Can we talk about it when I get dressed?” Liz put her hand on her jacket, and Hiro rushed to stop her. “W-wait, wait! Just wait for me to talk! “Geez, why is that?” “I’ll turn around, and you can change while I turn around, okay?” “No problem… but why?” “It’s okay; I don’t mean anything. I’m going to turn around! Okay?” “I don’t know what it is, but it’s okay.” As Hiro turned his back, only the sound of the rubbing skin and her underwear dominated the inside of the tent. Every second felt so long, and Hiro waited in silence for the torturous time to pass. “I’m done.” “Phew…” He was drenched in sweat. He felt exhausted as if he’d been running for a long time. Without knowing about the person in front of her, Liz is starting to get her hands on her breakfast with an unconcerned face. “…Anyway, I have to eat too.” When he looked down… he saw only an empty plate. Where did the contents of the plate disappear to――? “Looks like Cerberus ate it.” Liz responds to it. He searched for the thief, and he found it at the entrance to the tent―Cerberus was out, wagging his tail. “…It seems so. He was wagging his tail happily.” As Hiro sighed deeply, a silver spoon was held out in front of him. “Here, aah～n.” Did I look so pitiful? Hiro wondered. “No, but, as expected, this is…” And when he tried to reject it, gulp―his stomach raised a white flag. After an embarrassing breakfast, the white sunshine greeted him as he walked out of the tent. Hiro spread out his arms and took in the fresh air into his body. Then he looked around and noticed that the soldiers’ barracks had been cleaned out. The only thing left is the tent that Hiro and Liz had been in until now―and seeing that Liz has started to clear the tent, the soldiers come running over. Among them was Tris. Hiro also joined in with them, and once the last tent was cleared away―the destination after this was the small country of Baum. After descending the mountain, they would head south along the mountain. According to Liz, Margrave Grinda’s territory would take sixteen days on foot. Although he was prepared for this, he didn’t think it would be such a long journey. However, he didn’t regret it. His body was a little sore, but he just had to be patient. As they start to descend steadily, halfway down the Himmel mountain, they encounter a new monster. It was neither an Ogle nor an Ogre, but something much bigger than that. “…It’s huge.” It must be three times the size of Hiro. It has a pale face with no signs of life, and its muscular body is covered with rusty armor. Looking at the upper half of its body alone, it could be considered human―but its lower half was undulating like a snake. The bloodshot eyes of the monster that was looking at them are narrowed like a snake. Next, a roar―an unusual dominance was released, and Hiro couldn’t help but retreat in pressure. “It’s a Gigas. It’s said that it was originally a spirit, but it was banished to this world due to its rebellion against the Spirit King.” “So, is it as strong as it looks?” “Even if it’s corrupted, it’s still a former spirit, so it’s strong. Compared to the Ogre, it’s more intelligent and――!?” As Liz was explaining, the Gigas approached her with astonishing speed. In front of the astonished Hiro, a huge tail is swung down to where Liz was. With a loud bang, the ground was shattered, and dust rose up with the debris. It was so sudden that Hiro couldn’t understand the situation, and he felt his throat tighten. “Hiro, stay here!” Along with the words, Liz came flying out of the dust with the Flame Emperor in her hand. It was a relief to see her safe and sound, but then she rushed towards Gigas with that momentum. “Light infantry, follow the Princess! Archers! Cover the Princess! Heavily armed infantry, build up the formation in the meantime!” The lightly armed infantry slashed at Gigas under Tris’s command. Meanwhile, the heavy infantry formed two lines of shield walls, while behind them, the archers pulled strings and set their target on the Gigas. “I will distract it! In the meantime, prepare your spears!” Liz instructed the light infantry and waved the Flame Emperor at Gigas. A mass of flame appeared and spread out in front of the Gigas’ eyes, and the monster was frightened, albeit for a moment. “Now! Throw it!” Spears were thrown from the light infantry toward the Gigas. Then Tris’s voice echoed out. “Archers, unleash!” The arrows that cut through the air spread out like a parabola in the sky. In an instant, a scream came from the Gigas, which became like a needle in the ground. Its tail shattered the ground and rampaged around. “Huh? Fall back!” Simultaneously, as Liz, who sensed the danger, shouted, Gigas’s tail was swung down to the light infantry unit. “Guaah!” “Guh!” A few light-armed infantry who failed to escape disappeared into the dust. “I’ll buy some time, so fall back!” Liz slashes at it with the Flame Emperor―but the Gigas quickly turns its body around and avoids it. The Gigas begins to counterattack. It swung its huge arms, wrapping the wind around it, and slammed its fists down repeatedly towards Liz. ”Hah!” Liz saw through it, and continued to dodge in front of it, and raised the Flame Emperor. And then, the Gigas’s arm flew through the air while splattering blood, and the flames swallowed the arm. As if to drown out the pain, the Gigas went out of control. The light infantry that surrounded it were caught up in it and blown away. The lightly armed infantry was rolled down the slope with tremendous force, possibly swallowed by the muddy stream. Seeing the scene, Hiro’s face, which imagined the future of being devastated, was colored with despair. And then―his feet took a step forward. (Eeh…) The action of stepping forward unconsciously and pain in his eyes rushed out at the same time. (What is this…) Hiro groaned, holding both of his eyes. “Ugh…?” Information is sent to him that makes him feel like he’s going crazy. And his heart is beating loudly. Something unfathomable speaks to him, telling him to slaughter the enemy in front of him and that he is capable of doing it. An incomprehensible fighting spirit rises from the depths of his heart. “Kid, don’t just stand in a place like that! The Gigas will get you!” The heavy infantry led by Tris had finally made it in time and began to build a formation in the front line. “Hurry! You are the ones we’re counting on right now!” Under Tris’s direction, the heavily armed infantry thrust their shields into the ground to create an improvised steel wall. “Princess! Over here!” “Yeah!” Liz responded to Tris’s voice and took shelter inside the steel wall. “Put some pressure on your gut! Dig your feet into the ground! You can’t call yourself a heavy infantryman if you get blown up! Archers, cover the light infantry!” The lightly armed infantry troops who were retreating were covered up by the arrows from the archers. After surviving the rain of arrows, the Gigas gave a terrifying chase, but only ended up slamming its tail against the steel wall. “Take the injured to the rear at once!” The injured soldier was taken to the rear in Liz’s direction. The shield walls of the heavily armed infantry were shaking wildly under the Gigas’ onslaught. “We can’t hold out any longer!” The heavily armed infantry shouted. The iron shield is beginning to deform due to the Gigas’ forceful attack. It would only be a matter of time before the shield wall crumbled. “Princess! We have to do something about that attack first!” Tris shouted in an impatient voice. Liz nodded and glanced at the Gigas through the gap in the shield. “I’ll get its attention, and you can use the opportunity to slash its tail off!” “Don’t be ridiculous! It would be wise to attack with heavy infantry first to create an opening!” “But that would only cause more damage. It’d be better if I were the one who will distract it!” “We can’t let anything happen to you, Princess. It would be the last――!?” Tris couldn’t finish his sentence. Liz also has a surprised expression on her face. Out of their gaze―the shield wall on the corner had collapsed. The Gigas didn’t miss the opportunity and swung its powerful arm into the gap and blew the heavy infantry away. Confident of its victory―the Gigas let out a furious cry and then grabbed one soldier who fell to the ground. “Tris! Cover me, please!” And before she got her answer, Liz was already running on the ground. “Princess! Please wait!” Tris’s voice should have sounded like a slap on her back, but Liz didn’t even turn around. She was only staring at one point, at the Gigas’s arm. “Give me my subordinate back!” Liz leaped with the Flame Emperor at the ready, but the blade never reached it. This was because the tail of the Gigas flew from the edge of her vision. “Kuh――!” By the time she realized it, it was too late. Liz’s body, which was hit by the Gigas’ tail, was blown away with ease. “Agghh! Ugh!” Unable to defend herself, her body slammed into the ground with great force, and she rolled over several times. Finally, it stopped―Liz immediately tried to get up, but collapsed on her knees. She clenched her teeth in frustration as if her body wasn’t listening to her. “Ugh!” Liz stabbed the Flame Emperor into the ground and stood up to use it as a walking stick. “Ugh――!” Pain rushed to her head, and as Liz held it in her hands, blood flowed down from the gaps in her beautiful red hair. Perhaps her head was bumped when her body slammed into the ground. However, the sight of blood did not diminish her strong will in the slightest. In fact, her crimson eyes were blazing with fire. “I have to go quickly!” If anyone could defeat the Gigas, it would be Liz with her Flame Emperor. She looked at the Gigas, but suddenly, her vision was blocked. “…Hiro?” It was the back of a boy. He has a kind face, but a strong core inside him. The unfamiliar mountain paths must have been difficult for him. He must have been afraid of the monsters that attacked them. And yet, the boy’s large back was in front of her as if he had never shown any weakness. “…Hiro? What are you doing?” A confused voice struck Hiro’s back. A bitter smile appeared on his face. He doesn’t know what he’s doing. There is a hesitation on Hiro’s face. However, he took one step, and then another, and stepped forward forcefully. The injured girl that was before him. Only that was enough to give him a reason to fight. ――I’m not going… to let it hurt you anymore. That may sound simplistic and shallow, but whatever. The most important thing is that she helped him without asking for anything when he was thrown out into this world. And now she is falling down, injured. If he doesn’t move here, he can’t call himself a man anymore. When Hiro thought that, his hesitation disappeared so quickly, and a faint smile slipped from his face. “Hiro, stop it! You won’t――.” Ignoring Liz’s protests, Hiro kicked the ground and ran in a straight line towards the Gigas. “From here… I’ll take care of it.” The Gigas who noticed Hiro slammed its tail down on him―no, it didn’t hit him, it passed right by Hiro’s nose with a snarl of wind, hitting the ground and creating countless pieces of debris. They became sharp blades and flew towards Hiro, but… “Sorry. I can see it coming.” To its surprise, Hiro dodged everything. He literally dodged by moving his head, feet, hands, and shoulders with a slight movement. If he had miscalculated, he wouldn’t even have time to be injured anymore. “Liz! I’ll draw its attention so you can take it down!” Hiro picked up the thrown spear that the lightly armed infantry had dropped. The Gigas threw down the heavily armed infantry he had captured and stared at Hirou as if to say that it had found new prey. Liz, who had been dumbfounded, noticed this and changed her expression. “That’s reckless! Go back!” Liz’s voice switched to a scream in the middle of the sentence. She must have imagined a cruel future in her brain. But it was only the exact opposite of what she imagined… The Gigas waved its arms in the air. Not only did it slam its tail, but it also launched a swift attack seamlessly. A single hit would blow away the fragile body of a human being to smithereens. This is even more so if they are not wearing any equipment or anything else. However, surprisingly, the Gigas’ attack did not hit Hiro. “No way――!” Liz scrutinized the scene with an incredulous look on her face. “What does it mean…” With all of the Gigas’ attacks on Hiro, Tris and the soldiers had more room to maneuver. ”I can’t believe it, is this really the work of a human?” Tris’ mouth hung open in surprise. ――An after-effect of three years ago. To Hiro, the opponent’s movements appear to have stopped. To a martial artist, it could be said to be a kind of boundary. It is something that only a handful of people who have spent a lifetime training can obtain. By being able to see the particles they breathe, they can capture the moving air and realize everything. Not wanting to worry his family, Hiro hadn’t told the doctor who treated him about this. Even if he had, they must not have known what caused it. But the people of Aletia know about this. ――It was. “Heavenly Spirit Eye…” Liz’s murmur disappeared into the void. “This way!” The spear that Hiro threw was quickly knocked off. However, he was able to get the Gigas’ attention. The Gigas’s powerful arm roared―and yet, it didn’t even graze Hiro. Those who have mastered the martial arts must have sighed in admiration when they saw it. It was such a lean and refined movement, but there was a huge amount of sweat on Hiro’s forehead. The exhaustion that accumulated from climbing the mountain and the extreme tension created by the life-and-death battle. The combination of these two factors was rapidly depleting Hiro’s strength. But even so, Hiro continued to avoid Gigas’s attack―a smile appeared on his mouth as if he was becoming insane due to the extreme fear. “There is also a ferocious wolf over there, too, you know.” The Gigas, who was being toyed with by Hiro, stopped for a moment. Not sure if it understood the human language, but it actually stopped. “Guaaaah!” Cerberus, who had been waiting for an opportunity under his breath, jumped out of Hiro’s side. Its sprinting figure was like a bullet, its sharp claws cutting through space as it crossed paths with the Gigas. As soon as Cerberus landed on the ground, blood gushed out of the Gigas’ neck like water overflowing from a faucet. The Gigas’s huge body staggered―and there was no way for the girl to miss such an opportunity. “I’ll take care of the rest!” The Flame Emperor was clad in crimson lotus scorching the air. When the heatwave reached the Gigas, Liz’s figure completely disappeared from the monster’s sight. Boom――The air burst behind the Gigas. Sensing that Liz caused it, Hiro picks up a spear and throws it. He picked up another throwing spear and threw it with significant momentum. This time, the two spears were not knocked off, and both spears stabbed into the Gigas’ chest as if they were being sucked in. While scattering blood-repulsion, the Gigas become agitated and writhing on the ground. Then suddenly, the monster stops moving. It must have finally noticed. ――That only the upper half of its body was moving. In the nearby area, what used to be the lower half of the Gigas’s body was engulfed in flames. The Gigas screamed. It was a scream that made the air creak. And a nauseatingly strong stench was carried by the wind to where Hiro was. “Ugh…” When Hiro involuntarily held his nose, he recognized the girl. A leaping Liz was about to swing down the Flame Emperor with the sun at her back. “I’m going to make it easier for you now!” The Flame Emperor’s blade easily split the Gigas apart. The blood from its body that was cut in half evaporated, and white smoke enveloped its entire body. Without screaming for despair, the monster’s huge body was engulfed in flames as it silently fell to the ground. “Hiro!” He noticed Liz running up to him and opened his arms to hold her close, but his body wouldn’t listen to him. Hiro didn’t know if it was because the tension had left him all at once, or if he was just tired. Like a puppet whose strings had been broken, the strength slipped out of his knees, and he fell to the ground like a crumbling puppet. “Hang in there, Hiro! Tris, come here! Hiro is, Hiro!” Hiro wanted to say something to Liz, who was looking into his face with concern. His mouth was moving, but his voice wouldn’t come out. His consciousness grew hazy. While feeling the comforting sensation of his head being hugged, Hiro sank into the depths of darkness. ＊＊＊ At the same time, Dios, who was advancing southward, was presented with a difficult problem. The reason was the presence of an army that appeared in front of him. The heavy infantry spread out in a horizontal line as if to block their movement, and the heavy cavalry was waiting in the rear. “They’re already here, huh? Moreover, they bring in 2,000 against us that have less than 200.” “And they don’t have any flags either.” Dios nodded at his aide’s words. There was no coat of arms to prove their identity anywhere. “I’m sure it’s just so that if the great nobles complain about it, they have an excuse.” They will set it up to look like bandits―though there are too many of them. After a few moments of staring at each other, a messenger came to Dios. Perhaps because they cannot let them remember their faces, the messenger is wearing a hood, and they cannot see the expression. As Dios’ eyes turned stern, the messenger’s mouth slowly moved. “Is Her Highness Elizabeth present?” “I don’t know what you guys are up to, do you think I’ll tell you that?” “…And you are?” “Dios von Michael.” “Oh… you’re the “Ogre”, huh?” Dios glared at the messenger, not even trying to hide his displeasure at being called by his alias. “Hmph. Is that what you want to know?” “Huh, right. That didn’t matter.” The messenger raises his hand. “I will be brief. Give us the princess, and the lives of these men will be spared.” “Yes, I understand. Do you expect me to nod my head simply?” “So you don’t intend to give us the princess, is that it?” In response to the messenger’s words, Dios snorted and gave a provocative smile. “Hey, hey, You just said whatever you wanted to since a while ago, didn’t you? We are the Sixth Princess’ private army. You should know a little bit more about etiquette.” “Unfortunately, there’s no need to be polite to someone like you. So tell me about the princess… Oh the Ogre.” “Bastard. I’ll never let you mumble that name again.” At Dios’ exasperated words, the messenger’s mouth turned into a cruel smile. “Young man. Know your manners.” The messenger waved his hand down, and the line of infantry in the rear split open, and the cavalry advanced out from between. “Ha, you were going to kill us anyway, weren’t you?” “I was going to let one of you live.” “You bastard.” After swearing, Dios took his gaze off the messenger and looked at the charging cavalry. ――There is still some distance between them. Dios’s eyes were filled with madness as he returned his eyes to their original position. “For now, I’ll make sure you are killed here for sure.” Although he thrust out his spear with great force, Dios’ attack did not succeed. “Wha… what?” It was easily received by the messenger. In the messenger’s hand was a beautiful gold and silver decorated sword. “Why are you surprised?” “Is that… a spirit weapon?” Spirits like clean waters and very rarely produce crystals that contain their own properties. The beauty of these crystals, which have a brilliance no less than that of a gemstone, is why people call them spirit stones with great respect. In the Empire’s territory, three to seven spirit stones were discovered a year. That was because the Empire has vast land, but there were also countries that couldn’t get that many spirit stones. Hence, the rarity value of these stones would only increase year by year. With a single spirit stone, one could make enough money to live for the rest of their lives. Even now, only the imperial family, or those who are related to them, can have it. “Where did you get that?” “I don’t have to tell you.” *Bikibiki* A strange sound was heard. When Dios turned his attention to his spear, the spear was frozen from the tip with great vigor. “Tsk!” He immediately threw away his spear and drew the sword from his waist. The cavalrymen behind him have already drawn their spears, and the infantry has already drawn their swords in their hands. However, even if they fight like this, it would be difficult against a spirit weapon. Although it’s probably due to his original high fighting ability, his physical ability should have been greatly enhanced by the spirit’s blessing as well. Otherwise, there’s no way he would have been able to catch Dios’s spear easily. Dios took a breath and pondered. While he was eager to kill this guy, he would come in contact with the enemy’s cavalry. If that happens, they will not be able to avoid being annihilated. Dios raised his sword and raised his voice enough to echo across the plains. “Bastards! Don’t need to help your comrades if they fall! Don’t look back, always keep running forward!” “Ooohh!” shouted his soldiers in unison. “Charge!!!” With his sword swung down, Dios kicked at his horse’s midsection and was the first to gallop across the plain. However, as he passed by the messenger――. “What, is it done? Huh?” Dios did indeed hear the boring muttered words. But to be reunited with his Lord alive, he couldn’t allow himself to look back. A feeling of frustration filled him, but he pushed it away. Dios shouted out his regret in his voice as hard as he could. “Bastards, follow me like you’re about to die!” “Uwoooooooooohh!” With a spirited war cry, he was followed by a hundred horsemen, and fifty infantry with their wagons abandoned. They immediately clashed with the enemy’s heavily armed cavalry. “Oraa!” Dios snatched the spear from the enemy and knocked the heavy cavalry off their horses. “Captain Dios! We’re separated from the rest of the group!” His aide, who was running alongside right next to him, shouted. In the rear, the cavalry and infantry were surrounded and overrun one-sidedly by the enemy’s heavy cavalry. Their daily training is not half-hearted. He is proud to say that their skill level is as good as that of the First Imperial Army. However, just like their numbers, they are no match for heavy cavalry. It was because they were lightly equipped to take advantage of their mobility. “We will leave them!” Dios had no choice but to make that decision. There was an overwhelming lack of numbers. There was no way to save them. Still, his aide couldn’t seem to give up hope and went a bit back. “It’s not too late!” “Can’t you see what’s happening here?” “B-but… They are our precious private army entrusted by Her Highness!” “They’re my men, too! I won’t repeat it!” He refused to say anything else. No, it’s more correct to say that he couldn’t say anything else. This is because Dios’s face was stained with rage. With a devilish look on his face, he thrust and snapped the approaching enemy’s spear. Each time he snatched the enemy’s spear away from them and killed them. “Move! I won’t let a small fry block my road!” “You’re the Ogre, huh? You’re pretty good! Alright, you will test my prowess!” There was an enemy approaching Dios with a happy voice. It was a heavily armed cavalryman with a purple cloth wrapped around his arm―a hundred banner-chief’s sign. “Shut up!” Dios shifted his spear horizontally and threw it like a projectile with all his might. “Giguooh!” The spear pierced through the helmet and deformed it. A lot of blood flowed out of the helmet. “Hiyaaa, the captain is――!?” The head of the heavy cavalryman flies off without finishing his sentence. At the same time, as the blood splatter rises, Dios pointed his bright red-dyed sword to the right side. “I’m going to charge through the enemy’s left-wing! I’ll open the path! Ignore the small fry and follow me!” Once they have surpassed the enemy’s heavily armed cavalry, the heavy infantry is waiting for them. Even the archers are waiting. It would be a foolish choice to go all the way into such a place. Dios chose to avoid it by breaking through the left flank. It wasn’t a mistake, but he would have to abandon many of his troops to leave the battlefield. The messenger silently stared at Dios’ back as he struggled against such a solitary army. “He’s a military officer that’s too good to kill, isn’t he?” As the skull of a fallen light cavalryman is trampled to death, the following infantry, who has failed to escape, is crushed to death. Their numbers are too different in the first place. The damage on their side is minimal, and it will soon be brought under control. As the one-sided slaughter begins, three horsemen are approaching the messenger’s side. One of the horsemen got off his horse and got down on one knee with his hand on his chest. “It seems that about twenty men have breached and the rest of them are left behind. We will kill every single one of those left behind. Is that okay?” “Do as you like. And what kind of damage have we sustained?” “The Sixth Princess was not found among the dead so far. And we have confirmed that one of our hundred banner’s captains and twelve heavy cavalrymen were killed in this battle. We are currently trying to ascertain the fatalities of both the seriously wounded and the lightly wounded.” “Oh. The damage was pretty bad.” “Should we go after them?” “No, leave them alone, not a single one of them will be unharmed. They will be attacked to death by bandits before they enter Margrave Grinda’s territory.” “Are you sure we don’t need to capture the Sixth Princess?” “She wasn’t among them. No need to go after them.” “Is it possible that she was in disguise?” “She’s not that skillful.” “So, where is the Sixth Princess?” There was a slight pause, and then the messenger opened his mouth. “…She must be in the small country of Baum. She may have crossed Mount Himmel.” “So, are we going to the small country of Baum, too?” “No, as expected, we’ll be noticed if we make any more moves. Dismiss the army.” “As you wish.” The messenger removed his gaze from the soldier who bowed his head and stared at the Glaozarm mountain range, his tiger-like eyes shining from the shadows of the hood as it hunted down its prey. Lynx, the central city of Margrave Grinda’s territory, is a unique combination of grassland and desert. The grasslands in the northern district are home to the higher class citizens, while the desert area in the southern district is home to the lower class. In the northern district, there was the mansion of the lord, Margrave Luzen Kiork von Grinda. The walls were white, with an octagonal tower building in the center of it, and sloping roofs on all sides. The two-story wooden mansion, built on the plateau overlooking the city, has an air of dignity that befits the name of a nobleman. A high wall surrounds the mansion, and in the center of the wall, in front of the iron gate, a man collapses. A soldier on guard on either side of the gate rushes over to him. “H-hey. What happened?” “That’s a pretty bad injury.” The faces of the soldiers turned pale as they turned the man face up. His body was covered in wounds, and a lot of blood was caked on. The blood had dried, but the wound looked new. The soldiers are impressed that the man is still alive. Suddenly, the man grabbed one of the soldiers. “C-convey my message to Margrave Grinda immediately.” “…H-hey! I don’t know what happened to you, but let me go!” “You’re wounded. Please calm down!” An unusual amount of force had been applied to his well-trained arms. The two soldiers tried to pull him away, but the man clung desperately to one of the soldiers. “P-please! I am Dios von Michael… I serve Celia Estreya-sama… Please, my message.” “A-all right, all right. Let me go! I’ll report it right away!” “Please… there’s not enough time…” The two soldiers look at each other with a troubled look on their faces. They have no time to verify the truth. But if it’s a lie, they’re in big trouble, and if it’s the truth, they don’t know what kind of punishment they’ll face if they just let it off. Deciding it was too much for them to handle, the soldier grabbed by Dios shouted out. “Hey! Notify the garrison captain!” The other soldier who was about to pull Dios off nodded, and ran towards the mansion. The garrison captain who had sensed the unusual situation immediately came out of the gate. He approached Dios and gently tapped him on the shoulder. “Grinda-sama will meet you. So will you let that fellow go, please?” The two sides form a staring contest, and Dios releases the soldier and sits down on the spot. “Please… Her Highness Elizabeth is in trouble.” “Yeah, I understand. But you need to be treated first.” Take Dios-dono to the infirmary. The guard captain added at the end. With two soldiers carrying him on their shoulders, Dios was led into the infirmary in the mansion. Inside, a man was waiting for him and opened his mouth when he saw Dios. “I would like to greet you first, but―would you mind if I asked you about the situation?” He is probably Margrave Grinda. He looked as kind as Liz told him. Dios was lowered to the bed to talk as the doctor treated him. “There were a hundred and fifty of us… and I’m the only one who survived.” Dios’ words were tinged with frustration. After leaving the battlefield, the injured soldiers died one by one on their horses. Even more unfortunate, they were also attacked by bandits. How much more could a man who had accumulated fatigue fight? When he passed through the death line, and his vision became dim, he was alone. Hearing Dios’ explanation, Margrave Grinda’s expression twisted in grief. “I see. You’ve done a good job. I would like to tell you to get some rest now, but…” He choked on his words and shook his head, and held out a letter to Dios. “It arrived yesterday.” With a curious look on his face, Dios receives the letter. “This is…?” After reading the contents, Dios looked at Margrave Grinda with shrinking eyes. “It seems to be a large army of two thousand. But don’t worry. I will not betray my niece.” “But… this is…” “I do know the “War Maiden” very well. Even though this is a remote area, I’ve heard that term often. I doubt I’d be able to match her. And even if I wanted to make a plea to the Emperor, he’s currently in the middle of a military campaign.” “So, you’ll hand over the princess?” “I told you. I’m not going to betray my niece. She’s a memento left by my younger sister, you know.” “Your opponent is 2,000 strong, how many soldiers are you able to assemble here?” “Even during wartime, this place could be said to be free of war. Grinda’s territory has three thousand standing reserves. That doesn’t mean we can gather them all, nor do we have the time… I guess we can gather a thousand.” “That’s not enough…” Their opponent is the “War Maiden”. She won’t let her guard down just because her opponents are so few in number. She will be out to crush them with all her might. This is proven by her war record so far. “I will hold them until the Emperor returns. Even if my opponent is the feared War Maiden.” “When will the Emperor return?” “The news of his victory arrived five days ago. He should be on his way back with the First Prince by now. I’ve sent out a messenger, but it will arrive in five days… or three days at the earliest. Until then, we will have no choice but to fight a war we can’t afford to lose.” “A battle we can’t afford to lose, huh…” “Yes. The scouts report that the enemy troops are now moving southward from the Zegen village to the Grole Plains.” “So, the decisive battle will be on Grole Plains?” Margrave Grinda nodded at Dios’ words. “The enemy may be aiming for the borders of the small country of Baum. But we won’t let them. First, we’ll stall them in the Grole Plains.” “Then I’ll go with you.” “No, I want you to lead two hundred men to meet Elizabeth at Fort Alto. The fort is not exactly sturdy… but for now, you have to buy yourself some time with a siege or something.” Fort Alto was built near the border of the small country of Baum, but there are less than a hundred soldiers stationed there because it was not involved in the war. Moreover, it is said that the equipment is old and does not work as a fort. The Margrave Grinda’s territory may have enjoyed peace too much. However, Dios had no desire to blame him because that would have been normal in peace times. And also, Margrave Grinda had not been lining his pockets but had used the money to help his people. “I am sorry. If I had been more firm, we would not have been in this situation.” “No, I’m the one who came in. So, I’m the one who has to apologize.” It was Dios who had brought the troublesome spark to the table of all people. If they want to defend their current position, they just have to hand over the princess. Even so, Margrave Grinda is still trying to fight this battle. He’s just grateful that the margrave is willing to help him in a war with no chance of winning. “I’m sorry…” “The Princess would say the same thing. So please raise your head.” “Thank you for saying that… I really appreciate it.” Once Dios thought the margrave had raised his head, he lowered it again. There was no sign of raising his head for any length of time, so Dios decided to change the subject. “So, what are you going to do now?” “I’ll be leaving as soon as the soldiers are assembled.” “Well, then, please take care. I’ve got to go meet the princess and…” “I’ll send a messenger to Fort Alto. I’ll leave Elizabeth to you.” “I understand. Until next time――.” Dios offered his hand. Margrave Grinda smiled and held his hand tightly. “Umu. I will see you again with Elizabeth.” “Yes. Certainly.” Thus, they vowed to see each other again and set about doing what they had to do. ＊＊＊ The Third Imperial Army’s camp was pitched eight cells (twenty-four kilometers) away from the Grole Plains. The sight of hundreds of tents being pitched was nothing short of breathtaking. In the center of it all―inside the blackened tent, a man and a woman were facing each other across a desk. The man tilted his head and then turned his head to the girl who was opening a book in front of him. “Heavenly Spirit Eye?” “Yes. Have you heard about it, Viscount Spitz?” “Of course, I know that. It’s one of the three great secret eyes in the world, and even that long-lived and well-informed long-eared race doesn’t possess it, and only the second emperor has ever possessed it in the past and now.” Then Spitz remembered something and continued to speak. “Ah, yes. Speaking of the long ear race, I believe there was one in the staff officer of the First Prince of Schtobel.” “Yes. I had a few words with that person several times. That’s when I heard about the Heavenly Spirit Eye.” “With their longevity and knowledge, I’m sure they knew a lot about things.” “It was very meaningful. He said that the Heavenly Spirit Eye is capable of understanding Heaven and Earth and controlling the battlefield. He said it was a ridiculous and outrageous eye.” “It was a joke, wasn’t it? I don’t think an eye can have that much power, but…” Spitz shrugged his shoulders in disbelief. However, his expression would soon change. This is because Aura’s cheeks were puffed up with a sullen look. “I’m certain it was real. The “God of War” is proof. More importantly, this was said by the long ears, who do not like to joke. It’s believable. Do you not think so, Viscount Spitz?” Although he was afraid to deny the words of the sulky Aura, he still couldn’t believe what he couldn’t believe. So, without any hesitation, Spitz opened his mouth, choosing his words carefully. “I can’t just believe it. That would make tactics and strategies meaningless. And victory is grasped by human hands; you can’t gain anything by simply looking at it.” “That’s not wrong, of course. It is people who grab the heavens, people who tread the earth, and people who manipulate people. Just by looking at it, you are no better than a mere bystander. Still, I want to hope. I hope that the Heavenly Spirit Eye is real.” As Aura said that, her gaze fell on the map spread out on the desk. Spitz followed suit and looked at it as well. Several pieces were laid out on the map. Aura slowly moved her gaze over the map as if to check the terrain and spoke out. “Are you sure the number of troops that Margrave Grinda has gathered is 900?” “Yes, the Third Imperial Army’s scouts are excellent. I’m sure of it.” Considering the size of Margrave Grinda’s territory, they should be able to gather about 3,000 troops… Perhaps it’s because they haven’t experienced a battle for so many years, or perhaps their ability to communicate on the spur of the moment doesn’t seem to be functioning well. Although one must not be careless, this will be a battle that can be won easily. This is the Third Imperial Army’s pride and joy, the 2000 elite of the “Imperial Black Knights”. “Have you received a letter response from Margrave Grinda?” Said Aura. Spitz straightened his posture and held out the letter he had just received. “Yes. The contents were as expected. He refused it.” Spitz said with a sigh. Aura confirmed the contents of the letter and nodded her head in agreement. “It’s obvious. We should try to make an attempt to exchange messengers tomorrow as well so that things can be done quietly.” “…Huh?” Spitz sounded dumbfounded. He thought he misheard it. However, looking at Aura’s face, it seems that that is not the case. “P-please wait. Then what is the purpose of the strategy before?” Leaning forward at the desk, Spitz asked. Although they are not here now, many unit commanders and staff members had heard of Aura’s strategy earlier. If they didn’t plan to fight, what was the point of it all? In fact, what was the point of coming here in the first place? In contrast to the flustered Spitz, Aura remained calm and tilted her head cutely. “The only purpose is to talk. But if Margrave Grinda is just a fool who doesn’t even want to communicate, then we’ll have to fight him. The strategy just in case, though?” “But I suppose a fight is inevitable when it comes to this point…” “It’s not too late. We must avoid senseless conflict between the Empire people.” “That’s true, but…” Spitz was unable to take over the second phrase. But this was to be expected. He had thought that his beloved Lord would be reluctant to move on here. That’s why he took the first step. Falsely claiming that it was Aura’s order, he has ordered several troops to invade Margrave Grinda’s territory and capture the Sixth Princess. Although he didn’t want to move on his own without the Lord’s knowledge, perhaps his decision was correct. Just as the silence was about to be filled―a messenger, covered in mud, rushed into the tent. “Urgent! The Principality of Lichtine with approximately 15,000 soldiers are approaching the border!” “What?!” Spitz was stunned as he raised up from his chair. Aura stopped the piece she had been moving on the map and turned her attention to the messenger. “Report the details.” “As per Aura-sama’s orders, the unit that was waiting for Her Highness Celia Estreya near the border seems to have caught a suspicious movement on the part of the Principality of Lichtine, and after sending out scouts to investigate, they have confirmed the movement of the army.” After hearing the report from the messenger, Aura’s eyes narrowed sharply. On the other hand, Spitz’s heart was on the verge of stopping. This is because Aura has found out about the existence of the unit that was sent to the border area on his own accord. “…Lord Spitz.” Naturally, it’s not surprising that Aura is suspicious of something she doesn’t remember. An angry look pierced Spitz. But now is not the time to do that, Aura shook her head, moved her eyes to the messenger and informed him. “I know you’re tired, but do me just one favor.” “By all means.” Aura smiled at the quick reply. “I would like you to tell this to Margrave Grinda as well. He would also like to help if he can. I’ll write a letter right away.” Paper and pen were prepared on the desk. Aura wrote smoothly with ink on the tip of the pen. The sound of the pen’s tip rubbing in this highest-ranking tent had lasted for a while. When Spitz, having regained his composure, wasn’t sure if he should apologize or not, Aura’s eyes, which were filled with anger as she finished writing, turned to him. “I should be angry, but I’m not going to question it this time.” “…Eh?” “If Lord Spitz hadn’t sent the troops to hide on the border, we probably wouldn’t have known what the Principality of Lichtine was doing. So it’s a non-issue.” “Is it true?!” Spitz stands up from his chair in happiness. Aura, who handed the letter to the messenger, took a glance at Spitz. “But if you don’t get punished, it won’t show the soldiers that you are getting disciplined. And so, I will be rewarding you for your future work.” After concluding that, Aura picked up the book on the desk and began to read it quietly. Spitz, who had been staring at his Lord with passionate eyes, moved from his chair to the ground and got down on one knee. “I will. I will certainly return the favor!” Spitz vowed, his voice trembling with emotion. “I wonder when he’ll wake up…” Liz looked over at the bed with concern and saw that Hiro was sleeping quietly―or rather, he hadn’t woken up once since he passed out. The doctor has examined him but has no idea what’s caused his condition. “I can’t say for sure, but I’m sure he’ll be fine. I’m sure he’ll wake up very soon.” Tris said with a snarl and turned his attention to Liz, stroking his beard. “You have to get some rest too, Princess. It won’t do any good if the boy wakes up, and the princess falls over, you know.” “…You’re right.” Liz gave a small nod and then threw her gaze out the window. The starry sky was endless, illuminating the ground by providing the starlight to the city below it. This is the only city in the small country of Baum, known as Natua. In the center of the city, which spreads out in a gentle basin―there’s a white boxshaped temple that exudes dignity. The Sixth Princess and her entourage were under the care of this temple, which was also known as the “Spirit King’s Temple”. “Then I’ll come back in the morning to wake you up again.” Liz patted Hiro’s cheek, which still didn’t wake up, and then left the room. When the door is closed, the silence tries to fill the room with the night air―and it fails. A groan escaped from the mouth of the sleeping Hiro in bed. His face is distorted with anguish. He was―he was dreaming. It started very suddenly. He was thrown out onto a battlefield filled with corpses as far as the eye could see—a clash between 10,000 troops, a horrendous number of corpses produced from resentment. Blood turns the earth red, and the heavens sadly shake down tiny raindrops. In the middle of the melee, there was a boy. His black robe flapped by the wind. His arms moved in sync. The silvery-white sword cut through space, with a light swing that seemed to ward off insects. With just that much movement, the heads of five soldiers flew off. The boy’s interest shifted to something else, and he kicked the ground and ran. ――The target is the general’s head. It’s the most effective way to end the war, and it’s a surefire way to win. But, there is no way for his opponents to let him pass easily. What stands in his way is a thousand well-trained elites. The front line is filled with endless walls with no gaps between them, and if it’s for an ordinary person, the general’s head would seem endlessly far away. However, the boy sprinted forward without bumping into any of them, cutting off the enemy soldiers’ heads. Every road has an endpoint. It’s the difference between long and short. Imagine how the enemy’s general felt when he saw the boy’s appearance――. “S-stupid? How did you get here?” “……” The enemy general gasped as he looked at the boy’s face, bathed in blood in return. The deep, jet-black eyes caught the enemy general’s eyes as if it absorbed it. “…Those obsidian eyes. I’ve heard of them before.” The enemy general said, his voice trailing off in nervousness or perhaps fear. One among the exiled soldiers who were advancing at breakneck speed and growing in strength. The man who could read and understand heaven and earth, a man who had been talked about in the surrounding countries. It was a gift given by the Spirit King. “I used to laugh at the ridiculous story of it, but… That’s the Heavenly Spirit Eye, isn’t it?” The enemy general stepped forward. In his hand was a huge ax. “I’ll kill you here and take your eyes as the spoils of war.” As the enemy general raises his rough hand, enemy soldiers surround the boy. “It’s indeed amazing that you dare to come here alone, but I can only say that you are a fool.” Since there is only one opponent, it will inevitably cause some carelessness. “You will suffer and die unceremoniously, but――!?” With a thud, the enemy general’s head rolled on the ground covered in mud. The enemy soldiers who were surrounding him were stunned. No one could grasp what had happened except for the black-dressed boy. The boy lightly kicked the ground with a thump and began to dance. Having come to their senses, the enemy soldiers flashed the tip of their spear, but it only ended up passing in front of the boy’s eyes. Several spears are thrust out. However, the boy just leaped, ducked, and cut off the heads of the enemy soldiers. When he moved the shimmering white and silver sword as if to caress it, the heads of the enemy soldiers fell to the ground one by one, like ripe fruit falling from a tree. A shiver spread through the enemy soldiers―because it only happened in the blink of an eye to this point. This was clearly not the work of a human being. It would not be wrong to call him a monster. “So fast!” The silvery-white blade, which flicked the raindrops that drenched the earth, split the enemy’s armor from its upper and lower body. Unable to resist, the corpses of the enemy soldiers fall one by one in the puddles. Blood splatters erupt like a fountain from all around, and the horrible smell of fresh blood mixed with the rain dominates the air. “H-h――!?” He doesn’t even give them time to speak. It didn’t take long for a pile of corpses to form in the vicinity. With the loss of their commander, the enemy was totally destroyed. The enemy forces were overrun by the boy’s allies as if they were crushing feather worms. The battle cry of the defeated enemy forces―and the battle cry of his allies in pursuit of them―echoed across the plains. The boy, who had left the screaming and anguished battlefield, had arrived at the main camp. “The God of War!” Whoever said it first, one after another, the soldiers uttered an alias. It soon became a cheer that shook the air. “God of War! God of War! God of War! God of War!” Thousands of soldiers are screaming, echoing to the core of their bodies. It’s as if the earth is shaking, an illusion, and every time the boy takes a step forward, the sea of soldiers splits open. That’s what people call it―the path of the king. A long line of soldiers formed to solidify both sides, and the boy walked valiantly down the center. “‘God of War! God of War! God of War! God of War!” Then a young man appears in front of the boy. Then he raises one of his hands in the air. Silence reigns in the area as if it has been struck by water. He stepped forward and approached the boy, but his well-formed face was filled with anger. “It’s absolutely unbelievable that my military strategist is going to the front lines…” “We can’t afford any more stalemates. Our lines are too wide open. When this is over, we’ll have to move west, ah?” The boy’s head was poked as he refuted. When he looks at the young man, the corners of the young man’s mouth curved up, making a mischievous expression on his face. “Next, you’ll need to speak to me as well. Let’s rampage together in the front line.” “That would throw a wrench in the chain of command. You just need to stay in the main camp and relax.” “That would be boring. Well, whatever. It’s pointless to talk about what’s already been done anyway”. The young man clapped the boy on both shoulders. “Schwartz… well done. I’m glad to see you back safely. I’ve lost a hundred years of my life span when I heard you were on the battlefield. Though hearing that you killed the enemy general did add a hundred years to my life span.” “You’re exaggerating it, Altius―well, yes, I brought back the general’s head, what do you want to do with it?” Schwartz pointed behind him with his thumb, and an infantryman was standing there with a white box. “A guy who used to vomit at the mere sight of a corpse brings back a head, huh? I guess familiarity is a scary thing.” “Haha… I’m still not used to it. Killing people, having people die… but then again, if I had to worry about that kind of thing, we’d be in the opposite position.” “That’s right.” Nodding with satisfaction at Schwartz’s answer, Altius addressed the soldier holding the white box. 

“There is no need for a physical examination of the head. Send it back to his homeland respectfully. Even if they are enemies, if we forget to show courtesy to the dead, we are no better than mere beasts.” “Ha!” Taking his gaze off the soldier who bowed, Altius put his arm around Schwartz’s neck. “Now let’s report our victory to our brother, the Spirit King. And then let’s drink to celebrate it.” “I can’t drink. I’m still a minor, you know.” “Don’t worry! I’m bringing you some squeezed grapes!” “You have prepared it well, haven’t you?” He gave a bitter smile―to him, who will always be the same. (Ah… this is a dream. Because I’m not supposed to be here.) A dream that recalls a distant and nostalgic memory. It is also a miraculous moment of a chance encounter with those who are unable to meet. It is a glorious memory that will never fade. However, the dream will eventually fade away――. “Hey, Hiro… are you still not awake?” Hearing a voice that sounded like it was about to cry, Hiro pried up his heavy eyelids. A beautiful girl with red hair jumped into his view. “…Liz?” Hiro whispered softly and raised his upper body, and Liz widened her eyes with delight and hugged him. “Thank goodness! I thought you’d never wake up! I’m so glad!” Absentmindedly listening to her words, Hiro looked around the vicinity. This was a room with an atmosphere that felt like it had not been used for a long time. But that doesn’t mean it hasn’t been cleaned. The aged office desk near the window is neat and tidy. And looking at the nearby bookshelves, there are old, yellowed books but there is no dust on them. There are two flags hanging near the window. One was a flag with a balance on a white background. The other was a dragon holding a silver sword on a black background. Hiro is sleeping on a bed by the wall near the entrance. Before Hiro could ask where they are… Liz opened her mouth. “Is there somewhere you feel pain?” “U-un. I don’t know if there is any… but anyway, where are we?” “Um, well, after Hiro passed out, we had to go down the mountain right away…” Liz and the others stopped at a nearby village to take care of Hiro. However, they were noticed by the small country of Baum and were surrounded by a platoon-sized group of knights. But it seems that they weren’t there to capture Liz and the others――. “You must not be comfortable here. If you’d like, why don’t you come to the Spirit King’s Temple? The Princess Shrine Maiden wants to see you.” There is no king in the small country of Baum but is instead represented by a maiden called the Princess Shrine Maiden. “Will you please listen to us?” After being told that by the Knight Commander, Liz readily agreed to do so, considering the wounded. That’s why――. “Let’s go for breakfast! You must be hungry.” After finishing her explanation, Liz pulled Hiro’s arm. Hiro gave a wry smile before nodding. “Yeah. Let’s go to eat――!” When he stood up, he wobbled, and Liz supported his body. “A-are you okay?” “Hmm… it’s fine. I just woke up, so it seems I can’t just stand up suddenly.” “You can tell me if it’s hard for you. You need to see the doctor properly, okay?” As she said that, Liz opened the door of the room. “Hiyaahh!?” “Uwaa!?” The two of them retreated back in surprise. The reason is that there was a woman who was prostrated in front of them. “Good morning. Did you sleep well?” Her smooth skin, which is moist and dewy, shines in the sunlight, and the scent of color lurking in her extraordinary beauty fully enhances her charm. The soothing fragrance that emanates from her is matched with her beauty, which attracts the heart unavoidably. Wearing a white kimono and black hakama, she is… “I am the Princess Shrine Maiden. I am the representative of the small country of Baum.” When she bowed her head, her azure hair grew out to the floor, revealing ears that were unusually long and pointed for a human. When Hiro looked closely at her. “Are you concerned about my ears?” “Uh, well… it has an unusual shape.” “Fufu, yes. It must be a rare sight for humans.” She touched her own ears with a laugh, not losing her good mood. Liz, who was standing next to Hiro, poked him in the side with her elbow. As Hiro turns his head, Liz brings her mouth close to Hiro’s ear. “She’s a long ear race. Their characteristics are their longevity, but the enviable thing is that the long ear race’s people are all good looking~.” “I-I see. You’re right; she has an unworldly face, but…” You’re no different. There was no way Hiro could say such a sensible line. The Princess Shrine Maiden is watching them whispering to each other with a smile. “Besides, she’s also very smart. There’s also one that became my eldest brother’s staff member, but that’s still――.” “Princess! What are you doing here――wait, you again, huh? Little bastard!” “Eh, eh, I didn’t do anything, you know!” The big, bear-like man, Tris, approached with an angry look, but his momentum stalled midway through. The reason for that is because the Princess Shrine Maiden was standing in between him and Hiro. “Tris-sama. Please be quiet in the Spirit King’s Temple.” “U-umu… my apologies.” Tris dropped to one knee and bowed his head. “Thank you for your understanding.” The Princess Shrine Maiden turned her face to the two again and made her way to the side. “Come in. Breakfast has been prepared for you. Perhaps we can talk at leisure there.” “Oh, yes. Please.” “I was hungry. Thank you!” The two of them followed behind the Princess Shrine Maiden as she led the way, but… “N-not only once, but twice. Little brat, I’ll remember this.” Hiro certainly heard that as he passed by Tris, but he ignored it and quickened his steps. As he felt a murderous intent flying through him, he called out to the Princess Shrine Maiden to distract it. “Where are we going?” “It’s the dining room in the south section. Please follow me, so we don’t get separated.” The interior of the Spirit King’s Temple is mainly divided into four sections. The middle section is the baptistery where the Spirit King is worshipped―a place where newborn babies and first-time visitors to the Spirit King’s Temple are invited. The east section is where apprentice shrine maidens are practicing, and outsiders are not allowed to enter. The west section is the residential area for the apprentice shrine maidens―the place where Hiro and Liz used to stay. And the south section is a resting place, where Tris and the soldiers spent the night. On the way to the dining room, the Princess Shrine Maiden stopped and turned her gaze to Hiro. “As I recall… Hiro-sama wasn’t baptized yet, was he?” “Baptism?” “Hmm? Didn’t you know that, Hiro?” He didn’t have any memories of getting baptized after coming to this other world. “Yes, I don’t remember being baptized…” “Then, will Hiro-sama come with me to the baptistery?” “That can’t be helped. Hiro, you have to make sure the Spirit King likes you.” “Hmph, I hope the brat is cursed.” The Princess Shrine Maiden then turned to Liz. “Celia Estreya-sama, please have your breakfast first. Do you know the way to the dining hall?” “Don’t worry. I’ve been here a few times, so I won’t get lost.” “Then I will proceed to escort Hiro-sama to the baptistery. Is that all right?” “Yeah. Hiro, there’s nothing to be afraid of, so go ahead and get baptized in peace.” Liz disappears into the back of the passage with Tris in tow. The Princess Shrine Maiden watched and suddenly grabbed Hiro’s hand. “Then come here. Oh, I tied our hands together so we wouldn’t get separated.” “I-is that so? T-that surprised me.” Being told that with a smile full of adult charm, Hiro’s heart raced to the point that it felt like it was going to explode. After that, they walked silently along the corridor, surrounded by white walls for a while. Turning from place to place, heading down the same looking corridor, so much so that it’s impossible to know the way back. It gradually became darker and darker ahead, and the place where Hiro was brought in was――. “We’re here. This is the baptistery.” “…This is.” Hiro was surprised to see the Princess Shrine Maiden released his hand and disappeared somewhere else. Hiro was not aware of it―he was so overwhelmed. Then, the pathway was cut off with a clatter, as if it had been cut with a sharp blade, and forest stretched out beyond it. Hiro’s feet were unconsciously advancing. The icy blue air was flowing, and a cool sensation caressed his skin. The chirping of birds spread through the air. As he walked through the forest, he found himself in an open area. There was a spring in front of Hiro. It was a shining spring surrounded by pillars. On the other side, there were two huge bronze statues. A white sphere floats between them, emitting a divine light. As he sat down and reached out to touch the water, there was a rustling in the grass behind him. Then with a quick snap, Hiro turned around. “Thank you for your patience. I would now like to begin the baptism.” The Princess Shrine Maiden stood there, dressed so thinly that her snow-white skin was visible. Her breasts were faintly visible, and below from the edge of her sexy breasts, was a narrow waist. If one looks further down, the base of the legs and the shade between them is visible. The sharpened, white, dazzling female body was in front of Hiro’s eyes. Everything was visible; it would still be better if she weren’t wearing anything. “What’s wrong?” “Um… well, what is baptism?” “It’s to be blessed by the Spirit King.” “Can’t I just do that alone?” “This is a special case.” “What’s so special about it?” He tried to keep his face down and not look, but he could hear the rustling sound and stomp on the grass. He could tell that the Princess Shrine Maiden was closing the distance. “I cannot speak of it myself. But I can give you a clue.” He found that the Princess Shrine Maiden had squatted down. It was because her lush thighs caught Hiro’s eyes. And then a hand was placed gently on his shoulder, and it moved slowly to touch Hiro’s cheek. He was urged to look up, and he couldn’t resist. He and the Princess Shrine Maiden stared at each other at such a distance that their noses were touching. “…My heart feels incomparable pleasure for your safe return.” A single tear rolled down her cheek from her blue eyes, touching and caressing her moist lips. “Tris! Hiro wasn’t there!” “Calm down, Sixth Princess, you mustn’t run around like that.” “But he wasn’t in the baptistery! He might have gotten lost…” “I’m afraid that’s not possible since he was with the Princess Shrine Maiden…” “So where did he go then… I’m sure he’s crying.” Liz sat back in her chair and covered her face with her hands. Empty plates are laid out on the table in front of her. At her feet is Cerberus, sleeping with a satisfied look on his face. Sitting opposite her is Tris. “There is no way that a sixteen-year-old boy is going to cry. Maybe――.” Tris trailed off as a figure caught his eye. “Princess, it looks like he’s back.” “Eh?” When she turned around, she saw Hiro at the entrance. Perhaps it’s because of his baptism, but his expression is slightly tired. “Hiro! Over here!” She waved her hand and called out to him, and then Hiro turned his gaze toward Liz. “Geez! You’re late!” Unable to resist Hiro’s slow walk, Liz ran up to him and pulled his hand and made him sit next to her. “Hiro, you look kind of tired, was the baptism that hard?” “Yeah, I’m exhausted mentally.” “Really?” “I didn’t know where to look, and I have been touched in so many ways.” “Well, it looks like there’s a lot of people here today. Hiro has a rather cute face, so there’s no helping it if the old men got strange ideas.” “Huh? Old men?” “They were old men, right?” “Eh?” “Eh?” As they both tilted their heads, a shadow fell between them. “――Celia Estreya-sama. How was your breakfast?” When they turned around, the Princess Shrine Maiden was standing behind them. “Oh, it was delicious. Just as I expected from the Spirit King Temple’s dining hall.” “I’m glad to hear that. Would you like to stay the night again today?” “Hmm. It’s all very tempting, but we have to leave soon.” “That’s too bad. I know you’re busy with many things, but I hope you’ll visit us again.” “I will be back soon. I need to come back to pick up my injured men.” They can’t take the wounded soldiers with them. Because from this point on, they don’t know what’s going to happen. It would be difficult to protect them and fight with them if a battle occurred. Perhaps sensing Liz’s thoughts, the Princess Shrine Maiden gave a small nod. “That’s right. At that time, Hiro-sama is also welcome to visit us. I’d be happy to talk to you about many things again.” “Oh, um, yes. I’ll visit again…” “Hiro? Your face is so red. Did you catch a cold?” “No, I-I’m fine, okay?” “Fufu, I guess I’ll be going now.” “Oh, thank you for everything. I’ll never forget it.” “It is the duty of a servant of the Spirit King to help those in need. If I can be of service, you can always count on me.” “Thank you so much!” “And I’ve prepared some horses outside. You are welcome to use them as you see fit.” Then, as she bent her waist and bowed, the Princess Shrine Maiden walked away. After watching it, Liz sat down on the chair again and looked at Hiro. “Hey, your face is still red, you know?” Hiro was visibly panicked when Liz pointed it out to him. “No, i-it’s just your imagination! Better yet, we need to get ahead of ourselves!” “H-hmm? What are you so panicked about?” Liz has a question mark on her face as Hiro pulls on her arm. “Let’s just get on with it!” The Princess Shrine Maiden has been watching their exchange from the shadows for a long time. When Hiro and the others’ backs were out of sight, she began to walk. Her feet were heading towards the northern section of the Spirit King’s Temple. The area that only the Princess Shrine Maiden was allowed to enter―the Baptism Palace. There was a dazzlingly bright sphere there. The Princess Shrine Maiden gazed at it intently. She was a beautiful girl with a reputation for never ceasing to smile, but right now, she had an expression that was lacking. “What are you thinking about now… Why did you decide to summon back that heroic king? O our Father, the Spirit King. Please answer me.” An eerie silence fell, like being on the edge of the world. “Can you please answer me…” With a sigh, the Princess Shrine Maiden turned her attention to the two statues behind the sphere. Everyone who lives in this world is familiar with the two pillars of the Twelve Great Gods of Grantz. One is a bronze statue of a handsome young man with a sword thrust into the earth— the lionhearted king who founded the great empire, Leon Welt Altius von Grantz. The other is a statue of a man clutching the hilt of his sword with both hands and holding it up to heaven—the heroic king who established the great empire, Herth Ray Schwartz von Grantz. “…Your Majesty Altius, please protect His Majesty Schwartz.” ＊＊＊ After leaving Natua, Hiro and the rest of the group were near the border of the small country of Baum. Even though they were less than seventy, the sound of horseshoes stomping on the ground all at once could make one’s heart uneasy. It was Liz, of course, who was leading the way. Skillfully maneuvering her horse, her beautiful red hair fluttered backward. Hiro was clinging to her waist with his arm around her. “W-we’re already at the border, right?” “Yeah. We’re going to go straight into Margrave Grinda’s territory.” Tris, who was running alongside them, made an awkward face as he had heard their conversation. “The advance party has not returned. We don’t know what’s happening there. In another cell or so, we’ll have to abandon our horses and walk away.” “…Do you still think my brother’s hand has reached out to it?” “It’s hard to say with certainty. There’s no harm in being cautious.” “I understand…” Liz nodded and looked ahead. The road between the small country of Baum and Margrave Grinda’s territory was a wilderness. A third of Margrave Grinda’s territory countryside is barren and lacking in water, and although it’s not clear if this is the reason, the area near the border of the small country of Baum is also dry and covered with sand and dust. A small hill built of sand. Sandstone crumbling down from a cliff. A desert-like land with no trees or grass. The group abandoned their horses at the entrance to the wilderness――. “We should be cautious from here.” Liz began to walk through the wilderness with her eyes on the soldiers. At this rate, in about half an hour more, they would enter the Margrave Grinda’s territory. Hiding behind the cliffs to be inconspicuous, Liz and the others proceeded with a cautious gait. ”Princess. The advance party has not returned. We must assume that something has happened.” “Yeah… it could be dangerous if we keep going like this.” Liz agreed with Tris’s words and started to climb up the rock with her hand. They moved to where they could see the border. Noticing Hiro’s anxious expression, Liz smiled to reassure him. “It’s okay. It’s my uncle’s territory.” It was as if she was telling herself that. We finish climbing the cliffs where we can see the border, and Tris creeps up to the brink. A little later, a signal is sent to Liz. The fact that he hadn’t turned back and called for her to come over means that something was wrong. Liz approached Tris with a dubious look on her face, and looking down at the ground from the edge of the cliff――. “――!?” Liz hurriedly covered her mouth as she almost shouted out. The scene spread out in front of her was nothing but despair. Unable to believe her own eyes, Liz rubbed her eyelids again and again. Still, the cruel landscape remained the same. Tears came to the corners of Liz’s eyes. “What has happened…” At the entrance to Margrave Grinda’s territory, ten of the advance party were exposed as miserable corpses. They may have been tortured, and all of them had missing parts of their bodies. Behind them were three thousand brown-skinned soldiers. They wore leather armor with brown cloth wrapped around their heads, exposing their arms and shoulders. Hanging from their hips was a scythe with a spear and an oval shield thrust into the ground. The wind blowing in the wilderness made the tiger’s crest flag swim on the brown ground, propped up at the top of it. “Looks like the Principality of Lichtine, huh?” Tris twisted his face in bitterness and added. “The starving wolf of the desert, the Principality of Lichtine―the statehood is nothing short of brutal and inhumane. The people of a hostile country have only two choices: to become slaves or to be killed. That is why it is one of the countries where slavery still exists.” “I know that without being told. But why are the soldiers of Lichtine here?” It had been under the influence of the Grantz Empire for many years, and there hadn’t even been a skirmish in the last few decades. The reason for this was slavery. The Great Grantz Empire had abolished slavery, so they could not ransom officers of hostile nations they had captured in war or sold their people to the Lichtine. With its broad battle lines, the Great Grantz Empire was a favorite, and above all, too powerful to be foolish enough to attack. It should have been thought so. “Since they’ve deployed their forces here, their objective must be the princess, nine times out of ten.” Tris gives the enemy forces a sharp look. “How they know the princess is passing through here is a mystery, though. For now, let’s go back to the small country of Baum.” “No. We can’t involve the Princess Shrine Maiden.” “I don’t think they would attack the small country of Baum. If they do, they will incur the wrath of many nations.” “This is an invasion of a noble territory. Moreover, it’s against the Great Grantz Empire. I don’t think those people would hesitate to destroy the Spirit King’s Temple.” “That’s…” Liz opened her mouth as Tris stuttered beside her. “We should force our way through here and join my uncle.” “If they are here, it means they have breached the Fort Berg.” To get to this point, they would have to pass through Fort Berg and then Fort Alt in that order. Considering the fact that the enemy forces are closing in on this place, there is a great possibility that it may have fallen. “And they can’t stay in the empire’s territory forever. In time, the Fourth Imperial Army should come to rescue us.” “If they don’t show up, they’ll raid the surrounding villages. They might even invade the small country of Baum.” Imagining a future where villages and towns were burned, and people were overrun, Liz, who clenched her fist and slammed it into the ground, staring at the enemy army below her. “I can’t stand the idea of innocent people getting hurt because of me.” “We can’t win. If anything were to happen to you, Your Highness――.” “It’s the role of the royal family to fight for their people. No matter the circumstances.” “…Will you not give up?” “Of course, I won’t. I’m the Sixth Imperial Princess of Grantz.” “…Well, it’s no use. I’ll go with you then.” “I’m counting on you.” Breaking off the conversation, the two of them joined their men who were hiding behind the rocks in the rear. Standing up, Liz forgot to clear the dust and was the first to approach Hiro. “We’re about to have a fierce battle. Hiro, go back to the small country of Baum.” “Eh?” “Hiro will be a burden from here on out, so… It would be better for you if you didn’t stay with us.” “No, I’ll fight with you.” Hiro’s resolve seems to be firm. He had never experienced war before. In fact, when he lowered his gaze, his legs were trembling with fear. “No, you can’t. Hiro, go back the way you came and run away.” Liz threw away all personal feelings and shunned him, but Hiro was momentarily frightened, but he bit back. “Didn’t I help you with the ogre? This time――.” Sensing Hiro’s kindness, Liz’s expression was filled with delight, but it was replaced by confusion, which soon turned to determination. “I’ll be honest with you. I get distracted when Hiro is around. So I don’t want you to follow me.” Hearing that, Hiro’s body staggered as if a heavy object had hit it. Still, Hiro clenched his fists and stepped back. There must be a lot of things he wants to say, but nothing comes to mind, and he is desperately trying to spin out words like that. Feeling affectionate towards such Hiro, Liz put her hand on his cheek. “It’s okay. I’ll really be fine… I’ll see you again later on.” As if to reassure him, Liz spun the words exceptionally gently. “Thank you… for coming here with me.” If she talked any more, she would surely wish for him to stay with her. Liz stroked Hiro’s cheek as if she was regretting the loss of life and――. “The journey is over here. This has been so much fun.” She said her farewell. “Are you sure it was the right way to say goodbye like that?” Tris asked in a gentle voice. “Yes, it’s going to be a tough fight. There’s no need to involve Hiro in it, either.” The boy was a goody-two-shoes no matter how far he went, and if Liz had told him, he would have fought to the end. That’s why she wants him to live. That kindness is not something that can be scattered here. “They’re coming!” When Liz shouted at the black mass floating in the sky, it dyed the sky like a haze of clouds. The way it falls with force while drawing a parabolic line is like a torrential downpour. “Stay low and raise your shield!” “Yeaahh!” Instantly, thousands of arrows fell to the ground―a roaring sound dominated the battlefield as if a large number of ice blocks had fallen. When the sound left, a large number of arrows pierced the shields of the heavily armed infantry. “Build a wall!” Liz flies in with instructions. It’s wide enough for six adults to pass shoulder-toshoulder―the heavily armed infantry thrust their shields and prepare for the enemy charging from the front. The place Liz and the others chose for the battle was a narrow strip of land between the cliffs on either side. ――The first thing to do is to use the advantages of the ground to overcome the disadvantage of numbers. Even though there are 3,000 of them, they are not able to defeat the cliffs to advance. Therefore, it will naturally become a battle between a small number of people. Liz threw a spear at the approaching enemy. “Goaaahh!” Although it hit the target admirably, a new enemy is approaching over the corpse. “Archers! Fire!” As soon as the Flame Emperor was immediately swung vertically, many arrows passed over her head from behind. The arrows fired at close range hit every single one of them. The enemy’s front line had turned into the wreckage, impeding their progress and causing the enemy soldiers in the rear line to fall down. However, by stomping on them, the enemy soldiers didn’t lose their momentum as they pushed forward. “Woooooooo!” An air-shaking yell shook her eardrums. “Princess! Get back!” The heavily armed infantrymen gritted their teeth as they strained their arms. A change in the direction of the wind caused the dust to envelop the heavily armed infantry. A moment later, a thump―the sound of a collision could be heard, and at the same time, the sound of metal striking each other could be heard as well. “Haahh!” Pushing the dust away from the wind pressure, Liz thrusts out the Flame Emperor. Feeling the response, Liz pulls it out and swings it to the side. While sensing the presence of the enemy, Liz attacks without pause. When the gust of wind blows through the walls and clears the vision, Liz’s surroundings are filled with dead bodies. A short distance away, there is Tris, who cleaves the enemy with his spear. “Princess! You’re too far out! Come back!” “Not yet! I’ll take care of the enemy here as best I can!” The enemy reaches Liz as they push each other down the narrow passage. “Uraaaaahhh!” “There’s no way that attack could hit me.” “Gobuuuhh!” She cut down the attacking soldiers with her single sword. “Guraaaahhh!” “Gugaaaaah!” Cerberus jumped out and cut out the necks of the enemy soldiers with his fangs. He jumped on enemy soldiers one after another, hunting for their lives. Cerberus’ white fur turned red in a flash. Liz used her right leg as an axis to swing the Flame Emperor down to the left. “Phew!” She slashes off one of the enemy’s arms that were trying to get behind her. “Agaaaaaaaahh!” Ignoring the small fry that screamed out, she stabbed the enemy at the edge of her vision and killed him. She took advantage of the momentum and twisted her body, dropping the enemy’s head to her left. “Agouuuhh!” Finally, she cut off the head of the small fry that had lost one arm. “I’m gonna buy us some time.” A mass of flame was spat out from the Red Blade and exploded as if it were engulfing the area. “Uggaaaahh!” “Hyii, retreat!” The momentum that had been pushing through the narrows in a long line was not going to be easily stopped. The majority of the decapitated enemies were burned to death, and the smell of burning began to waft across the battlefield. Liz ran out and slashed and discarded the divided enemies that were between her and her allies. By the time she joins Tris, the corpse’s pathway has been created. “Princess! Are you hurt?” “I’m fine. There’s still plenty of enemies out there. We need to be ready for the next one.” With a little more time to think, Liz can’t help but think about Hiro. It was a terrible goodbye. When she thinks of Hiro’s agonized face, she is filled with regret. If she could see him again, she would bow to him sincerely and ask him to forgive her. But there’s no point in pondering about that before the battle is over. (The battle has only just begun…) Liz chuckled and patted Cerberus’ head. She decided to worry about it if she could survive properly. “The enemy is coming!” “Let’s kick their asses! Archers, fire! Heavily armed infantry, advance!” The first row of heavily armed infantry moved forward with their shields at the ready with no gaps between them, under the covering fire of the archers. The faces of the enemy soldiers in front of them all had looks of astonishment on their faces, but they were not allowed to stop. Because if they stopped, they would be trampled by their allies behind them. Soon the two sides clashed, the heavily armed infantry held on, but the enemy forces were blown away with the following. The spear tips flew out of the gap between the shields, and the heavily armed infantry stopped the breathing of the fallen enemy soldiers. When the heavy infantry saw that the ranks had collapsed, they opened the walls. Liz, Tris, and the lightly armed infantry charged in between. They finish off the wounded and battle-depleted enemy. In the meantime, the second line of heavily armed infantry that was waiting in the rear joined them. “Let’s keep pushing back!” There is no greater inspiration than a commander fighting on the front line. In fact, there is no fear on the soldier’s face, only a willingness to defend their Lord. In spite of the numerical disadvantage, enthusiasm precedes fear. From the enemy’s point of view, there is nothing more troublesome than this, and the enemy soldiers are easily dying off. However, the scary thing about riding the momentum is that they can’t recognize their surroundings. “…No way.” Liz noticed and muttered as she looked up at the sky. Her face was pale. Perhaps because of the momentum, the light infantry started to move forward, leaving their Lord behind. Tris, who sensed Liz’s change, turns around with a suspicious face. “Princess, are you hurt somewhere!” “Tris! Above!” The voice was a disquieting shout that resembled a scream. “Hurry up, shield! Cerberus, come here!” She hugged Cerberus with her left hand and waved her right arm at her allies to signal them, but it was already too late. The light infantry stared up at the sky in a daze; their thoughts stopped. A few moments later, a group of arrowheads filled the sky and flew in a heap. The enemy’s attacks, which even involved their allies, made the battlefield chaotic. The arrows that filled the ground and the small needle mounts that dotted the ground in places were so small that it was barely discernible that they were people, and it was impossible to tell whether they were friend or foe. The fact that not a single person moved means that the light infantry unit could be assumed to have been wiped out. “Princess, are you all right?!” A few arrows are stuck in Tris’s back, but from the movement, it doesn’t seem to have reached a fatal wound. The battle situation has changed completely, and the heavily armed infantry who have grasped the current situation is in a heavy-hearted state. Tris opened his big mouth as if he was trying to get some life into them. “The heavily armed infantry must immediately regroup! Fortify the entrance and hold off the enemy’s advance!” “Haa!” He forgot about the pain of his own wounds as he skipped the instructions and ran up to Liz. “That caught us off guard a bit…” Liz’s face contorts in pain, and she pulls out the arrow that sticks in her left arm with her right hand and throws it away. As Cerberus looks anxiously at the overflowing blood, Liz pats him on the head to reassure him. A number of heavily armed infantry passed next to them and quickly built up an iron wall on the front line. “We have to treat them immediately…” “Just tie him up, and he’ll be fine. I’d rather look at the damage…” “I’ll leave that to others.” “Captain Tris!” One of the heavily armed infantry interrupted the old soldier who was about to scold Liz. Tris turned around in the form of anger at being approached in such an emergency. “What is it?!” “There’s a change in the enemy’s movement!” A vein appeared on Tris’s forehead at the off-target report. “You need to make a proper report!” “B-but… look at that!” The soldier pointed to an incomprehensible scene. Two hundred or so Imperial soldiers were lined up in a line, their arms tied around their backs. A man from among the enemy forces stepped forward through the gap. “My name is Vile Narmel Lichtine, and I have something interesting to show you.” “What is he going to do…” The man drew the scimitar that he held at his waist and placed his foot on the Imperial soldier’s shoulder, forcing him to bow his head with all his strength. Immediately, a deadly blade was swung down, and the Imperial soldier’s head flew off. The man kicked the blood splattering corpse and then flicked his gaze to Liz with a smile on his mouth. “O, sixth princess! If you are willing to surrender quietly, I will stop executing them. If you still continue to resist, I will cut off the heads of all the Imperial soldiers here!” “You’ve got to be kidding me.” Tris’s face flushed with anger. Liz listens in silence, looking as if she’s about to cry. “I don’t care either way. Either way, you’re going to be captured, you know. And you will be a slave. You won’t live a lonely day! I’ll look after you every day! Every day!” indifferently. It was a show of force to make them lose our will to fight. “Come on, make your decision! The Sixth Princess, Celia Estreya!” The bloody sword gleamed in the sunlight. Hiro sat alone on a rock and stared at the ground. The only thing that ran through his mind was his own inadequacy in being so lame. Why did he come to this other world, and why did he have no power? But with the skill of just being able to see well, he can’t even fight for her. (What did I come here for…?) He was told to flee to the small country of Baum, but he doesn’t feel like moving. Maybe it’s because his feelings are leaning towards her at a distance… Her sad smile appears in his mind. He wished her to ask him to fight with her. Even if it’s a battle that can’t be won, he hasn’t been able to repay the debt of gratitude for the care he’s received in this world. (But… if it came down to a fight, I’m sure I won’t be able to stand out.) That’s all fine, but Liz, the one who protected Hiro, might get hurt. After shaking his head, Hiro looked up at the sky. The strong sunlight shone on the thirsty earth. The gloomy breeze evoked irritation and made him feel indescribably unpleasant. (…What shall I do now?) He gets off the rock and turns around to look at the remnants, and there she is at the end of this road. By now, the battle would have begun. Three thousand in number, against less than a hundred, is hopeless. But Liz is strong. Even to the untrained eye, that’s for sure. Please help her to meet Margrave Grinda safely, Hiro prayed to the Spirit King. “…Let’s go.” He closed his eyes as if to discard his unrequited love and tried to leave quickly. However, he immediately stopped. (…What? People?) The sound of many footsteps could be heard, but it was the voices that were carried by the wind. He hid behind a rock, and then he saw a familiar group of people coming out of a gap in the cliff. “Is this the right way?” “Yeah, this area is in the small country of Baum. If we keep going south along the border, we should be able to get behind the Sixth Princess.” “Is there a village around here?” “Just be patient.” “We’ve picked a fight with the Empire. It’s worthless to me unless I can get three slaves.” Although he couldn’t keep track of the number, a large number of soldiers were coming out of the shadows. They are the soldiers of the Principality of Lichtine. All of the men have well-trained bodies, shamelessly exposing their brown skin as they proceed along the path that Hiro came from with a look of their own. “After capturing the Sixth Princess, all that remains is to burn down the surrounding villages. Save it for fun.” “The Sixth Princess… would someone be mad at me if I tasted her?” “Well, I’m sure they’ll just take your head off.” “I hope it’s worth it.” Gyahaha, the people advancing with vulgar laughter, made Hiro feel angry and involuntarily jumped out from behind the rocks. The sight of the boy’s sudden appearance made the enemy soldiers tense, but they immediately raised their guard. What groundless fear is there in the boy who appeared while shaking his legs in fear? “…A lost child, huh?” “A guy, huh? If only a woman.” The vulgar soldier slumped his shoulders in blatant dismay. But they put their hands to their chins and looked at Hiro with a jittery look. “But he looks pretty good. I’m sure he will sell well. Should we catch him?” “No, he’s just going to get in the way. Let’s just kill him.” It would be troublesome if he reported to the small country of Baum. The serious soldier muttered and drew his sword inwardly. But the vulgar soldier stretched out his arm to stop the serious soldier. “Wait, wait, I’ll take care of it.” “Don’t waste our time.” “Yeah yeah, well, I’ll do the spats, and you guys can watch. Or do you want to bet?” Immediately, a joyful voice comes from the soldiers in the rear. “There’s no such thing as a bet.” “The kid’s dead. Let’s get the hell out of here.” “Don’t spend too much time on it. His Excellency will kill you.” “I know. Just give me a second.” The vulgar man grabbed Hiro’s shoulder with his left hand. He stabbed the spear in his right hand into the ground and instead pulled out the scythe and pressed it tightly against Hiro’s neck. “Are you too scared to speak? Don’t worry; it won’t hurt. I’ll give you such a fine cut to your neck.” The vulgar man’s right arm spreads out. He was about to slash it off at a distance and with great vigor. Hiro’s body was trembling in small increments from fear. The man’s smile deepened as he imagined what kind of scream he would hear, but――. “…I’m sorry.” Hiro muttered. “It’s too late to beg for your life now.” The man tapped Hiro’s shoulder as if to comfort him and tried to shake him with all his strength. ――But the arm did not move. With a dubious look, the man looked at the place where his arm had been. He finally noticed that it was lost from his right shoulder onwards. “Ah!? Wh-what? Udeaaaaghhh!” He put his remaining hand on it as if trying to stop the blood that had spurted out. However, the blood poured out of the gap between his fingers and did not stop. “Aaaaagaaahhhhh!?” The man suffering from severe pain rolls on the ground. And there was someone who looked down at it with icy eyes. ――It was Hiro. In his hand, the arm torn off from the man’s shoulder was clenched. The base of the arm―with blood trickling down to the ground like it was being sucked into the ground. “…Ah.” Hiro certainly heard it within himself. “…I see.” The eerie sound of something breaking reverberates within the body. It will never go back to the way it was. It must have been completely broken. “I’m…” The sensation of clearing every corner of his head is pleasant. Then Hiro pulled out the spear that pierced the earth. “Damn kid!” He pierced the chest of the approaching enemy. He stole the sword from the waist of his foe as he was about to fall. “Oraa――!” He cut off the head of the next enemy. He can feel the power spreading to every corner of his body. “What the hell are you doing? Surround him!” He slaughtered another enemy and snatched the spear and cleaved it to the side. The heads of the three enemy soldiers flew through the air. The wall that was suppressing the boy has completely disappeared. He could feel his head getting clearer. He could feel his body becoming lighter and lighter. He could feel his five senses being sharpened. The boy―he realized that his former self had returned. As if to confirm this, he clasps his hand twice or three times. “……” There is no emotion floating in the eyes of the abyss; there is only nothingness. Just dark. Just deep. Just cold. ――The curtain of carnage has gone up. ＊＊＊ (Where did I go wrong? What did I do wrong?) The man’s head was flooded with those words alone. There was room to spare a moment ago, but there was no such thing now. It was all they could do to escape from the enemy chasing them from behind. The man’s name was Karelis, and he would be thirty-four years old this year. He is one of the staff members of the Principality of Lichtine, led by Vile Narmer Lichtine. He used to be a slave, but he was freed by developing his own abilities by advancing his knowledge. His life was finally starting to get back on track, but he had encountered some nasty things. Besides, where were all those friends that were with him? (There were 500 of them. What the hell’s going on?) Five hundred men slaughtered by a single opponent without so much as a single sword. If this isn’t a dream, then the only monster that can do such a thing is a spirit being. Suddenly, the man stopped after coming to that thought. (…Could it be that it was a spirit kind?) He hides behind a rock to catch his breath. After that, he should probably head to report to his commander. Keeping a vigilant eye on his surroundings, Karelis decided to clear his head under his breath. (That’s right. If it weren’t for the spirits, there’s no way Dagner would have died in such an unnatural way.) It makes him shudder to remember it now. Before they could march on, a boy appeared, and Dagner’s arm was torn off as he tried to eliminate him. From there, the unspeakable carnage began. All who confronted him were slaughtered, and those who fled were decapitated from behind. There was no emotion in the boy’s face as he killed people so easily. The memory of the boy’s face made his body tremble with fear. (How did this happen… It should have been an easy job. I just had to get behind the Sixth Princess!) It’s not even cold, but his body is shaking, and his teeth are biting together. No sound should be made. The boy will notice him. Karelis presses his mouth down. There’s a crack―and a kicking sound of stone. When Karelis closes his eyes, a gloomy wind caresses his cheeks. The fear was so great that it almost drove him crazy. (I don’t want to die. I don’t want to die. I don’t want to die. I don’t want to die.) But―the despair was not lost on him. “…I offer you two choices. Take your own life, or let me take your life.” “Hyii, p-please, forgive me! I don’t know what I did, but it was my fault. So please let it go!” The boy looked down at Karelis, who lowered his head, with inorganic eyes. “Please. What did I do to deserve this? I didn’t do anything! I have lost my friends, what else do you want me to do――gahh!?” Karelis was grabbed by the neck and lifted up. Karelis’s heart broke completely at this point, as he didn’t know what kind of power that Hiro’s thin arms had. “Please, I didn’t do anything! Please don’t kill me! I don’t want to die yet!” “You haven’t done anything yet. But you might do something if I let you. That’s worth dying for. Someone might get hurt for letting you get away. And I can’t stand it.” “W-what’s that… that’s why you’re killing them! Do you really think you’re a god?” “Yeah… I guess I’m a god now.” “Ogooh―pubuh?!” A shimmering blade crossed his chest and spat out blood from his mouth. As Karelis’s consciousness faded away, he remembered an old story. It was a common story that parents would read to their children who stayed up late. When they stayed up late――. ――The Endless Despair is coming to take you away. A man with an exposed upper half and a lower half clad in flashy silk with gold and silver ornamentation. He was brown-skinned like the other soldiers, but his blessed body and the atmosphere he exuded set him apart from the rest. Vile Narmel Lichtine. The third son of the principality, he was the commander of a detachment of Lichtine’s army’s Principality. His gaze was fixed on the red-haired princess lurking between the cliffs. “You’re quite stubborn, aren’t you? That’s so intriguing.” Behind him, two hundred Imperial soldiers were lined up with both knees on the ground. Vile said as he slashed off the heads of a few of them without a second thought. “Alright, that’s enough. Kill them all. And bring that guy to me.” The imperial soldiers were unable to resist, they were stabbed in the chest, their throats were gouged out, and their entire body was sliced off, leaving every single one of them to be killed. The blood flowing from the corpses moistened the dry land. And a man with a large scar on his cheek was brought in front of Vile. “Dios!” A voice that resembled the scream of a red-haired girl was heard. Vile’s face contorted with amusement. “Kuku, hahaha, aah…… good! Isn’t that a wonderful voice? Finally, you’re purring!” He stomped on Dios’ head, who gritted his teeth in frustration. “From the look of that panic… it looks like you’re a member of the Sixth Princess’ aides or something.” A man who showed an order of magnitude greater strength than the other Imperial soldiers when they attacked Fort Alto. He is blessed with good physical strength, and the fact that he was captured alive, thinking that his slavery would last for a long time, proved to be a success. “It seems that I’ve been lucky, after all,” said Vile. “I’m finally going to be able to capture the Sixth Princess, thanks to you. What, don’t worry. I’ll take care of her in front of you!” “Gahah!” After kicking Dios in the face, Vile raised his voice at the red-haired girl. “If you want this man back unharmed, then you should surrender obediently!” Although he couldn’t see the Sixth Princess’s expression, seeing that she was being stopped by a soldier, he was sure she was in a temper. One more push… Thinking that, Vile swung his sword down on Dios’ shoulder. “Uguuh?!” The arm that was cut off floats high in the sky and falls to the ground while spinning around. “Goooooohhh!” Dios endured, gritting his teeth. He had lost his arm; the pain could have knocked him unconscious. Fresh blood gushed out in a vigorous stream, and Vile moved his jaw towards his men. “Stop the bleeding.” “Ha!” Immediately, his men took out a cloth and wrapped it around Dios’ shoulders. He stabbed the fallen arm with his sword and swung it vigorously, throwing it to the redhaired girl’s feet. “O, Sixth Princess. If you don’t treat him quickly, your precious subordinate will die! Hahahahahahaha!” Now, charge in, surrender, or whatever you want to do, take action. The image of the Sixth Princess crying out was floating in Vile’s mind. Just imagining that was enough to make the pleasure rush through him. I’ll torture her, ravish her, and treat her like trash. I’ll let the whole empire see her crying and screaming, thought Vile. Vile couldn’t hold back his laughter as he imagined that near future. It didn’t last long, though――. “Your Highness Celia Estreya Elizabeth von Grantz!” Because Dios shouted. “Hmm?” Vile looked down at Dios with a dubious look. “Keep fighting! Even if I die, my soul is with you, along with the Grand Empire of Grantz! Make your dreams come true! Make the grand dream you once spoke of come true!” “What are you talking about?” “If that dream comes true, then give my soul to the Twelve Grantz God!” “Shut his mouth!” “Gunuhh!” One of Vile’s men kicked Dios in the face, but he didn’t move even slightly. Vile backed away from the sharp eyes, pressurized by the sharpness of Dios’ eyes. After spitting out a clot of blood, Dios continued. “The path you are on is hard, and many difficulties will be encountered! But do not ever stop! Reach beyond the many corpses! You must push forward on the High Path!” “Stop running your mouth!” “Ugaaah!” Dios was kicked in the shoulder where he lost his arm, and he fell to the ground. Vile, who was looking down at him in anger, immediately turned his attention to the Sixth Princess. She was about to disappear on the other side of the iron wall. “Wait! You don’t care what happens to this guy!?” He hurriedly grabbed Dios’s hair and made her lookup. But Liz’s back is now hidden behind the cliff. “Kuku, that’s a lot of work. Just hurry up and kill me. Milady will never be your slave.” “…I see. Then I will thoroughly humiliate you until I take it away with all my might.” He slammed Dios’ face into the ground and stomped on him with his heels repeatedly with vigor. He continued to swing his heels down mercilessly on Dios, who didn’t even groan, as if to let out his frustration. “Hmph, you can sit back and watch your precious princess get defiled in the afterlife.” When Dios stopped twitching, Vile slashed at his neck and threw him at his men’s feet. “Keep it exposed. Expose it so they can see it better.” Without even a glance at his head, as if he had lost interest, Vile raised his bloody sword and shouted loudly on the battlefield. “All troops, charge!” ＊＊＊ “We shall avenge them all! Protect the princess at all costs!” Tris’s angry voice rang out through the cliffs. The heavily armed infantry silently hammered their shields. The archers fired their arrows and stopped the enemy from breathing down their necks even without instructions. Further back, there was Liz’s figure with her face turned down. Her eyelids were red, swollen, and painful. There was no sign of the girl who was so full of energy. (…Hiro) She thinks of the boy with the kindest face. She probably has no idea how reassuring his presence has been on this journey. The unidentified boy who followed her even though he didn’t know what was going on. The kind-hearted boy who stayed with her until the end of the trip, without ever expressing weakness. When he said he would fight with her, she almost hugged him out of happiness. (…I wanted to apologize.) There is no more energy left to fight. She couldn’t bear the thought of anyone else dying any longer. Only a few of the private soldiers who accompanied her on this journey had survived. That would be wiped out in less than a second. (Hiro… I’m so tired.) She held her knees and buried her face between them, rejecting the world. The girl, whose tears have already dried up, closes her eyes as she falls asleep. Her consciousness fell so deeply that she didn’t even care about the noise of the battlefield. Therefore, she didn’t notice. ――At the change in the war situation. The glittering sunlight poured down on the earth in the wilderness in full force, and amidst the dust mixed with the heat and blood of the battlefield, a lump of deep darkness fell to the ground like a raindrop. It fell from the sky and succeeded in opening the distance between the two sides. Everyone stopped fighting and looked at it with quizzical faces. Black and shiny hair like lacquer is dancing in the wind. The eyes were filled with a cold reason and emitted a clear black light. The boy, dressed in clothes that seemed to embody the darkness, just silently caught the enemy. “……” The boy lightly swung the silvery-white sword in his hand. A gentle breeze slips through the brown-skinned enemy forces. A moment later―a splash of blood rises from several soldiers. It didn’t take much time for it to cover the entire field of view. The enemy soldiers who have been drenched in their comrades’ blood are uniformly filled with question marks. Their brains seem to have stopped thinking, unable to understand when they see their fallen comrades. They have no idea why the blood has fallen on them or what has happened. Time on the battlefield had stopped, with the only exception being the boy, who began to walk slowly. Without looking at them, the boy swung his sword to the side, and the heads of the enemy soldiers who had been watching him in amazement flew off. Twisting his body, the white blade slices off the skulls of the two enemy soldiers. Before a splatter of blood could be seen, he took one step forward and cut down one person, and two steps forward and cut down three people. The boy replaces the white silver sword in his left hand and picks up a spear that has fallen to the ground. He threw it randomly, and it pierced the necks of the four goosenecks as easily as shooting through an apple. Furthermore, he thrusts his left sword through the stunned enemy’s throat and slashes the neck of the enemy next to him as if he were caressing his neck. After coming this far, any person would come to their senses. A yell went up from the enemy soldiers. It’s so loud that the boy’s body is blown away. “W-what’s that bastaaarrdd!” “So fast!” A shining white blade sliced through the air, and the enemy soldier’s torso broke apart and crashed to the ground with a deafening sound. “Urraaaahhh!” “Ah!” He dives into his foe’s chest, who swings his spear and stabs his sword into the chest. The momentum of pulling out reaps the two men’s lives, and the boy kicks the ground and leaps into the sky. With a thud―several spears stabbed into the place where they were before. The boy who somersaulted back into the air danced back into the midst of the enemies filling in. “Haahhh!” He waved his arms twice and three times to carve a cross. A number of white lines were created in space, and the enemies in the vicinity turned into corpses all at once without even feeling the pain. The boy overruns the enemy army as easily as if he were crushing ants. The battlefield was changing at a rapid pace, and Tris was unable to speak. Tris is not the only one who is silent. The soldiers on their side were also paying attention to the boy so as not to lose sight of him. A strange air enveloped the battlefield. A black mass was slowly eroding the battlefield like water seeping through cloth. The enemy’s front line has completely collapsed. It will be extremely difficult to rebuild from here. The faces of the enemy soldiers on the front line were all distorted with fear, and their expressions spoke of wanting to run away now. However, the order to charge was given, and they were not allowed to retreat due to being pushed by their allies in the rear. The only thing they can do is to fall prey to the darkness. “Is that… the kid?” Tris tilted his head as he looked at the boy who was laying waste to the enemy lines with a silvery-white sword in hand. Even from a distance, he doesn’t have the same weak atmosphere from him that he had when they met. It was as if he had changed as if he was possessed by something. “And what was that sword?” No matter how many enemies he slaughters, his sword will never be covered in blood. The beautiful, shining white and silver sword continues to shine with the same brilliant light as it did in the beginning. It’s no wonder that Tris doesn’t know about it. It is―that it was once called the Sword of Heroes. The sword of a king who saved a country that was on the verge of destruction and conquered the surrounding countries. After a thousand years, the legendary sword was buried in the long history and called the lost sword. Herth Ray Schwartz von Grantz, the second emperor of the Great Empire of Grantz. In his lore, it is written. There is a sword in the black king’s hands who controls the heavens, the earth, and the people. The undefeated sword that will surely bring him victory. No one here knows what happened in those days. But if they were here, they would have been overcome with emotion. The sword is pure white on both the sword’s peak and hilt as if it were covered in snow, without a single stain, and the blade boasts a sharpness that shines like countless twinkling stars scattering. When held by the black-clothed boy, what one associates with is the stars floating in the night sky. The Five Emperors of the Spirits Sword. It was said to be the last and most beautiful sword――. ――The Heavenly Emperor. It was the moment when he appeared again in this world. “The enemy… is retreating?” Someone in the heavily armed infantry muttered. A change had come to the battlefield that had silently accepted the carnage. Maybe the news had finally reached the enemy general. While keeping their eyes on Hiro, the Lichtine army slowly retreated from the battlefield. The boy watched the retreating enemy for a while, but then he turned away as if he had lost interest. At that moment, Tris’s expression changed and shouted. “K-kid! Behind you!” Countless arrows flew from behind the retreating enemy. His voice didn’t reach the boy, or he didn’t even look in that direction. No, even if he could hear it, Hiro, who had no shield, would not be able to prevent it. Thinking it was all over, Tris involuntarily closed his eyes. However, the next time he opened his eyes, Tris couldn’t distinguish between reality and illusion. For like a waterfall breaking, an arrow had pierced the ground, avoiding the boy. Tris, who had been watching it with an astonished look on his face, looked into the boy’s eyes and opened his mouth. “Heavenly Spirit Eye, huh…” After a moment of relief, the boy started to run. “What?” It was no wonder he was questioning since he was coming to Tris and the others with all his might. His face was no longer the expression that carried the abyss that he had carried earlier, but the same weak and unreliable look that he had had when they met. “T-Tris-san!” “Ooh!? What?” Tris is surprised to see Hiro suddenly hugging him, but Tris holds him back. “L-Liz! Where is Liz? She’s safe, isn’t she!” “C-calm down! The princess is resting in the back! You’re the one who we should be worried about, are you okay?” It could be said to be a useless worry since he is in such good health, but Tris still can’t help but ask. But the boy looked around at his body before saying. “It looks like I’m fine! I’m off to Liz’s!” “N-no, wait, kid! She’s now――.” He extended his hand, but the boy ran straight to the back. Hiro couldn’t help but frown. The muffled heat pooled between the cliffs along with the smell of death. How many soldiers were dead, being careful not to step on them, he continued on to the back. “Oh, Liz――…” When the desired girl is found, he almost smiles, but his smile instantly changes to a sorrowful look. Because the red-haired girl, surrounded by bodies, was sitting on a rock. The atmosphere she wears seems to be breaking down at any moment, and it makes his chest tighten at the sight of her. “……” As he climbed up on the rock, Cerberus, who was next to Liz, gave Hiro a look. He patted Cerberus’ head and then put his hand on Liz’s shoulder as her face fell. “Liz…” The girl who rejected the world didn’t even notice that she was touched on the shoulder. “Liz!” Hiro let out a loud voice and shook her shoulders. “……” “Huh?” Looking at Liz, who finally raised her head, Hiro gasped in shock. The lusterless eyes just opened unfocused, and the swollen eyelids were painfully red. (Ah… who was the one who hurt you so badly?) He gently put his arms around her head and held her close. He couldn’t find the words to say to her, being this exhausted. “Liz… I’m sorry.” Hiro didn’t know why he was apologizing, whether it was that he couldn’t think of the words or that he hadn’t been able to come up with them in time. With a twitch, the red-haired girl’s fingers moved. She grabbed Hiro’s arm and pulled her face away from his chest. “…Hiro?” “Yeah, I know you’re going to be mad at me, but I’m back.” When Hiro nodded with an embarrassed face, Liz’s hand touched his cheek. Although it’s hot and humid like summer, her hand is chillingly cold. “Why did you get here?” “Because now I know what I can do.” Taking Liz’s hand from his cheek, Hiro took it and squeezed it gently to warm it. The light comes back to her eyes. Maybe it was the realization that it was real. But Liz’s eyes fall down as a sad expression appears on her face. “Dios is dead…” “…Yeah.” “He was more like an older brother than my real brother. I always thought of him as my real brother.” “Yes.” “But… I couldn’t save him.” “……” “He told me to make my dreams come true.” Her voice trembled, and her eyes grew moist with tears. “I’m… uuuwaaahhhhh――.” She buried her face in Hiro’s chest and began to cry, sobbing breathlessly. Putting his arms around her back, Hiro pulled her into a hug. Even if she was a Spirit Sword wielder, she was still just a girl who had just turned fifteen. The one she loved like family was killed in front of her eyes. It must have been a thought that tore her heart apart. (Ah yes… this girl looks just like you.) Although they don’t have the same hair color or facial features, their hearts are exactly the same. He was on the throne at a young age, with grand ambitions, but he was unable to do anything about it because of his position. All he could do was watch his country dying in silence. (Is that why you summoned me back?) As Hiro stroked Liz’s head, he knew why he had returned to this world. It might be wrong. But that’s fine with me, Hiro thinks. Tris and the heavily armed infantry looked on painfully as the Sixth Princess cried quietly on the rock. The strong men are crying with tears flowing from their eyes―they are crying through their teeth without speaking. In the midst of all this, Tris never showed any tears but was trembling with rage as a single streak of blood flowed from the corner of his mouth. Dios von Michael. A young man who was to have turned twenty-eight this year. Formerly a mercenary, he had been severely wounded and drifted to the Empire, where Tris had treated him and taken him in. He never missed a day of training and steadily accumulated achievements on the battlefield. When his strength was recognized and he became a member of the Sixth Princess’ entourage, Tris was pleased as if it was his own matter. If Liz was just like his daughter, Dios must have been his son. As if to break the memory of the past, Tris thumped his chest forcefully. Letting a loud clang play out of his armor, he broke the silence and fell to his knees on the spot and shouted. “Your Highness Celia Estreya Elizabeth von Grantz!” Everyone turns to the loud voice that echoes through the air. “There is no time for grief. Dios will not wish for that! The sun is going to set soon. Let’s find a way to get past them!” It was Hiro who responded to Tris’ angry words. “Then, I have a better idea.” “What?” “There are roughly two thousand enemies, and even if we can get through this, the surrounding villages will be damaged. Liz won’t like to see innocent people get hurt.” “Hi-Hiro?” Liz leaked a voice with a hint of dismay. No wonder she was surprised since he remained a normal boy in her mind. Hiro turned a wry smile on his face and continued his story. “Then, even if we don’t call it annihilation, we need to reduce the number of enemies as much as possible so that they can’t do anything like banditry.” “We have only 20 men left. How can we defeat 2,000 men? Are you asking us to kill a hundred enemies for one person?” “I wouldn’t go that far. We’re all tired.” Hiro’s smile deepened, and he held up his index finger as he got off the rock. “It’s a simple strategy that even a child could come up with.” A man who was once feared as the “God of War” is reborn. The Lichtine army had established a camp two cells (six kilometers) away from the cliffs. There were hundreds of barracks within the fenced-in area, and there was a most luxurious tent in the center of it. Inside, there’s a meeting in the center, the staff and the commanders of the various divisions stood in rows on either side. At the back of the room, Vile, seated on a large chair, is listening to the damage report from the staff members with an angry look on his face. “…Six commanders, eight hundred and twelve infantry, two hundred and ninety-nine wounded. That’s all.” After finishing his report, the Chief of Staff returned to the line. Not only were the five hundred soldiers they had turned in to surprise the enemy from behind wiped out, but they also lost a lot of soldiers when the Sixth Princess resisted more than expected. “Nearly a thousand soldiers died in battle against an enemy of less than a hundred men!?” Vile threw his wine on the ground, and the glass shattered loudly. “What should I say to my brother? Tell him we lost a thousand men for nothing and failed to capture the Sixth Princess?” The Chief of Staff stepped forward again. “But it’s also because of something unexpected that happened. Your Excellency must have seen it, too. That’s not something you can call a human being by any stretch of the imagination!” Indeed, it was the man in black who should be feared. Suddenly, he seemed to burst into the battlefield, and in the blink of an eye, he stroked and cut the soldiers to pieces. But――. “Huh, you want me to tell my brother that one person killed a thousand people? If I do that, my head will fly off!” Unable to hide his frustration, Vile kicked the chair away. The chair collided with the desk and broke with a loud noise. Still not satisfied with the situation, Vile grabbed onto one of the commanders. “…He indeed had incredible power. But who was it that allowed him to do whatever he wanted? You guys are the commanders!” “…After having that much power displayed so glaringly and instilling fear in me, I can only retreat!” “You’re beyond pathetic! Yet you are soldiers of the Principality of Lichtine!” He pushed the commander away and then stared at his men’s faces in the tent in turn. “As soon as the night dawns, we will launch an all-out assault. You are not allowed to retreat. Anyone who has a problem with that will step forward. I will cut their heads off.” It was supposed to be an easy fight. Normally, it was supposed to be over in a few hours. That’s why―they were not prepared for a night battle, and ended up giving the enemy a break like this. “None, huh. Well, the council is over. Immediately appoint replacements for the dead commanders. You don’t have any time to sleep. Come up with a good idea before dawn, or I will enslave the useless ones.” His subordinates clapped their left shoulder with their right hand, got down on one knee, and opened their mouths. “As you wish.” Shortly after that, a messenger came rolling into the tent with a different expression. “Enemy attack! The number is unknown! And now we’re under attack!” Everyone looked dumbfounded. It’s understandable; the enemy is close to being wiped out, there’s no way they’re going to attack them. Doubting his own ears, Vile asked back. “…What did you say?” “I repeat! We’re under attack! The number is unknown! And now we’re under attack!” “Nonsense… The enemy was already at death’s door.” Vile hurriedly left his tent. The staff officers and the commanders of the various units came rushing out next. There was a shout, a scream, a roar of horseshoes, and the soldiers who had been resting were in a panic. “What does this mean! Are you telling me that the enemy’s reinforcements have arrived!” The remaining enemy was supposed to be a unit of mainly infantry and archers. There is no cavalry, and if there were, it could be reinforcements. But that’s impossible. “No way… my brother lost?” Then it occurred, he thought. “No, that’s not it.” Vile was quick to deny it. Their main force of twelve thousand should be attacking the Berg Fortress. Unless they are defeated, the enemy will not receive any reinforcements. “I heard that the enemy is the War Maiden, but…” It was only two days ago that he organized a detachment of troops to capture the Sixth Princess and arrived here. No matter how much someone is praised as the “War Maiden”, she will not be able to trounce twelve thousand men. But if they are not reinforcements, there is no way to judge the situation. Besides the confused Vile, the staff officer was flying instructions to each commander. “Return to the command of your respective units! Gather here when things settle down.” “Ha!” A commander tried to run away, but he fell to the ground. Beyond the corpse, a boy approached with a worn-out spear in hand. “Thank goodness… I was wondering what I would have done if the military council hadn’t been held.” Seeing the boy breathe a sigh of relief. “Hyiiii!” One of the staff members screamed and fell on his butt. Throwing away the old spear, the boy took the sword from the dead commander. “Yeah. It’s well maintained. It shows that he’s a man with a good work ethic.” When the boy――quickly swung his sword to the side, the head of the staff member who sat down fell off. The appearance of the boy in black who had been rampaging around the battlefield. The instilled fear will not be easily removed. And it made the faces of the staff and commanders of the various units turn grim and step back. “I can’t let you go. If we let you go, some people will be unhappy.” The boy changes his sword to a horizontal position and throws it. With a thud―it stabbed into the brow of a tearful staff member. A splatter of blood rises up, and seeing this, the others scream and try to escape. “I told you already. I won’t let you go.” However, the boy would not be missed. They became flesh and blood as they uttered a prayer for salvation. “Damn it!” All that remained was Vile, and he hurriedly fled into the tent. And the boy picked up a sword from the inner warp and came after him. “Kuku, I don’t know who you are, but you’re as good as a baby in front of this sword.” Vile’s smile deepened as he held the jewel-studded sword in his hand. “A… spirit weapon?” The boy shrugged his shoulders and swung his sword down on the wreckage of a nearby chair. Swinging down, again and again, the sword spilled over the edge of the inner warp. “…What are you doing?” Vile raised his eyebrows in disbelief at the boy who started acting out of the blue. The boy turned around, and in his hand was an object to be discarded that could not retain its appearance as a sword. “You know what? I learned from my brother-in-law that people could be cruel because they’re rational, and I was strangely convinced.” “What are you talking about?” “I’m going to ask you some questions, and I want you to answer them.” “I-I said, what the hell are you talking about?” Vile shouted out, feeling numb to the boy’s inability to engage in conversation. “I’d like to start with your fingers, but since I don’t have much time, let’s start with your arms.” The boy disappears from view. When the figure is spotted again, there is an abyss looking into Vile. Next, he looked at his arm in intense pain. A jagged blade, like a saw, was digging into his upper arm. “Aaaaaaaah!” “Question. Did you kill Dios-san?” “Gaaahh!?” He was kicked in the face, and his huge body was blown off. “Guuuhhh, s-someone… ――help me!” Vile let go of his spirit weapon and put his hands on his arms, writhing in intense pain. “Next, should we go with the ankle? Please, I hope you answer me before you die.” Vile looked up, and there was nothingness. No emotion came to mind. There was an inhuman being, something that made him wonder if it was even a person. He remembered that the frontline soldiers had gone insane and were repeating the same words over and over again. What they were muttering in unison was―”endless despair”. “P-please stop… I will surrender… It’s our defeat.” Brokenhearted, Vile rubbed his head against the ground. “Why?” “The regulations for prisoners of war under our bilateral agreements. Excessive abuse and killing of those who have surrendered――.” Vile’s words of explanation were interrupted midway by the dark-haired boy. “I don’t know. I’m not an Imperial soldier, you know. It’s none of my business.” “…Huh?” “More importantly, you haven’t answered my question. I don’t have time. Will you talk if I knock your foot off?” The boy comes up to him, talking nonchalantly. “Aghhh!” 

Sinking his blade into Vile’s leg, the boy let out an icy breath. “――Did you kill Dios-san?” As Hiro stepped outside of the tent, the sky in the east was beginning to lighten faintly. Under normal circumstances, he would have to strain his eyes to watch his step. But now, there was a place in a part of the wilderness that gave off an overwhelming light source that didn’t need to be. It was the camp of the Principality of Lichtine’s army. Now it was not only disembodied and cruelly destroyed, but it had been swept away by the flames. Many soldiers were burning to a crisp, and a peculiar odor clung to the nose, polluting the air. A riderless horse could be seen galloping around the area, and in the center of the hellish scene, a black-haired boy―Hiro―was staring at the wrecked tent. Then a horse runs up and comes to an abrupt stop beside Hiro. The girl who was straddling it jumped down, making her red hair dance. “Hiro!” The girl who jumps at him with a somewhat impatient face―Liz, examines Hiro’s body while touching him here and there. “Are you injured? Do you feel any pain anywhere?” When she began to touch his face, Hiro smiled bitterly as his cheeks turned red. “I’m fine. As you can see, there is nothing to worry about.” He raised his arms and twisted his body from side to side on the spot to prove that he was okay. Liz’s eyes softened, and she took a breath of relief. “Thank goodness―but why did you go alone!” A hand flies through the air with blinding speed. “Mugu.” She grabbed both of his cheeks with one hand. “Hiyaa, it can’t be helped.” “I have no idea what you’re talking about! I demand an apology!” The force sent from her slender fingers caused her jaw to start creaking. In the first place, there was no way to explain this, nor could he properly apologize for it. “From now on, you must tell me when you will charge into the enemy’s camp. I want to fight with you, too.” “Fuwaah.” Looking at Hiro, who obediently nodded repeatedly, Liz finally let go of her hand. While Hiro stroked his aching cheeks, Liz said, “Ah,” as if she had an idea. “Come to think of it… Hiro, you can handle a sword, huh?” The “Heavenly Emperor” was strapped to Hiro’s belt. Liz crouched down and gave it a price-taking look. “Huwaa~… Looking at it closely, it’s a beautiful sword. My “Flame Emperor” is also beautiful, but this one is really beautiful, right?” Liz pulled out her “Flame Emperor” and began to compare them as if she were appraising them. A greasy sweat was on Hiro’s forehead. He didn’t know how to explain it. No――there’s no way he can explain it, it’s now a lost sword or something great, and it’s a hero’s sword from a thousand years ago. There’s no way he can say. Eeee, how can I――and after shouting in his mind, Hiro decided to lie. “After I left Liz, I found something on the side of the road.” “Eh… you found this?” “Y-yeah. It was kind of beautiful, so I picked it up.” “Heee, I can’t believe you found this thing in the middle of nowhere, right near the small country of Baum.” “Y-yeah, that’s what I think, too!” Anyone would know it was a lie, but she seemed to believe him; he was not sure if she was really a pure person or a natural airhead. Moreover, she said, “I feel the power of a strong spirit… There is something special here… N-no, maybe it’s because of the Spirit King’s strong influence. Therefore――” she began to worry seriously. As for Hiro, the fact that Liz’s breasts are in full view through the gaps in her armor is becoming a problem. It may be that this is what they say about “One difficulty after another”. Since she is looking at the “Heavenly Emperor” while shaking her body, her breasts, however slim they may be, have changed shape enough to show their flexibility. The sweat on her soft white skin aroused his lust, and her figure made him want to let out his uncontrollable desire. Thinking this was no good any longer, he removed Liz from his sight and looked at the large shadow behind him. “K-kid… that must be a great view!” A muscular man, like a bear on a horse, covered his vision. He felt the heat cool down all at once. In his hand was a sword that glittered and shone. The reason why it is trembling is probably that he is desperately trying to suppress the desire to kill. “Y-you’re wrong.” “What was wrong? You’re an insolent man who has the princess on your knees and stretched out under your nose!” “I didn’t make her kneel!” “Shut up, you’ve been coveting your virtue since the beginning of our journey, haven’t you?” “You’re jumping the story! Wait! Please listen to me!” So Liz stood up and turned back to Tris. “I know you two are getting along, so calm down. Anyway, what’s going on with the war situation?” “Mumu… g-getting along? Your Highness, that’s not――.” “Tell me about the situation. Are we in enemy territory?” “Gunuh! T-thanks to that little boy, as you can see, there’s no doubt that we’re winning.” Hiro first instructed them to collect the horses that they had abandoned along the way. As expected, it was impossible to collect all of them, so they gathered about sixty horses, divided them into three groups, and launched an assault from three directions. Only a few of the lead men were on their horses. The rest had no masters on horseback, so they would sometimes run away in the middle of the charge. If it were daylight, they would be subjected to laughter and ridicule, but it would be no laughing matter if it were dark. The roar of horseshoes echoing in the silent wilderness, surrounded by darkness, gives the illusion of many people. The enemy soldiers were exhausted from the daytime battle. It was a surprise attack when they were unable to make a calm decision. There would be few soldiers who would be brave enough to face the skull-crushing horseshoes. “And there are only a few enemies who escaped by killing each other.” Hiro had a few infantrymen dress up as enemy soldiers and then took advantage of the confusion to sneak into the enemy lines and order them to attack. The miscellaneous soldiers were left in a panic as their commander was absent due to a military council. None of them wanted to die; they wanted to survive at all costs. That’s why the enemy forces, in a state of disbelief, would kill each other. The rest of the time, Hiro attacked the main tent so that each commander couldn’t stop the chaos. “I see… thanks for your efforts. Keep vigilant. There is a possibility that enemy soldiers may be lurking around. Once you’ve searched the area, gather everyone here.” “Ha!” Tris put his hand to his chest and ran through the camp with his horse. Liz, who had witnessed this, turned to Hiro. “How was it, Hiro?” “……” Hiro silently pointed a thumb at the tent that had been turned to ashes. “He’s dead?” “Yes.” “I see…” The silence between them fell for a few seconds before Liz spoke up with a troubled look on her face. “I don’t know. There’s a part of me that’s happy that my enemy is dead, and a part of me that feels empty. I don’t know what to do with these feelings…” “Someday… you’ll come to understand.” Just like me, Hiro muttered in his heart. She’s too pure, for better or worse. That sometimes produces cruel results. If Liz had been there, she would have accepted his surrender. Because of the heavy bonds of being the sixth princess, she would have stifled her own feelings. That was Hiro’s thoughts, and he didn’t ask her about her feelings. People may call this arrogance, thinking and judging things in a way that suits them. But he does not think it was a mistake to attack the main actor based on his own ideas. (You must bury the seeds of your misfortune as soon as possible.) In the midst of the dazzling sunshine pouring down from the eastern sky―a loud pang sound cut through the sad air. Hiro rolled his eyes and looked at the source of the sound―it was the girl with her hands on her cheeks. “Unh! Enough worrying about it!” Liz, who had closed her eyelids and endured the pain, said with a refreshed look on her face. “Hiro, we’re going to meet my uncle!” A single red flower is blooming in the wilderness. It is more precious and beautiful than any jewel. (I shouldn’t have worried about her… She was his descendant, after all.) Hiro smiled bitterly, but “First of all, I’ll give you my gratitude!” She jumped at the confused Hiro. “Eeh? Eeehh?” “Hiro, you made it possible for me to live. I’ll never forget this debt of gratitude!” A soft touch on his cheek, and when he realized what had touched him, her body moved away. “Please keep up the good work from now on!” “Ha… Yeah, leave it to me.” ――As one would think, you do look good with a smile. May 28, 1023, imperial year, two days after the nameless battle in the wilderness. Hiro’s group was running eight cells (twenty-four kilometers) away from the frontier city of Lynx. At the beginning of the journey, three hundred soldiers had accompanied them, but after repeated encounters with monsters and battles with the Principality of Lichtine, their numbers had dwindled to less than ten now. Even so, Liz’s waist continued to move forward, and Hiro had his arms around them. “When we get to Berg Fortress, I have to train Hiro to ride horses.” “No… I can’t ride them.” Even a thousand years ago, the first emperor Altius used to be a teacher and trained him day and night, but even though he could straddle them, he couldn’t even make them walk, and so he didn’t make any further progress. Since he always used a carriage on the battlefield, he never felt inconvenienced, but he might have to look forward to it. There were two reasons why he came to that idea. One was that Tris’s face was terrifying. The other was that the soft breasts would occasionally hit him. The latter was a particularly troubling matter for Hiro. A thousand years ago, he used to ride along behind the first emperor, but since the other party was a man, it didn’t cause him any strange feelings. But now the one in front of him was a woman. Although it seems that her breasts are not full enough, in the future, she will be known to the world as an immensely beautiful woman. (Why are they so soft… Is it because she’s an imperial princess?) As he was thinking a silly thought, Tris, the watcher, pulled his horse over to him. Of course, he doesn’t forget to glare at Hiro. It’s called a commitment. “Princess. Let’s take a quick break once we’ve gone ahead for a while.” “Yes. I’d like to know Lynx’s situation, and Cerberus seems to be having a hard time, and I’d like to give my horse a break.” Cerberus, who is running alongside them, is galloping along with his tongue, slackly lowered. “I’ll send a couple of men to check out the city. It’s not too late to go into the city when we hear the reports.” Originally, they should have been at Fortress Berg by now. But the unexpected events happened in quick succession, so it wouldn’t hurt to be overly cautious. “Let’s take a break in about two more cells. Is that okay with you, Hiro?” “I think we deserve a break right now.” It’s not because he’s tired or anything; it’s simply because his butt is sore. Compared to Hiro, Liz doesn’t seem to be suffering, and she looks cooler. Even though her bottom looks soft… he was almost checking to see if it was hard, when he caught sight out of the corner of his eye and shouted. “Liz! Stop!” They reacted immediately, and the horses came to a sudden stop. Tris and the soldiers trailing behind them were slow to notice and passed them before they stopped. “What’s wrong? Did you bite your tongue?” “It’s not that! There’s a kid being attacked over there!” He sounded impatient. “That’s not good! Where is it? Who’s attacking?” Liz’s head snapped around the area in a panic. “Over there!” Seeing the tip of Hiro’s index finger-pointing, the tension drained from Liz’s body at once. “That wasn’t a child.” “Eh? It looks like a human, but…” Was I mistaken? He repeatedly rubbed his eyelids at the thought, but out of the corner of his eye, something that looked like a child was being attacked by a bird species that was twice as big as a vulture. “Tris! I know it’s a little early, but let’s take a break.” “Ha!” Liz dismounted from her horse first and extended her hand towards Hiro. “You know, the one that looks like a bird is called a Geldem, and the one that looks like a child is a Goblin.” As he descended with Liz’s help, Hiro tilted his head to look at the Goblin. There were monsters a thousand years ago, but there must not have been any monsters that small. A small horn was growing on its head, skin-colored, round eyes, and a childlike face that gave it a charming look. It wore a green outfit with an upper garment and skirt in one piece, and in its hand, it held a twig and waved it at Geldem. “Shouldn’t we help it? I feel really, really bad about this.” Even from a distance, he could see that it was desperate. When it’s that small, it can’t even reach, and it won’t be able to repel enemies attacking it from the sky. Hiro, who looks on anxiously, is about to make up his mind to go to help, but Liz grabs him by the shoulder. “If you get too close, you’ll get caught up in it, so you don’t have to worry about it.” “Well, I guess I’ll have to get involved.” “No, no. You’ll know it when you see it a little.” Liz then sat down with her knees folded together on the ground. Tris instructed the soldiers, saying, “Go check on the city.” The two horses rode through the dusty, sparse grass wilderness. Hiro looked at the harassed Goblins, but as soon as he saw it clearly, his face turned pale. Goblins were coming out of the ground in rapid succession. One Goblin climbed onto the back of its companion, and then another Goblin jumped on top of it. That’s how a single pillar was formed and knocked off the Geldem with a twig. “What was that…” “Goblins were originally earth spirits. The spirit king apparently got mad at them for causing too much mischief and made them earth sprites on Aletia. They get along well with dwarves. I often saw them help out with blacksmithing.” The sight of them standing up to an opponent who is two times larger than their own body is impressive, and they are toying with their opponents with quick movements that leave no room for a counterattack. But because a twig was just tapping it, it was likely annoying at best. Actually, the Geldem did just look annoyed and didn’t seem to be in pain. At any rate―the Goblins are cute, Hiro thinks. “If you did jump in to help them, you probably would’ve been struck along with the Geldem.” “…Good thing I didn’t go. That looks like an annoying attack.” “Fufufu, yes. But the Goblins are scary when they stop using twigs.” “What do you say that?” “Hmm. Tris was almost dead because of it. Some people even call the Goblin’s attack the “Death Meteor”. It’s just as expected from a former spirit.” A blow that would be enough to take Tris’ life, that’s scary. When he felt a chill run down his spine, the Goblin threw down a twig and began to attack. But the sight of Geldem enduring it feels even more frightening. Eventually, the fight ended when Geldem couldn’t withstand the Goblin’s attack anymore and flew away into the sky. “By the way, the goblins are only female.” He heard a word that caught his attention, but the soldiers who had gone to check on the city returned just in time. They were accompanied by a small, neatly dressed, mature man. The man quickly dismounted from his horse and put his hands on his chest and got down on one knee, not caring if he got dirty. “Your Highness Celia Estreya, it is a pleasure to meet you for the first time. My name is Kurt von Termier. I am currently in charge of Margrave Grinda’s deputy in his absence.” Liz stands up and puts a hand to her chest in return. “My name is Celia Estreya Elizabeth von Grantz. The Emperor has bestowed upon me the rank of Major General.” Since she is the Sixth Princess, her graceful and interesting face is admirable. “Acting Lord Termier, where has my uncle gone?” “Margrave Grinda is in the Fort Berg. Four days ago, the Principality of Lichtine attacked us from across the border. According to the report, there are twelve thousand of them. And yet, thanks to the War Maiden, the situation remains as a stalemate between us.” Termier held out a single envelope to her. “He said, if his niece ever stops by the Lynx, give her this.” Liz took it and tore the sealing wax and looked through the sheet of paper. She nodded as she was biting her lips several times and looked at Tris. “…Tris!” “Ha!” The six heavily armed infantrymen, including Tris, fell to their knees on the spot. “We’ll head to Fort Berg. But first, let’s go to the Lynx for some rest.” After a few battles, they rode their horses to this point without sleeping. No matter how well-trained a soldier is―although there is no sign of that from Tris and the others’ faces, fatigue must have definitely set in. “Do you want to read it, too, Hiro?” “Is it okay to let me read it so easily like that?” He looks at Liz with a bit of a surprise. Although there are differences in content, this kind of personal letter is something that should not be shown to anyone. At least that’s what Hiro is aware of. But, nodding lightly, Liz handed the letter to Hiro. The contents of the letter are――. My beloved Elizabeth. I’m glad you made it to the Lynx safely. But we shall exchange a hundred words when we meet again. I’ll be waiting for you at the Berg Fortress. “Acting Lord Termier. What is the strength of the troops in the Berg Fortress?” “…The entire Third Imperial Army brought by the “War Maiden” is about 3,000 men.” “That’s a huge gap again.” It was a large army of twelve thousand against three thousand, so it was no wonder Liz had a sinking look on her face. Hiro almost sighed as he pondered what to do. Thinking about it, Hiro had no status in this world. If he were to say, he would be less than a commoner. If he hadn’t met Liz, he would have been lost on the streets. If such a person drew up a plan of action, there is no way it would be adopted. Besides, he’s a hero from a thousand years ago. And even if he said that, no one would trust him. (Liz might trust me, but…) Anyway, he planned to hold off until he could figure out the situation. When the time comes, he will think about it; it’s not too late to decide what’s best for the situation. When Hiro looked up above him, the azure sky was as clear as day, unaware of the human presence. Lynx’s frontier city, a strange city where desert and grassland coexist, is divided into the northern and southern districts. The South District, the entrance to the city, is located in the desert, and normally the streets would be crowded with street vendors, but due to the signs of war, no one has opened a shop. Even the lower class citizens who live here have shut themselves away at home. There are only a few people here and there in the inns and bars. In the northern part of the city, there used to be a stagecoach for the nobility. Now it is crowded with aristocrats who have packed up their belongings to avoid getting caught up in the war, creating a bleak atmosphere. From there, the road will lead you to the Margrave Grinda’s mansion. On the first floor of the mansion, near the passageway that leads to the baths, there is a room filled with the city’s history and the history of the empire. The square-shaped room is filled with bookshelves on all four sides, containing both old and new books. Books that didn’t fit in there were placed on the floor. In the center of the place, also called the library, a long desk, rugged and unadorned, stood like the master of the room. Underneath it was Cerberus’s figure, now hiding, not a majestic white wolf, but shaking his body like a puppy drenched in rainwater. A pile of books occupied the desk, and by the desk, one man was reading with his hips down to the floor. It was a black-haired, black-eyed boy with a face that could be described as both pathetic and meek―Hiro. “Huh… this is embarrassing.” Hiro put the book he was reading on the desk and then pinched it between his fingers to loosen his brows. It felt as if he was being shown a black history written in the eighth grade. Every book mentioned the first emperor, and of course, with him also in it, with his name that was called Schwartz. For Hiro, it was three years ago; for this world, it was a thousand years ago. They even made himself a deity, and just thinking about it makes his head hurt. “But, it’s weird…” Three years ago, at the age of thirteen, he should have returned to his homeworld, Earth, from Aletia. However, all of the lore says that Hiro is living out his natural life as the Second Emperor. (Who in the world is this Schwartz?) Hiro’s thoughts came to a possibility, but he immediately shook his head to weigh himself. ――That was a thousand years ago. No matter what he said now, it wouldn’t change. In an attempt to change his mood, he throws a glance out the window. The sunset clouds spreading out from the western sky were playing tricks on the sun that was floating in the background. With the light coming in through that window, he pulls out a card from the inside pocket of his uniform. It was given to him by the first Emperor Altius before he returned to his original world. “Well, it looks a lot like a spirit card, but…” The book has a list of pictures of similar cards, but they are not plain and not thick. He doesn’t know what on earth this is or how to use it. “It doesn’t look like the “Heavenly Emperor”…” The Spirit King’s blessing is an “Outer” power that exists outside the bounds of human wisdom. When Hiro looked at the empty space, a cracking sound was heard, and a crack appeared. A white hilt jumps out from there as if crawling out slowly. Looking down at the waist, the “Heavenly Emperor” handle disappeared as if it had been cleanly cut off. When he grabbed the handle that floated in space and pulled it out, the “Heavenly Emperor ” disappeared from his waist and appeared in Hiro’s hand. ――You’ve won the favor of the Heavenly Emperor. And then he remembered what Altius had said when he showed it to him. (…The spirit sword has a mind of its own.) With a wish, the “Heavenly Emperor” materializes through the gate between Aletia and the spirit world. As soon as he released it, it disappeared into the air just before it fell to the ground. As silence falls in the room, a stillness spreads like a ripple. Darkness quietly crept out of the room. The sounds of footsteps approach with a thud and a flashy sound. A little later, the door is opened roughly, and a red-haired girl enters, looking angry. “Cerberus! I know you’re here!” “Bufuh!” Turning towards her, Hiro was startled to the point of spiteful astonishment. Cerberus hid behind Hiro’s back with his pointed ears snapping up. “Hey! Come here. Or at least wash your feet.” Liz approached and reached out to Cerberus, but the wolf only snarled menacingly. Looking into his eyes, they burned as if he had met his nemesis. He was firm in his will not to move an inch. “Geez! Why do you hate the baths so much!” “Uh… sorry, Liz, I’m sorry to interrupt, but do you have a minute?” “What?” “Well, uh, why aren’t you wearing your clothes?” “To get Cerberus in the tub. I’d get wet if I kept my clothes on. That’s why I’m taking it off. And I’m properly covered up with a towel, so it doesn’t matter.” “No, you know what… that’s not good.” It was true that the towel hid only the most important part. It was extremely difficult to judge, but Hiro turned half-eyed to avoid looking as much as possible and only focused his gaze on her face. That was a pity for his eyes, but for once, he had no choice. “Cerberus-san, can you go to the bath for me?” He had to do something before Tris arrived. As expected, there’s no excuse for this situation. Forcing his arm around the wolf’s body, which refused by shaking his head dexterously, Hiro handed him to Liz. “Hey! Don’t go crazy!” Her towel danced down due to the wayward Cerberus. She didn’t seem to notice and turned her back just like that. “……”‘ Hiro couldn’t say anything, his narrowed eyes widened. A rush of power, which he had never felt even with the Spirit Sword, was gathering in his lower body. At the same time, he forgot to breathe in, and his face turned red in a flash. ――Oxygen. It’s the most important thing for people. It could be said to be essential to life. “Buhah!” Hiro was finally able to come to his senses by remembering how to breathe. And from the open doorway, there was a presence watching Hiro. ――It was Tris. What floats on his face isn’t anger or sadness; it’s something very strange. As Tris slowly approached, Hiro got down on his knees with an immediate decision. “Please. I only ask you to save my life.” “Kid, I need to ask you something.” “I’ll do anything I can to help you… so please spare my life.” “Life? What is that… what have you been saying for a while now?” “…Huh?” “Are you listening to me?” Hiro’s face turned down. He realized that the conversation wasn’t engaging. Apparently, Tris’s appearance wasn’t about Liz being naked. He was glad he realized it on the way. If he had continued the conversation as it was, he would have confessed on his own. Hiro looked up with a mended smile on his face. “W-what can I do for you?” Tris looked dubiously at Hiro’s strange behavior, but he immediately fumbled with his mouth in a way that made it hard to say. “Well… Nah. There was a lot going on the other day, so it was a bit of a blur.” As he expected, it wasn’t about Liz. Inwardly, he breathed a sigh of relief and listened to Tris’ words. “Let me ask you a simple question. Kid――what exactly is your true identity?” “What do you mean…” The faint sunlight reflects and glistens, and a cold blade snaps against his neck. “Depending on your response, you could lose your head.” “……” He can see in Tris’s eyes that he’s serious. “I have trust in you, kid. I’m indebted to you for saving us from the stench of death. But I couldn’t turn a blind eye to such a demonstration of power.” “Well, you’re right.” “I’d lay my hand on my benefactor if it would be harmful to the princess. So think it over.” Hiro gulped down his spit and cleared his throat. I’m the second emperor. If he said that, his head would probably roll on the floor. But that doesn’t mean he can tell he’s from Earth, too. His head would still fall off if he said that. As Hiro was pondering how to respond, Cerberus came running into the room with astonishing speed. His appearance is the same as when he was taken out by Liz―in short; he must have escaped. “It’s okay. I’ve changed my clothes so I won’t let you in anymore!” Liz came into the room too, grumbling and complaining, and――. “Tris! What are you doing!” She noticed Tris pointing his blade at Hiro and ran over to him. Just like that, she hugged Hiro’s neck and pushed him down, then looked up and glared at Tris. “I don’t know what happened, but that’s indeed too much!” “Your Highness…” “Silence. And put your sword away.” In a noncommittal tone, Tris dropped to one knee with his sword sheathed. Liz’s body leaves with a faint sweet scent. “Tris. Explain to me exactly what happened.” “Liz. Just in time for you to hear something.” Hiro also sat up and stood between them. “What?” “――About who I am. I’m sure you’ve wondered about that.” “If you don’t want to tell me, that’s okay. I don’t care if you don’t want to.” Seeing her eyes swim, Hiro hesitated a bit before patting her head. Hiro chuckled at Liz, who looked heartbroken, like a child who had been separated from her parents. “It’s fine. It’s just that I felt like saying it.” “…Okay, fine. I’ll listen to what Hiro has to say.” “It’s not as complicated as it sounds――.” After a beat, Hiro muttered. “I’m a descendant of the second Emperor.” “…Huh?” “…Nuh?” If he were to be honest about everything, he would have to tell a story from a thousand years ago. But, they had to leave tomorrow, and there was no way he could explain it in half a day or so. So he decided to lie simply. “If you ask me for proof, I’d say it’s the color of my hair and my eyes. It’s just a genetic inheritance.” “……” “……” Hiro continued, wondering at their silent reaction. “By the way, I think I was allowed into the Anfang Forest because of the bloodline of the second Emperor.” “…Hiro. Do you know what that means?” Hiro tilted his head at Liz, who asked with a serious look on her face. “Eh, what do you mean?” “If that were true, then Hiro would be the heir to the throne.” “Not true. I’m just a descendant.” “You mean, the War Hero?” “…Yeah. I guess, but…” “Then you’ll be the last of the Imperial Family. Maybe.” “Why?” “Because the first emperor left the last request.” “The last request?” “Yeah. What a weird request, huh?” Liz looked at Tris, who was silent. “If anyone claims to be a descendant of Schwartz, make sure it’s at the Spirit King’s Temple. If he is, give him the status he deserves. The Spirit King will curse those who violate this last request. And―.” ――Altius… What were you doing? He’s a smart man. He may have had an inkling of what was going on. Maybe he made sure that no inconvenience would arise whenever Hiro returned to the era. However, he was a terrifying man to have predicted that he would call himself a descendant. “So, you could be a member of the Imperial Family. Are you happy?” A smile appeared on Liz’s mouth as she wrapped her arms around him. If Hiro hadn’t been so insensitive, he might have sensed that she was in love with him. He might have realized that it wasn’t love that arose from different social standings. But Hiro made a drawn-out smile at the unexpected turn of events and asked Cerberus for help, asking for any advice he could give him. As if he was rooted in what happened earlier, he was ignored as Cerberus pouted and turned away. “…Fumu, I guess that’s all right for now.” With an unconvinced expression on his face, Tris stands up with a feeling of disapproval. It’s no surprise that answering his origins doesn’t explain the mystery of his power, but with Liz in front of him, he has no choice but to put up with it. “But then again, I didn’t know Hiro was a descendant of the second emperor. Well, I guess it’s a bit of a shame you weren’t a spirit.” He wanted to tweak it, wondering if he was still going to pull that stuff out, but there were more important things to do. “Um, could you please not tell anyone that I’m a descendant of the second emperor?” “I know, I know. We’re not in that situation right now, and some things are bothering me, too…” “Yes… thanks.” Though he brought this on himself, his lie had made things even more complicated. This may be what they mean by a crafty schemer drowning in their own scheme. He sighs at the fact that nothing goes his way with his life in this alternate world. Hiro’s mind raced desperately with thoughts of the future. Berg Fortress is surrounded by wilderness. The nearest village is a day’s walk away, and two days away by horse is the frontier city of Lynx. Although it is said to be the southern frontline, the two countries of the Principality of Lichtine, which utilize its slavery system and the Great Grantz Empire, have not even had a skirmish for many years, and it could be said that their relationship is good. Therefore, although the Berg Fortress is well-maintained, it is unreliable and not very robust when looking at a long-term battle. On a small hill far from such a fortress―the Lichtine army was stationed on it. There was an air of easygoingness in the air that made it hard to believe it was wartime. Although some of the guards were standing, most of them were sitting on the ground and indulging in banter. The opponents were only three thousand, and the Grantz’ army was confined to a vulnerable fort that would break if they were struck. Perhaps it was only natural for them to think they had won. A horse gallops through the soldiers who seem to be able to drink out of such liquor. The person on the horse has a red cloth wrapped around his arm, which is the proof of a messenger. The messenger jumped down from his horse in front of the tent for the commander of the Lichtine army and rushed to the entrance. “Let me pass now! It’s an emergency!” “No. Even if you are a familiar face, I still have to do a physical inspection.” Two soldiers stood in front of the messenger. With a hint of annoyance in his voice, the messenger said, “We don’t have time to talk. Something terrible has happened!” The two soldiers on guard looked at each other as if they were confused by the messenger’s words. “I understand. But don’t say that you haven’t been properly checked out.” The soldier on guard shrugged his shoulders and turned his body to the side. The messenger immediately jumped into the tent. There were several men inside. Everyone cast a quizzical glance at the messenger. Normally, he would have been kicked out, but perhaps because he was in a hurry, the messenger opened his mouth unabashedly. “Three thousand detached forces have been destroyed! Vile-sama, despite his strenuous efforts, was killed in battle!” The place was abuzz with the information the messenger had brought. “Shut up.” Just a shout. With that alone, the place was quieted. Maybe it’s because of the unusual anger mixed in with the sound of the voice. Rayhill Lemaire Lichtine. He is the heir and next in line of the Lichtine household. “What happened to the spirit weapon my foolish brother had in his possession?” He was more concerned about what happened to the precious spirit weapon than his brother’s life. There are no spirits in the Principality of Lichtine. Hence, they cannot obtain spirit stones. It’s not impossible to buy them if they put up a lot of money, but the exchange is the decline for their country. “Perhaps it’s in the hands of the Sixth Princess.” “Wha… what a mess. That idiot.” Although he was only training his body and was not very smart, Rayhill didn’t expect his little brother to lose by leading three thousand troops. According to the information that was brought to him, the Sixth Princess was only capable of holding a few hundred men. Could it be that… he was caught in a trap?” Rayhill glared at the information source, the hooded man. “What is it? Do you have something to say to me?” “You said three thousand would be enough to capture her! And that the Sixth Princess only has less than a hundred guards to protect her!” “You don’t mean to tell me that I’ve brought you false information?” A killing intent shot out of the man in the hood. Rayhill backed away from the pressure. “N-no… I didn’t say that. There must have been a mistake…” “I also told you not to underestimate the Spirit Sword. Although the Sixth Princess has yet to be handled, the original Flame Emperor could slaughter thousands of enemies.” “So… doesn’t that mean she has mastered it?” Rayhill asked, and the man in the hood shook his head. “I don’t think so. But it’s something to be concerned about.” The man in the hood thinks about the situation. And Rayhill sits back in his chair. The plan was just to capture the Sixth Princess and hand her over to this man. After that, all they had to do was secure the slaves in the Margrave Grinda’s territory and return to their home country. (Should I not take the deal?) He has known this hooded man for a long time and has exchanged a few letters with him over the years. Recently. He sent him a letter saying, “If you capture the Sixth Princess, I will give you a hundred Grantz Gold Coins and two Spirit Weapons as a reward for your success.” He refused, of course, as he didn’t trust him. However, after repeated requests and advance payment for one spirit weapon, Rayhill immediately persuaded his reluctant father to gather the troops. (Above all, it was tempting to say that the Fourth Imperial Army would not move.) It was also written to indicate that no matter how much they rampaged in the Margrave Grinda’s territory, the Great Grantz Empire would not retaliate against the Principality of Lichtine. (If we were to retreat now… it would leave us a bad taste in our mouths.) After making a decision, Rayhill turned to the man in the hood. “Is the Sixth Princess really not drawing on the power of the Flame Emperor?” “Yeah, I don’t think she did. I assure you.” The man in the hood nodded. Rayhill confirmed. “So, the Fourth Imperial Army won’t be moving either?” “Are you so unsure of my word?” The man in the hood laughed, his throat quivering. Rayhill hissed in frustration. “Of course! Not only have we lost three thousand soldiers, but we’ve also even lost our spirit weapons!” “Then I’ll tell you something.” With a shrug of his shoulders, the hooded man took a weapon from behind his cloak and placed it on the desk. It was a spirit weapon decorated with gold and silver. “If you capture the Sixth Princess, I’ll add another one on top of that. I’ll also give you two hundred gold coins.” Rayhill stiffened at the reward, which was too unreasonable. Then the hooded man’s hand reached out to him. “And I’ll give you this too.” The man in the hood had a round ball in his hand that looked like a nut. “What’s that?” “Well, drink it. It’s a miracle that will unlock the power of your spirit weapon.” Never heard of such a thing. Rayhill tilted his head as he received the round ball. “It’s not poison, is it?” The hooded man snickered when he looked at him skeptically. “I suppose that’s what medicine is all about. If you don’t trust it, throw it out.” Rayhill looked at the spirit weapon on the desk and then lifted the edge of his mouth. “I trust you.” He threw the round ball into his mouth and swallowed it. Next, he looked down at his own body. “‘Really… will it work?” “I think it will take three days for the effect to work.” “Hmm. Is that so… then I should attack the Berg Fortress in three days?” “Yeah, that would be great.” The man in the hood said and stood up. “Then, I shall excuse myself.” Before leaving the tent, the man in the hood turns around once. “If you disappoint me―you know that, don’t you?” When Rayhill gasped and looked at the entrance, the man was no longer there. On the 1st of June, 1023, in the imperial year, when the Sixth Princess and her party reached the Berg Fortress. There was no sign of a siege by the enemy, and the Principality of Lichtine’s army was simply setting up their positions at a distance and glaring at each other. Tris gave a signal to the soldiers on guard, and the iron gate was opened. Once inside, what caught their eyes was the central square. It is mainly treated as a training ground for the soldiers, and when looking to the east, there are the officer’s quarters, while looking to the west, there is a row of tents where the soldiers settle. The central tower, which housed the operations command center, a large bathhouse, and the mess hall, stood triumphantly to the north. Guided by the soldiers, Hiro and the others stepped into the central tower. After walking up the spiral staircase, a short distance away, they would reach the operations command room. On the west wall of the room was a map of the central continent, and next to it was a map of the world. There were chairs for ten people in the center of the room, placed across a long desk. A golden lion crest flag on a white background and a rose crest flag on a brown background was erected by the window overlooking the central square. When Hiro and the others appeared, three men and a woman inside stood up from their chairs and saluted them. The first to approach was a graceful gentleman with a beard. He wore well-kept armor and hugged Liz with a clattering sound. “Good job on reaching here safely. You’ve grown up after not seeing you for a while.” “Long time no see, uncle Grinda!” The two of them were happy to see each other again. As Hiro smilingly watched them, he noticed a clinging gaze and turned his head to see a dainty girl standing there. Her thin, supple silver hair glistened in the sunlight streaming in through the window. Her face was small, and her eyes were hollowed out, reminiscent of a small animal, making one want to protect her. Her bangs were cropped long enough to hide her eyebrows, further contributing to her youthfulness. Perhaps it was the leaden color of her eyes, or perhaps it was her expressionlessness that gave her a cold impression. She was even shorter than Hiro, who was aware of his short stature. She wears a blackbased military uniform, but the sleeves are so long that her hands are hidden from view. She was wearing a military uniform so large that the word “Baggy” suited it. (I wonder if she’s a soldier. I think she’s too young for that.) In her left hand, she was holding a book that looked familiar. Hiro tried to remember it, but his thoughts were interrupted as the girl approached him. “…Who are you?” She said with a blank expression and a dazed look. The girl seems to be looking at Hiro, but not looking exactly at him, and she wears a strange atmosphere. “W-what a fool…” He heard a grunt. Next to the place where the girl was originally from, a handsome man with brown hair was looking at them with a surprised face. (What is it…?) As Hiro tilted his head and wondered, his uniform’s sleeve was tugged on, causing his eyes to return to the girl again. “…Who are you?” “My name is Hiro. And I’m a commoner.” “Hiro… Hiro… Hiro? HiroHiroHiroHiro.” Hiro smiled bitterly at the girl who started to mumble and call his name. Please stop saying people’s names as if it were an animal’s cry. “…I see.” The girl nodded and fumbled through her long sleeves before holding out her white hand. On it was something wrapped in paper. “I’ll give it to you. The Second Emperor Manju.” [T/n: Manju = Japanese steamed cake.] “…T-thank you.” He was surprised that there was such a thing as a manju in this world, but he accepted it. Warmed by human skin, it’s a bit hard to eat. It might be a reward for a certain kind of human being…, actually, the handsome brown-haired guy was glaring at Hiro with a force that was about to make him shed blood tears. If he asked for a handshake, a blade would likely pop out. In front of the bewildered Hiro’s eyes, the girl put her hand on her chest while hanging down her long sleeve. “Trea Luzandi Aura von Bunadara. My rank is Brigadier General. Call me Aura.” “How courteous…” Hiro bowed his head while taking an interest in such a reliable child, and then he raised his head and looked at the girl seriously. “…What?” “Um, can I ask you a question?” “I don’t mind. What is it?” She tilted her head back with a big smile on her face. It’s an expressionless but endearing gesture. “Are you the rumored War Maiden?” “Yeah.” She answered immediately without hesitation. Besides, being called the War Maiden is just like a trivial thing for her, but her face seems to have softened a bit, and she became proud. The girl was once known as the “War Maiden,” and she admired her nickname. The youngest person to be selected as a member of the Third Prince’s staff, and a prodigy who serves as chief of staff at only seventeen years old. How could she be so small? To begin with, Hiro was surprised that she was older than him. (So this girl was…) While Hiro was taken aback by the unexpected fact――. “Oomph!” Aura disappears from sight with a voice like an old man. When he followed it with his eyes in a hurry, he found Aura being pushed down and being rubbed on her cheeks by Liz. “Aaw, So cute! What is this? It’s so soft!” “……” “So this is the War Maiden. Amazing! I might have lost before this overwhelming cuteness!” “………” With a depressed look on her face, Aura let herself go to Liz. He wasn’t sure if she didn’t resist because Liz was an Imperial Princess, even if she was depraved, or because it was a hassle, but Hiro decided to stop Liz since Aura didn’t seem to like the situation. “Liz. She doesn’t seem to like it, so stop it.” “But, she’s so soft!” Oh, I guess I have no choice, then. Hiro muttered and stepped back. It’s not that he was scared because of the bloodshot eyes or anything. ――Sorry. So don’t look at me like that, said Hiro inwardly. He apologized inwardly to Aura, who was looking at him with a resentful face and then decided to leave it until Liz got bored. Then the gentlemanly uncle comes to Hiro’s side. “Hello. I believe you’ve heard about me from Liz, but let me introduce myself.” The uncle extends his hand, and Hiro grasps it back. It looks thin, but it is obvious that his hands are lumpy and not lacking in training. “I’m Luzen Kiork von Grinda. I’m the margrave of the Grinda territory. Feel free to call me uncle Kiork.” “I’m Hiro. Well, I think I’ll just call you Kiork-san.” How could he call such a dandy person an uncle? Kiork muttered quietly, “It seems it’s still early,” but Hiro didn’t hear him. “Excuse me.” And after being rejected by Hiro, Kiork turned his steps to Cerberus and Tris. As if to replace him, a handsome man with brown hair appears in front of Hiro’s eyes. “…The tension here is bursting at the seams because of you guys. Well, there are 12,000 opponents, so it’s probably better than getting weirdly worked up, but all sorts of things are ruined.” The handsome brown-haired handsome man held out his hand with a huff and a snort. Hiro squeezed the brown-haired man’s hand, which reacted like a tsundere. “I’m Lawrence Alfred von Spitz. A viscount and a second class military officer. I’m currently an aide to Aura-sama. You can call me Spitz-sama.” The Great Grantz Empire’s military officers are mainly in the military sector, and there are also civilian officers and administrative officers. The first, second, and third ranks are the higher officers, and the fourth, fifth, and sixth ranks are the lower officers. By the way, Tris is a third-class military officer. “…I’m going to call you Spitz then.” “Well, I don’t mind either way.” “Yeah… alright.” Hiro thought he was the type of guy who would be desperate to ask him for calling him out with an honorific, but it seemed to be different. He was just a little less mature, that’s what Hiro thought. “How could I, a nobleman, be offended by a commoner?” He said it in a sarcastic tone, which made Hiro retract his previous statement. “Ah, right… I’ve got something to say to you, the assistant.” “What is it?” “Shouldn’t you be helping Aura?” “I’m a nobleman of the Great Grantz Empire. You might not know this as a commoner ―but how can I give Her Highness an order?” He crossed his arms in a pompous manner and said pathetically. “And look at the two beautiful maidens intertwined. I am satisfied with that alone.” This guy doesn’t have an ounce of tension, Hiro thought. Anyway, after successfully pulling Liz away from Aura, each of them settled into chairs along with the long table. Liz was the first to open her mouth. “Why is the Third Imperial Army’s War Maiden here?” Liz tilted her head slightly and asked, and oddly enough, Spitz stiffened himself and swept his eyes with a hint of laxity. Hiro narrowed his eyes at Spitz’s behavior and watched his every move to make sure he didn’t miss anything. “L-let me explain that――.” Spitz stood up vigorously, but a long sleeve was smacking him on his face. It was the work of Aura, whose sleeves hung slackly. “I will tell them. Lord Spitz, please just sit down.” “Y-yes…” With unearthly intimidation released, the strength left Spitz’s knees, and he sat down in his chair. Aura, who was next to him, stood up, took a small breath, and turned her attention to Liz. “I’m here to capture Your Highness.” Did anyone hear the sound of the air being cracked? A strange noise that occurred in a room filled with silence. It must have sounded deep, but it could have been disposed of as just noise. However, there was only one person who noticed it. It was Hiro, the one who carried the abyss. The space in his hand is cracked, and a small light-emitting pommel is sticking out. Depending on how the opponent comes out, he will pull out the “Heavenly Emperor”. The expression on Hiro’s face said that, but that opportunity never came. “But I have no intention of doing so. Don’t worry.” The tension passed from the scene at once. The next to speak was Liz’s uncle. “…Well, there were a lot of things, but we decided to hold a truce. The reason for this is, as you know, because the Principality of Lichtine attacked us. Shamefully, I only found out about it because Count Bunadara informed me about it.” Once the words were cut off, Kiork continued. “I was surprised. They waved the white flag to prove that they would no longer fight. As soon as I wondered, a messenger came to me and told me that the Principality of Lichtine was acting suspiciously.” “That’s natural. We don’t have time for family quarrels.” Aura interjected. “That’s true… even if we’re not on the same page, the Great Grantz Empire must always be monolithic in external enemies’ faces. There are some who don’t fit within this framework, though.” And I gave the War Maiden a failure mark, added Kiork, proudly. Aura raised her eyebrows irritably and said, “We didn’t even fight, so we didn’t lose.” She puffed out her cheeks. It’s an indescribably cute gesture. Hiro gave a wry smile. Liz, sitting next to him, also sent a passionate gaze to Aura, perhaps because she had something to think about, but after a while, she put her finger on her chin and tilted her neck. “Huh? Speaking of which, uncle, what happened to the Fourth Imperial Army?” “…I’ve sent them several letters, but they haven’t responded.” Kiork, responding to Liz’s words, looked around the room, and suddenly muttered. “Come to think of it; I don’t see Lord Dios, however.” And then the air changed. Not noticing the change, Kiork continued. “He was supposed to have gone to Fort Alto to pick you up, Liz… could it be that you didn’t meet him?” Seeing Liz with a somber face, Kiork seems to have realized his blunder. However, the words that were uttered cannot be undone. Tris raised his brows and jumped in in an attempt to break the awkward atmosphere. “There was an ambush by the forces of the Principality of Lichtine near the small country of Baum. At that time…” “………I see.” Kiork’s shoulders slumped as he rested his back against the chair. Kiork must have known that three thousand separate troops of the Principality of Lichtine’s were heading in the direction of Fort Alto, but seeing Liz safe, he might have thought that Dios would be safe as well. “I’ve sworn to meet him again, but…” When Hiro looked at Aura’s face, she too seemed surprised and rolled her eyes. “That ‘Ogre’…?” Aura muttered quietly. Kiork also exudes regret. “If we hadn’t missed the enemy’s separate forces…” Spitz, Aura’s aide, responded to this line. “Now is not the time to talk about ‘those.’ We indeed let the other side pass by unchallenged, but it would be suicidal to chase three thousand separate troops with our backs against twelve thousand.” Everyone agrees on this. If they abandon this fortress and pursue the enemy, they will not only be caught in the rear, but they may be caught in the crossfire. The first step is to defeat the twelve thousand men and then pursue them, but that is not a task that can be undertaken easily. “But Your Highness has taken care of the 3,000 detached troops.” Aura continues. “The enemy would know about it by now. We know they are very cautious. The fact that they are not attacking us is proof enough.” Hiro nodded. The opponent would know that Liz had entered the Berg Fortress. As for why they weren’t moving, one would have to wonder if they were still upset that hundreds of soldiers had defeated their number of three thousand, or if they were unable to move due to some other factor. “We don’t have much time left, but it looks like we can prepare for a lot of things.” Several ideas popped into his head… Hiro wasn’t sure how to convey this. However, the hesitation was immediately dismissed because Aura said with a quiet fighting spirit. “…Now it’s our turn.” A small fire lit aura’s leaden eyes. Kiork straightened his posture and asked her. “Do you have any good ideas?” “We’re coming out of Fort Berg.” “We have only 3,000 men over here. We won’t win if we fight them head-on.” “Margrave Grinda will remain in the fortress with Her Highness, just in case.” Then two thousand troops alone would have to deal with a large army of twelve thousand. Hiro thought he heard wrong, but seeing her aide, Spitz nodding proudly out of the corner of his eye, it doesn’t seem to be the case. Kiork sighed deeply. “That’s absurd. We’d be better off fighting together.” “It will be fine. Just leave it to me.” Aura did not shake her head. Then, he tried to convince Aura many times, but she continued to refuse stubbornly. Hiro somehow realized Aura’s intentions. For one thing, she couldn’t coordinate with Margrave Grinda’s soldiers. There is a difference in skill level, and above all, it is the cavalry that she has brought with her. In contrast, Margrave Grinda’s soldiers were mainly made up of infantry. It would be important to fill in their weaknesses without destroying each other’s strengths, but it would be reckless since they had never even trained together. The next thing he could think of was that it might be her own way of apologizing. Maybe she feels guilty for causing unnecessary confusion in Margrave Grinda’s territory. As such, Kirok gave up on persuasion and decided to have another meeting tomorrow, and the military council was dismissed. (Well, I doubt she can be persuaded.) Aura may be stubborn, but she’s probably also possessed with a strong sense of duty. Hiro smiled bitterly and took off his uniform and threw it in the basket. (Even so, I’m surprised they have a bath here.) A bathhouse existed in the basement of the central tower of Berg Fortress. It seems to be mainly used by the officer class. Moreover, surprisingly, it seems to be springing from the underground, so it appears to be a hot spring. After washing his body and submerging himself in hot water, Hiro let out a sigh of admiration from his mouth, and then――. “Wow, there’s a lot of steam.” “It looks hot.” He heard some familiar women’s voices. Hiro shuddered his shoulders and looked back behind him. It wasn’t just Liz’s unclothed figure; Aura was there too. “How’s the water? Isn’t it hot?” Liz approaches happily. “……” Aura’s cheeks twitched as she noticed Hiro, and her face was red from shame. “Yes, it’s just right. We need to pour some water on our bodies first~.” Liz bent down, put her hands in the tub, and started pouring hot water over her body happily. “Why are you here?” “I just wanted to take a bath.” “No, that’s not what I’m asking. I’m in it now.” “Yeah. So I thought I’d go in with you.” He felt like having a hunch that she no longer thought of Hiro as a man, but that was not the case. When he looked at Aura, unlike Liz, she desperately tried to hide her body with her hands while her face was reddened. “Hello… Aura wanted to take a bath, too?” He tried to call out to her, but there was no answer. Out of the corner of his eye, Liz was dipping her body into the tub. “Mmm, it feels so good~.” And when she came up next to Hiro, she poured the hot water over him, saying, “Eiii, eii.” No matter how much steam there was, he could still see what he could see. “Come in, Aura, you should come in too. It feels so good.” Aura looked at Liz with a look that said she couldn’t believe it, but she decided to make up her mind and jumped into the bathtub with a long jump. “Hey! You have to pour hot water on your body first!” Liz’s misplaced attention is flown. (If Liz is a cat, then maybe Aura is a dog.) Hiro thought as he splashed by the water. ＊＊＊ The next day――As one would expect… Aura could not be persuaded, and Hiro and the others gave up and were on the roof of the Berg fortress’s central tower. This place is where they can get a full view of the battlefield, but the hot sunshine is a drawback. They are sweating whether they want to or not. To distract his mind, Hiro looked down from the rooftop to the central square and saw three hundred cavalry horses and seven hundred infantry lined up neatly near the main gate. If anything happened, they would be on standby to come to the rescue at once. On the other side of the iron gate―there was an army of two thousand led by Aura in a strange formation. “Hey, is everything okay…?” And then a worried voice sound emanated from next to Hiro. When Hiro turned his face to the side, Liz looked down at the ground with an anxious face. “I still think it’s best for us to stay in the city.” “No, that’s a bad idea. This fortress is hardly robust from the outside. It could easily fall off if exposed to enemy fire for too long.” “Can’t we wait for the Fourth Imperial Army to arrive?” “It’s a difficult point. In the first place, we don’t know if the Fourth Imperial Army is really coming. You shouldn’t expect too much.” “I see~…” Liz’s face fell down in disappointment, but she immediately looked up. “Well then, can’t we fight with Aura together? I think it’s better to give them a little bit of a win probability.” “Margrave Grinda’s soldiers and Aura’s soldiers have different skill levels. If they fought together, they could be a drag on the battlefield. But if they fight separately, they will only be destroyed individually.” “It’s complicated.” “Not so much when you have the same number as your opponent, but this time, as you would imagine.” But it would be extremely difficult to defeat twelve thousand with just two thousand. If the commander were incompetent, they would be wiped out instantly. But when Hiro looked at Aura’s strange formation below him, the corners of his mouth hung up and a smile formed on his face. The two thousand soldiers were all made up of heavily armed cavalry. There were five in a horizontal line with one hundred men as one, and three behind them, including the main force of five hundred as one. It would be a fool’s errand if they charged at this point, but… (I see…”Trident” formation, huh…) Seeing the old formation, Hiro felt that he was indeed back in Alethia. The battlefield began to move as the first wave of troops began to act. ＊＊＊ From north to south, two thousand black horsemen were slowly advancing. They are the “Imperial Black Knights” led by Aura, who is claimed to be the most elite of the Third Imperial Army. The horses are wrapped in armor that raises dust. It was completely wrapped up to its head in strong iron. The bodies of the knights wearing heavy black armor on top of them are all huge like bears. With the wind blowing, the sword and shield emblem flags fluttered on the purple ground. A battle cry filled with tension was delivered from the enemy’s position. It was not unreasonable. At a young age of seventeen, Aura is the Chief of Staff of the Third Imperial Army and is known as the “War Maiden.” There was already no one in the Central Continent who didn’t know of her existence. The enemy forces had left their archers on the front line, waiting for the Imperial Black Knights to approach. A sneer appeared on their faces. Naturally, their enemy was made up of the only cavalry. Moreover, they were heavily armed cavalry with no mobility. A large number of arrows shot out from the enemy’s bow and instantly covered their vision. There was no way to know what scene appeared in the other side’s mind, whether it was the enemy dying, or the arrows that were being blocked by armor and shields and breaking off cruelly. Aura smiled. She thrust her left hand up. A drum beat, and the entire army came to a halt. Arrows rained down in front of the soldiers in the front line. Surprisingly, none of them hit. “Now is the chance―vanguard.” She raised her right hand to the sky and swung it down. Three drums sounded, and the front line galloped out of the wilderness, kicking their horses in the belly as they raised their steel shields. The five units stretch vertically to form five lines. Bows were fired from the enemy, but their aim was poor, most of them piercing the ground, and if they did hit, they were blocked by the shields. Then shoot the horse. But the horse is also covered with armor. If so, there is no other way but to aim at the eyes or feet, but the enemy squad leaders are confused, and their attacks are lackluster. “Aura-sama. I’ve passed on instructions to each squad leader.” Next to Aura, who listened to the roar of the horseshoe, it was Spitz who pulled his horse up next to her. “Then advance without being noticed by the enemy.” “Ha!” Spitz held up two fingers and waved his arms to the side. Each squad leader made sure of that, and the rear line began to advance. The fact that they are wearing horse armor and are heavily armed doesn’t mean that the arrows won’t hit the soldiers. They would inevitably hit if they took a few strikes. A few of the advance teams fell to the ground and became targets for enemy arrows. Seeing this, Aura sniffed unhappily. “We’ll make our next move. Prepare the drums.” “Ha!” Spitz raises his right arm, and the cavalrymen in the rear prepare to drum. “We’ll take the initiative before they regain their composure.” Aura spread her right arm out to the side. Two drums were struck twice, and two flags were raised. Then the two units joined together and began to run in a circle to the edge of the enemy’s left-wing. If they could distract and confuse the attention of the enemy soldiers to the rightwing――. “Next.” Aura spread her left arm out to the side. Two drums struck twice, and four flags went up. Two more units joined together, and it headed for the edge of the enemy’s rightwing. “The end.” The long sleeves swam in the wind as Aura clasped her hands together. Five drums were drummed, and five flags were raised. “Take them.” The last unit charges into the center of the enemy. At the same time, the attack began from the left and right flanks. The enemy forces tried to lower their archers, but they could not do so in time and fell prey to the spears of the heavily armed cavalry. Aura sees an opportunity in the confused enemy lines. “The whole army charge.” She pulled out the sword at her waist and released it and raised it high in the heavens. The spirit weapon is reflected in the sunlight. It looked so beautiful. Seeing the figure of his goddess, Spitz pulled out his sword and unleashed it. “All troops, charge! Victory to our War Maiden!” “Uooohhhh!!” The heavy-armored horsemen replied by striking the hilt of their spears against the shield. Hearing this, Spitz rushed to the front of the line, and the five hundred horsemen followed from behind with an overwhelming sense of intimidation. The rear and left and right wings, like the front line, were distanced from the main force in a circle to make a pincer attack. The front line met up in the enemy’s ranks and pushed forward towards the enemy’s main line like a single spear. One thousand five hundred horsemen are approaching; the enemy soldiers on the front line will be aware of it. Still, with a large army of twelve thousand, the transmission of information will be delayed. ――Clash. Many enemy soldiers show their backs, where the jaws of the five hundred of the main force bite into them. An enemy soldier is crushed and dies with blood splatter. It’s as if a muddy stream washes away the trees, quickly destroying the walls created by the people. It’s just a matter of thrusting forward on the path cut by the vanguard, and the wings on either side were also kicking out the enemy to join the main force. “Keep pushing forward to the enemy’s main line like this――huh!?” Spitz shouted and then looked next to him with a surprised face. “Lord Spitz, there’s no room for error. Do you want to die?” This was because Aura, who was supposed to be in the main camp, was peacefully straddling the horse. While lightly waving her spirit weapon and slaughtering the enemy soldiers, Aura was getting ahead of him. “What are you doing! It’s dangerous here!” “I have a spirit weapon. I’m stronger than Lord Spitz now.” “That’s true, but! We don’t know what’s out there! You have to turn back now――.” Spitz looked back and noticed that it was already filled with enemy soldiers, not very many, but it wasn’t enough to break through by Aura alone. The left and right flank had already joined up, and all that was left was to join the advance team and overrun the main enemy line. “Don’t ever leave me, please don’t ever leave me!” Having come this far, he has no choice but to go through with it. Besides, at least their morale will be boosted. The War Maiden is with us; there is no way we can lose. The joy from the soldiers could be felt. At that time, Aura’s cheeks were drenched, and she looked up at the sky with her eyebrows raised. “…Not good.” The sky had turned black. The sun, which had shone so brightly, was beginning to erode. The lukewarm wind carried the scent of the enemy’s death as well as the signs of rain. Meanwhile, the central tower of the Berg Fortress. The people on its rooftop also felt something strange in the sky. Crimson hair danced in the wind that was getting stronger. Liz holds her hair with one hand and turns to face Hiro. “Aura and the others are amazing… I wasn’t expecting them to reach the enemy’s main camp.” Liz pointed to a trident that would bite into the enemy’s side. Hiro nodded in agreement. “That’s right. It’s a different way to go, but I think they did a good job.” “Really?” “If it were true, they would have to pry open the center of the enemy’s side with infantry before they could do so. But Aura pried it open with her cavalry. It’s not easy to imagine. If things go badly, they’ll be wiped out.” If the numbers on one side are overwhelmingly small, this is not the first warfare method one would choose to use. This should be more of a tribute to a well-trained soldier than a compliment given to her. After joining up without any disruption, the rush without hesitation, and the explosive power comes from it. After that, when the enemy was distracted by the front line and turned away, Aura’s leadership was brilliant. It was an incredible sight to admire. This is something that can be said because they are an ally, but there is something irresistible to the enemy. “Can they win?” “If things continue to go well, I think they’ll win.” He doesn’t talk about his anxiety. At least things are going well now. They would continue to strike into the main enemy camp, take out the enemy general, and then leave as is. The only thing left to do is to lay waste to the miscellaneous soldiers who have fallen into a panic, but there was something that Hiro was concerned about. (Depending on the military strength of the enemy general…) In the past, when he used this strategy, there were fierce fighters who were known as the “Five Black Heaven Generals.” It was because they had stood at the forefront of the battle that they could succeed in this strategy. Whether or not there would be that many fierce men in Aura’s camp. (Besides…) When he looked up at the sky, even more anxiety washed over him. In less than a moment more, the sky will begin to cry and wet the ground. The heavy cavalry that is just less mobile, their destructive power will be halved on the rain-soaked ground. When Hiro looked down at the battlefield, the enemy line had been torn apart from the center by the “Imperial Black Knights” led by Aura. It is reminiscent of a black dragon ascending to the heavens and captivates the viewer. “Liz. In the meantime, could you tell Kiork-san just to get ready?” If something happens, they should be ready to rush to the rescue immediately. People inevitably create gaps in their lives, no matter what the situation. If something unexpected happens, it will be noticeable. A cornered enemy will not miss it; no one wants to die, after all. “All right.” Liz agrees without saying a word. In her current position, she has no choice. “Thank you. Please.” Hiro muttered a word of thanks before watching her back as she went to Kiork. When he looked up overhead, he saw gloomy shadows and stormy clouds hanging low. ＊＊＊ The battlefield was in turmoil. Even though it was only mid-morning, the high rising sun was obscured by clouds. Below them, the army in the field was being pushed by a group of black horsemen many times inferior to them. The sound of horseshoes hitting the earth trampled the screams of the enemy. A single black line was closing in on the enemy’s main camp. However, its speed gradually slowed down as small grains poured down from the cloudy sky. Before too much time had passed, the large grains of rain had gained momentum and penetrated the ground, thoroughly crushing the “Imperial Black Knights” momentum. The brown-haired second-in-command, Spitz, opens his mouth to his superior officer who is running together. “Aura-sama! What should we do?” “The enemy general is right before us. We will take his head and withdraw. We will escape all the way to the Fort Berg.” “Is that our only option…?” “I will not fixate on it. If it seems impossible, we will withdraw immediately.” “Ha!” Aura looked at the enemy’s main camp to locate the enemy general. The visibility is not good because of the rain, but she desperately scrutinizes her eyes to pull off a victory. She doesn’t even look at the horse armor as it bursts away from the enemy, but just focuses on the enemy’s main camp. A soldier pointed at her with a panicked look. A soldier’s face is drawn up in fear. A soldier waiting with a beastly expression on his face. None of them are the ones she wants. Taking everything out of sight――. Her eyes succeeded in catching it like a flash of light. “I’ve found it. Follow me!” Unusually, Aura raised her voice. Not only that, she heroically raised her spirit weapon and kicked her horse’s belly. Spitz was appalled, gasping for breath. However, he quickly regained his composure and chased after Aura with all his might. He switched from his sword to his spear. “Imperial Black Knights! Follow Aura-sama!” He shouted as much as he could. The knights replied with a spirited attack instead of a voice. They slaughtered the enemy infantry around them and buried the next enemy’s blood flying high in the sky. Aura could feel the spirit coming from her back. She could feel the heat building up in her hands, which were cold from the rain. Blessed by the blessing of the spirit weapon, Aura cuts down the enemy soldiers protecting the general. The enemy soldiers began to keep their distance to avoid being trampled by the horseshoes. They are only soldiers who were drafted. Barbarians who come to other countries seeking slaves. They have no cause and no ambition. There is no room for such people to trample the territory of the Empire. “I dedicate this victory to His Majesty Schwartz.” Aura’s spirit weapon flashed. The enemy general’s face was filled with astonishment and despair. The blade of Aura’s spirit weapon bit into his neck. An eerie feeling was felt in her hand, and at the same time, she used the momentum of her horse to swing away. The enemy general’s head rolled across the ground, tangled in the mud. The figure, which is only big, falls down. Aura, who witnessed the event, raised her spirit weapon high into the sky. “I’ve killed the enemy general!” Cheers erupted from her allies behind her, and agitation exuded from the enemies around her. Aura’s face tightened as she stifled her delight and seemed to loosen up. “Lord Spitz! Collect the head at once!” There was no point in just killing the enemy general to end this war. If his death were hidden, they would have to continue to deal with nearly 10,000 enemies. They must hurriedly recover the enemy general’s head and inform the entire battlefield. “Wha―!?” Aura’s eyes widened in astonishment as she turned around behind her. This is because she saw the enemy general who had lost his head stand up peacefully and pick up his own head. Aura’s entire body was filled with fear. He was no longer human, moving with the loss of his head. Aura’s decision was quick. The word “Withdraw” immediately flashed in her mind. Her throat tightened, and a scream-like voice came out of her small mouth. “Viscount Spitz! Withdraw―?!” Aura couldn’t scream until the end. This is because the enemy general, who tied their necks together, jumped at Aura with his specialized weapon in hand. She quickly brought forward her spirit weapon and repelled the enemy’s attack, which makes a high-pitched sound, and Aura’s body floated in the air. And then vigorously rolled on the ground, covered in mud. Her horse lost its head with its entire iron armor and fell on the side, splattering blood from where it was cut off. The viewpoint of the man staring at Aura, who had stopped moving, was not fixed, and he opened his mouth while staring into the void. “Don’t get carried away, little girl!” He approaches Aura with a large stride, with a fancy sword decorated with jewels on his shoulder. “Aura-sama!” Spitz rushed over and thrust his spear out from his horse, but it was caught between the big man’s sides. “Wha-!” As it was lifted up, Spitz was knocked to the ground. Simultaneously, a splash of water splashed out loudly, but it is an insignificant change in the pouring rain. “～～～～～?!” 

The enemy general slammed his heel into Spitz, who was struggling to breathe. A large number of fresh blood spurts out of Spitz’s mouth as he is repeatedly struck down. In order to save the second-in-command who was about to be killed, a heavily armed horseman practiced a spirited assault. “Uraaaa――!” “Small-fry!” The enemy general thrusts his sword into the face of the soldier in the blink of an eye. An unconscious soldier tumbled off the back of his horse. The death of one brave soldier saved Spitz, but he was unconscious and rained down on his back, which caused the blood to spread across his face. That’s when Aura finally stood up unsteadily. Her left arm, held by her right hand, was hanging down, and mud was dripping from the cuff. Her arm is broken. The look of pain dominated expression on her face is probably the best evidence of that. “…Spirit weapon?” Aura looked at the sword in the big man’s hand with eyes that couldn’t settle on a fixed point of view. (If so… what the hell is wrong with this man?) There is no blessing in a spirit weapon that can heal the wounds of a human who has been beheaded. If there is such a miracle, is it a spirit sword inhabited by a spirit―or, (Or even the five great treasure swords… but that’s a spirit weapon by all accounts. Not that powerful.) While she was thinking, the enemy soldiers were encircling Aura. The “Imperial Black Knights” are drawing a circle to threaten them and keep them in check. But they can’t hold it for long. No matter how much of a threat the horsemen are, they are too slow in the rain. Moreover, they are outnumbered. Besides, nothing is easier to hunt than an enemy gathered in one place. The advantage they had just had was completely lost. The enemy general moved both eyes separately and looked around. The creepy gesture made Aura feel nauseated. “Seeing how the soldiers have not abandoned you, you must be the War Maiden, huh?” The enemy general’s purple lips split into a crescent shape, and his teeth peeked out. “Fuumu… It’s a pity that you’re not to my liking. But I’ll still take you with me. I’m not a demon, either. You will be released when I get a lot of ransom.” When the enemy general waved his spirit weapon, the blade cut through space and sent raindrops flying away. “Ugohh!?” The soldier who boldly stood against the enemy general to protect Aura is slaughtered. “After the soldiers use you as a plaything, that is!” To rescue their Lord, a platoon of the “Imperial Black Knights” is coming towards them. They would not let the enemy’s single finger touch Aura, and with a spirit that would make them think so, they attacked the enemy general with a furious force. “Your Excellency! Just a moment, please! We will lead the way at all costs!” “Fuhaha, how courageous. Those who want to die come at me first. I’m stronger now that I have a spirit weapon.” Aura couldn’t believe her ears at the enemy general’s words. This was because although the spirit weapons certainly gave a great blessing, the power felt from the man was never something brought by a spirit weapon. However, an unbelievable scene unfolded in front of Aura’s eyes. Even though his wrists were cut off, his chest was pierced, and he had lost his legs, the enemy general did not flinch and killed the “Imperial Black Knights.” “Oraa! Next! Come on! I will not let anyone beat me!” “Don’t step back! We will make sure to save Her Excellency!” Aura’s subordinates continued to fight, raising their voices without fear, even if their comrades were slaughtered without mercy. “Zeaaahh!” “Agaahhh!” The last soldier was pierced in the chest and fell off his horse. “Fuh―haha… haha… This is tiring indeed.” The enemy general looks up above his head, shakes his shoulders, and begins to breathe in. There is a pile of corpses in the vicinity, proving that a platoon of the “Imperial Black Knights” has fallen to their deaths at every turn. The wounds on the enemy general’s entire body are all fatal, but the injuries are closing up as he looks at them. Aura pointed the spirit weapon at the enemy general and questioned him. “…What is it about that unearthly power you possess?” “You mean this spirit weapon?” No spirit stones have ever been found in the Principality of Lichtine. One of the reasons for this is that the whole area is a desert. However, there are many beautiful oases and places where spirits seem to live. However, people gather at those places to live. For spirits who prefer a quiet place, there is nothing but pain for them. Above all, the spirit does not like the bleak atmosphere of the slave states. Although it is possible that they could have bought it from another country, the Principality of Lichtine doesn’t have the budget for it. The reason being that a single spirit stone would be enough for the commoners to live on for the rest of their lives. Unlike spirit swords, spirit weapons are consumable items that will eventually break. They can break after a few battles. If they are forged in the wrong way, they will turn into mere stones on the spot. Although the power of spirit stones is attractive, it’s better to improve the soldiers’ equipment than to spend the state budget on such things. Hence, even in the mighty Grantz Great Empire, the only people who possess spirit weapons are the imperial family or those who are linked to them. “Although I’m interested in how you obtained the spirit weapon, I’m even more concerned about the “power” of yours.” “Don’t talk about things that don’t make sense. And what do you get for buying time like this?” “You really don’t realize your own condition, do you? No, even if you are aware of it, you don’t think it’s anything out of the ordinary.” “I can’t have a proper conversation with you. No more talking; otherwise I’ll kill you. And look around, your soldiers are getting caught!” The area was turning into chaos. The “Imperial Black Knights” are beginning to be dragged down from their horses. They immediately stood up and struggled, but they were outnumbered. They were surrounded and reduced in number one by one and then again. The blood overflowing from the fallen heavy cavalrymen’s wounds is mixed with mud and discolored. “It will soon be time for you to gasp in pleasure. I’ll be playing with you until then!” The enemy general swung his sword to her. Aura caught it with her spirit weapon, but her small body was blown away lightly. She fell from her shoulder to the ground. And then the enemy general’s kick stabbed her in the side. Before she could grunt, her mouth was blocked by mud, and she continued to roll on the ground once, twice, three times. When she finally stopped, life was nearly gone from her. “Aagh…” Her subordinates are fighting, and as a commander, she can’t give up easily. It inspires her. But when she tries to get up on the ground with her hands, she immediately loses strength from her elbows. As she dipped her face into the puddle, Aura noticed what was flowing from her eyes. Is she crying? She thought, but she couldn’t tell because of the relentless rain. The enemy general is approaching. He grabbed Aura’s hair carelessly and made her look up. “What is it, you’re about to lose consciousness? You might be happier that way, though. You’ll be dealing with countless men from now on.” “………………” “Don’t worry; we will treat you gently so we can collect the ransom. So we’ll deal with you just enough so you don’t die.” “………………” Aura doesn’t say anything. She just turns her leaden eyes. When the enemy general let go of her hand, Aura’s head was slammed into the mud. Then he removed his gaze as if he had lost interest and picked up Aura’s spirit weapon that had fallen nearby. “I captured the “War Maiden” and got two spirit weapons. My foolish brother wasted one of them, but it’s still enough to make the change.” He hadn’t noticed. No―there was no way he could have noticed. “I must thank the man.” The enemy general spread his arms as if to express his joy. At the same time, Aura’s spirit weapon fell to the ground with his wrist. “Hmm? What is it?” A tremendous amount of blood gushed from the spot where he had lost his wrist. However, he didn’t pay attention to it. His eyes were drawn to the single spirit weapon that appeared in front of him. “…That’s the… spirit weapon I gave to my foolish brother? Why is it here?” Something strange was happening behind the enemy general who was watching in amazement. There is a white light snaking through the battlefield filled with a large army. It was as if it was flying through the sky, and “it” was closing in on the enemy general. It’s worthy of the name lightning swift. There is no other word for it. The radiance of the drawn sword that cuts through the dark and stagnant despair――, ――The “white thunder” gushed over the ground. The time goes back a little while ago――. A strong wind was blowing, and heavy rain was slapping the skin. On the roof of Berg Fortress’ central tower―dozens of men and women there were unable to utter a word. They were feeling suffocated as if the heavy air was adding pressure from all sides. The red-haired girl next to Hiro, looking at the battlefield, raised her shapely eyebrows in concern. “Hiro, isn’t this bad…?” “No, they still have the momentum there…” The enemy’s side is in disarray, and the only thing left to do is to defeat the enemy general. Although slowed down by the sudden rain, the “Imperial Black Knights” led by Aura have not lost their momentum. (There are about 8,000 enemies left, huh…) The current situation is also an opportunity for us to catch up with them. There are only a thousand people on this side, but the enemy is completely distracted by the Imperial Black Knights. By hiding in the heavy rain, they should be able to delay the enemy soldiers from noticing us. Even if they realize it, the chain of command should be in disarray with all that chaos. ――We should strikeout. I looked at Liz when I decided to make that decision, but she was no longer next to me. That’s because she was already running up to Kiork. Judging from the fact that she was desperately talking about something, she might feel the same way as Hiro. Seeing that Kiork nodded and sent instructions to the soldiers, Hiro turned his attention to the battlefield again. “Did they take them down?” The “Heavenly Spirit Eye captured the signs of victory coming from the battlefield”. But then the black dragon, split in two as if it had hit a large wall, began to draw a circle in the main enemy camp. “…Why don’t they leave?” Hiro puts his hand on the wall and leans up and strains his eyes. He could tell that something strange had happened. But there is a mixture of information, and he cannot capture the exact information. (I guess I have no choice but to go.) There is no time to hesitate. Climbing the wall, Hiro reaches the brink. Far below, he can see the soldiers moving in a hurry. It’s a height where he can easily die. “Fuh…” After taking a breath, Hiro made up his mind and stepped out into the empty space ―and fell. “Hiro!” Liz screams in surprise as she sees Hiro falling from the top of the tower. The sound of rain quickly drowned it out, and Hiro didn’t even notice. (…If I had to take the stairs down every single time, I wouldn’t make it.) Gravity pulls him down to the ground. He felt as if his organs were being pushed upward. Hiro summoned the “Heavenly Emperor” on halfway. As soon as the pommel head appears underneath his feet, he uses it as a foothold and leaps. He summons it again and leaps through the air. On the ground, soldiers could be seen jumping out of the gates one by one, heading for the battlefield. Liz and the others would be using the stairs to make their way to the surface by now. Hiro landed on the ground after jumping over the gate a step ahead of them. There was a groan from the allied soldiers who had come out of the gate. There was no time or need to bother explaining it to them. With the silvery-white sword in hand, Hiro kicked up the ground. It was as if he was running through a sunny meadow, running through it smoothly without getting caught in the mud. When he reaches the battlefield filled with enemies, he looks around for an opening. This is the path that the “Imperial Black Knights” did their best to pry open. After finding a large gap, Hiro charged at it. “I’m in a hurry!” A flash of light struck the back of the enemy blocking his path. Before the blood splattered, it reaped the life of the next enemy and opened the way. Ordinary soldiers would never notice. The enemy soldier’s head is flying off when the flash of light passes by. With the shining sword, Ordinary soldiers die off before they can recognize it. “What the hell are you?!” The enemy squad leader notices him and swings his sword down at Hiro. “Fuh!” He ducked and then slashed at the side. The enemy squad leader’s sword snapped in half from the center hand; the blade fell to the ground. Simultaneously, the silent squad leader became a corpse and was buried in the mud. The enemies around him were in an uproar. Rushing ahead, Hiro again runs out and leaves the enemy unsettled. Thanks to the blessing of the “Heavenly Emperor,” this speed is impossible for an ordinary person to achieve. By running through the gaps, he was finally able to catch Aura’s figure with his eyes. Looking at the girl covered in mud and collapsed, Hiro’s eyes were filled with silent anger. As Hiro wished in his heart, the space in front of him cracked open in response. A single spirit weapon emerged from the crack, colored with gems. Without hesitation, he picked up the hilt and threw it. The sharp blade sliced through the air and slashed off the enemy general’s wrist. Hiro instantly crushes the distance between him and the unsettled enemy general to get close to him. Before he was noticed, he flashed the “Heavenly Emperor” to the side. “Gugoohh―!?” The feeling of the neck being severed from the bone remains in his hand. It’s a surefire way to bring death to the enemy general. “But… why is he still alive?” Hiro stopped and turned to the enemy general as if to ask him a question. “Who are… you?” Hiro is a sudden intruder. It’s no surprise that he gives Hiro a questioning look. Hiro ignores it and looks at the enemy’s neck. He confirmed that it was connected. “…If I cut you again, I’ll see if I can figure it out.” Hiro pointed his “Heavenly Emperor” sword at the enemy general. “You don’t intend to tell me your name, huh? But I’ll tell you my name. I think it’s important to know the name of the person who killed you.” The enemy general smiled ferociously. “Rayhill Lemaire Lichtine. I am the next Prince of the Principality of Lichtine!” Reyhill, who announced himself, swung his sword, a spirit weapon, vertically. Hiro received it with his “Heavenly Emperor” and flicked it back. A spark is flashed between the two. “I’ve been pushed back…?” Rayhill, who had backed away from the force, tilted his head back, and a question mark appeared on his face. He then took a glance at his own hand and then looked at Hiro. “…What is that sword? A spirit weapon?” “I don’t have obligations to answer you.” Hiro was inwardly surprised. This was because his opponent’s physical strength was beyond his imagination. Although he pushed him back, Hiro has taken two steps back from his original place. “Kuku, hahaha, good. You don’t need to say anything! After I kill you, I’ll take a closer look at it.” Rayhill approached Hiro, swinging his sword carelessly. Hiro kicked the ground. Keeping up the momentum, he twisted and spun his body and dove into Rayhill’s chest to side-leave the “Heavenly Emperor” with vigor―but he was easily caught, and a tingling sensation returned to his hand. Delight spread across Rayhill’s face. “You are indeed formidable. But all you have is only speed.” With a grin on his lips, Rayhill swung his sword with force. However, Hiro’s body, who tried to repel it with the “Heavenly Emperor,” floats lightly. (The power is even greater than before!) If someone were watching this fight to the death, they would think that the boy would be blown away. However, Hiro deflected his sword blade to the side to catch the force and then jumped back to open up the distance. Hiro was trying to take control of the situation, but when he turned his gaze forward――. “――!” Rayhill was right in front of him. “Gurraaaahhh!” “Kuh!” A few moments after he stooped down, a storm passed over his head from right to left. After dodging the attack, Hiro thrusts out the Heavenly Emperor, but Rayhill kicks the blade, and the tip of the sword points towards the heavens. As Hiro’s arms were raised, a large opening was created in his arms. “Kid! It’s over!” The sword blade that made the air creak as lightning has locked onto Hiro’s head. However, it was blocked by two swords that appeared tearing through space. “W-what?!” The two spirit weapons were stored in the spirit world through the Heavenly Emperor a thousand years ago. The two spirit weapons that have done their job have disappeared from this world, and there is nothing left to stand between Hiro and Rayhill. “What’s that?!” Rayhill’s confused expression appeared on his face, not understanding what had happened. “Now!” Without any obligation to answer, Hiro thrusts out his “Heavenly Emperor” sword. “Don’t make light of me!” It only resulted in a shallow slash to Rayhill’s side. (His reaction time is increased too.) If it’s the Rayhill of a while ago, he wouldn’t have been able to dodge it… He gets the feeling that something is off. (And what is that extraordinary recovery…?) The wrist he had cut off was regenerating, and the wound on his side from earlier was instantly closed. (A spirit weapon shouldn’t have this kind of blessing.) It is possible that the spirit weapons of this era may have evolved, but there is no spirit weapon that gives such a blessing, at least in Hiro’s memory. (Perhaps…) Hiro remembered something, but Rayhill interrupted his thoughts. “Do you find it strange? Did you think you’d killed me for sure? That’s stupid!” Rayhill, who placed the sword on his shoulder, pointed to the “Heavenly Emperor” that Hiro held. “I don’t know what that sword is, but I know that’s either a spirit weapon or one of the five great swords. At any rate, the blessings from this weapon will enhance one’s physical abilities tremendously. But the rest depends on the strength of the individual. So――.” After a pause, Rayhill continues. “Don’t get too excited after cutting down some small-fries, kid! When a strong man like me appears, a weak man like you will be exposed! If your original power is weak, then “that” is just a “useless treasure”!” When he finished, Rayhill’s body transformed, his back swelled up, and his arms became even thicker. The “cause” of the strength of the enemy general―finally crossed Hiro’s mind. “I see…” “Huh?” Hiro slammed the “Heavenly Emperor” into the enemy general’s shoulder and cut him down. “Fuhahaha, that won’t work!” Rayhill didn’t feel the pain, but he swung his sword down with a distorted face in amusement. Catching it with the silvery-white blade, Hiro glared at Rayhill in as if he’s struggled to compete with him. “What you said earlier is correct. But, you know, your power right now――.” “Urraaaaaa!” “Agh!?” Rayhill’s kick sunk into Hiro’s solar plexus, and his body was blown away. He rolled on the ground, unable to breathe as he was hit by the intense pain that seemed to tear his entire body apart. Hiro finally stopped as he collided with an enemy soldier who was rampaging on the battlefield that becomes a turbulent battle. Slowly getting up, Hiro had no longer the cold expression on his face from earlier, but a boyish, human-like expression that was appropriate for his age. “…I don’t want to know why you took in the “demon”…” The spear tips of the enemy soldiers who had noticed Hiro’s presence floated around menacingly. After looking around at them, Hiro spoke up as if it didn’t concern him. “But you see, once you knew how to use your power, you didn’t have to rely on that thing.” As soon as Hiro waved his left hand to the side, his sword stabbed into the chests of “all” the enemy soldiers surrounding him. Every enemy soldier has a question on their face, but without knowing the reason, they spat out a clot of blood and clattered to death. The battlefield was in chaos. On the front line, Grinda soldiers led by Margrave Grinda were struggling. In the center of the enemy’s main camp, Hiro was engaged in a fierce battle with the enemy general. No―it could be said that Hiro was unilaterally attacking him. A single spirit weapon that appeared after cutting through space. With its hilt in his hand, he slashed Rayhill and instantly moved to the blind spot. Then, the space at his hand split open, and a new spirit weapon appeared. After slashing with it, he vigorously stabbed the two spirit weapons casually. As it was, he kicked the earth and went over Rayhill’s head―landing behind him, bringing out a new spirit weapon, and piercing Rayhill’s back. ―All of this happened in the blink of an eye. From a third party’s point of view, one would only be able to see the white and silver afterglow stretching in all directions, like a spider’s web. Furthermore, Hiro’s attacks were unstoppable, and the spirit weapons were thrusting into the massive body of Rayhill at a furious pace, splattering blood onto the ground. Rayhill was struggling in agony as he let out a scream. “Ooooooooohhh!” There were no wounds on his arms, legs, or chest that weren’t fatal as far as he could see. And yet, Rayhill was still alive. A black and evil aura clung to Rayhill, repairing the wounds in the blink of an eye. The spirit weapons that were stuck in the middle fell to the ground and then disappeared. There was a sense of discomfort from the beginning. And Hiro had seen it all before. “…The Fallen One, huh?” It’s a name for the “fools” who tried to capture the power of spirits. A thousand years ago, a king, out of curiosity, crushed a spirit stone into a special formula called “Seimamaru” and gave it to one of his soldiers to drink. It is said that when he gave it to one of his soldiers to drink… nothing happened at that time, and the king was disappointed. Then in the middle of the night, when everyone was asleep, the man began to suffer. The man’s appearance changed, and he lost his reason and became a monster. The patrolmen, who noticed the change, were the first victims, and then the monster that devoured the king indiscriminately killed everyone in the castle, whether young or old. The confusion was exploited, and the country was annexed by another country, and Hiro was involved in the battle. “How foolish you are… once the spirit’s “demon” has invaded your life, you’ll never be able to return to normal.” Indeed, the blessings of the spirits may be appealing. But that doesn’t mean that it will be too effective if you take it into your body. It is not a power that can be contained in a human vessel. It doesn’t fit into a human body. But even so, Hiro remembered that there was no end to the number of people who had descended into the fallen ones. The kings of the countries that were about to be destroyed would drink the “demon” to get revenge. There were even people who used this “demon” to kill in the dark ages. However, not everyone has lost their reasoning, and there are those who can endure it on rare occasions. There were those who were able to surpass humans in physical strength while maintaining their sense. The people call humans who have endured the demons as: Demonkin――. However, Rayhill’s body, which was already two times larger than Hiro’s, had swollen right before his eyes to now stand at six times his size. He can no longer be called a human. He’s more like an Ogre or a Gigas, or something close to that, a “monster.” (But that’s a failure.) As soon as Hiro raised the Heavenly Emperor, the monster began to move. However, it doesn’t move towards Hiro but instead begins to attack the soldiers of the Principality of Lichtine. “Hyiiii―Gyaaa!?” One swing of the arm―the wind pressure that arose blew away five of the Principality’s soldiers, and the trampled ones splattered their brain cells on the ground. “What the hell is that?” “Attack! There is a monster!” “Gugyaa!” “Where is His Excellency?” Despite the chaos, the Principality of Lichtine’s soldiers begins their attack. The monster’s rampage is such that it kills every single one of the Principality’s soldiers. What’s more, the Principality of Lichtine doesn’t realize that the monster is Rayhill. There’s no sign of Rayhill former self from the monster, so maybe it can’t be helped. Those with bows and arrows in their hands, those who bravely stood up to it, and those who turned their backs on it with tears in their eyes. All were buried by the monster’s hand. People died as easily as if they were trampling ants. On top of that, the situation frustrated the hearts of the Principality of Lichtine soldiers. And then a fire broke out in the rear of the main camp. “N-no way.” “Hey, seriously… that place?” “There’s the logistics…” “You mean that it’s burning in this rain?” A scream came from the enemy soldiers. When Hiro looked at the blazing flames, he immediately knew it was Liz’s doing. In this heavy rain, only the Flame Emperor was able to do such a thing. It would be fair to say that the victory was already decided. After losing their commander and logistics, all that was left was to retreat or surrender. But this is not a situation where they can surrender quietly. If they drop their weapons, they will be killed by the monster. If they had a commander’s grade, they might still be able to recover, but Hiro’s hands had killed most of them. The only path left for them was to drop their weapons and run away desperately. “Retreat! Let’s get out of here! We can’t do this anymore!” “I-I’ll run, too.” “Damn it, wait! I’m coming with you!” No one wants to die; no one wants to fight recklessly. They immediately set off running towards their own country. Looking down from the sky, it was like an avalanche, heading towards the Principality of Lichtine with great force. Hiro did not follow after them. It was because there were other things he had to deal with. Hiro closed his eyes and regulated his breathing. The way he clutched the hilt of the “Heavenly Emperor” with both hands and held it up reminds one of the second emperor’s statues. His bangs sway as the monster roars. Hiro quietly looked at the monster and leaped. It is not unusual for “monsters” to be found in Alethia. It might be said that they are in abundance. They vary in strength, and if they are large enough, then they are to be defeated by a group. If someone were to take on the challenge alone, people would surely sneer at the recklessness, especially if they are soldiers who have received various training. But no one laughed at the boy. The “hero” who bravely fights against the monster is no one to be mocked. The boy’s name in the battle is Ouguro Hiro. Also known as Herth Ray Schwartz von Grantz. He is the “Hero” himself, who was praised as the “War God” in Alethia a thousand years ago. Nowadays, he is a “mythical” hero from legend. After conquering the neighboring countries, he returned to his old world, but he returned to the other world. A silver sword is in the hand of the boy who stepped out of the myth. It is a lost sword that has not been recorded in the lore. One of the five emperors of the Spirit Sword―the “Heavenly Emperor.” Both the sword’s peak and hilt are pure white and beautiful as if covered in snow, and the sword blade shines as if it were dotted with countless twinkling stars. “Kuh.” A huge fist passed by Hiro’s nose. The wind pressure sent his several bangs flying through the air. Hiro twisted his body and shook the “Heavenly Emperor” casually. Blood splatter rose from the monster’s arms. But the split wound was instantly closed. There is a creature that will not die, no matter how hard it is slashed. What would a person do then? Most would probably try to run away. However, there would be rare for a person who would stand up to it. Hiro is one of the latter. In his mind, escape is not an option. There was no fear or impatience on his face, but there was irritation. (It’s still slow! Still not enough!) Craving for it. Not quite the same as it once was. This is not enough to stop the monster from breathing. “Whirlpool!” He wields the Heavenly Emperor in frustration. A giant arm flies up into the air. If it were a human being, it would have been a fatal blow. However, the opponent is a monster that has captured the spirit’s “demon” despite itself. Although the spilled blood reddened Hiro’s face, he still accelerated without fear. “Damn!” It’s been three years of blanks since he returned to his original world. It could be said that Hiro, who had been enjoying peace, had definitely weakened. But he didn’t want to use that as an excuse. Because of the experience he had cultivated up to that point, the important things to him were still there. (I don’t want it to go to waste.) Every knot in his body screamed. Gritting his teeth, Hiro endured. After many battles, the boy’s body was reaching its limits. Even so, Hiro continued to slash. A flash of silvery-white light disappeared as if sucked into the monster. Each time the monster’s blood dyed the earth, a roar filled with pain made space tremble. (You were there. You were all there. That’s why I kept winning.) He kneels on the ground and slams his hands down on the earth. (…Everyone is gone now.) Countless spirit weapons appeared around the monster. With the monster rattled, the Heavenly Emperor tossed the weapon high into the air above the monster’s head. ――I’m going to find victory for the sake of the history you guys have left behind. Hiro closed his eyes and began to breathe. Seeing Hiro’s situation, the monster decided to take advantage of the opportunity and launched an attack. If it hits, it’s an instant death blow. It swung down repeatedly from above the boy’s head. But, to its horror, it didn’t hit Hiro at all. “Now―let’s begin.” When Hiro’s eyelids opened, there was no abyss in the eyes that appeared, only pure light. The raindrops returned blood as if to provide healing. The particles mixed in the air increased in brilliance like a blessing. The boy saw the breath of the world, and a smile formed on his mouth. (Altius… though you are not in this world.) Behind him, a red-haired girl watches anxiously. (Your will remains. The past and the future are linked.) Beginnings are sudden, and endings are inevitable. Even when we are apart, we are still connected, even if we will never see each other again. The world without you. A world without me. I wonder what you’d be like. Would you be happy? Are you sad? I’d like to see you smiling, and I’d like to see you happy. And if you’re thinking the same way. ―I’ll tell them. (Please rest assured.) He’s staring at the monster. (Don’t worry.) The power of the spirit fills every inch of Hiro’s body. (I’m having fun.) The boy then kicked the ground… ―Leaving the sound of the world behind. One, three, eight, fourteen spirit weapons that were floating around the monster disappeared at a frightening speed. The only sound that propagated was the sound of slicing through the air on the rain-drenched battlefield. The monster’s flesh was sliced away, and the white flashes enveloped the screaming monster, drowning out even its groans. Rather than stopping, the fierce slash accelerates further, creating tens of thousands of stars on the ground in praise of a hundred brilliance and a thousand shimmering lights. It is a privilege reserved for those who have the “Heavenly Emperor.” The boy, who has lost his way, is blessed by the Heavenly Emperor’s blessing, “Divine Speed,” which comes into full effect. ――Divine light flash of lightning. A fierce slash unleashed from ultra-high-speed. When all the spirit weapons disappeared, a beautiful sword fell from the sky. Hiro kicked the ground and leaped and grabbed the hilt of the “Heavenly Emperor.” “Haaaaaaaaahhhh!” When the monster’s head was sliced open and swung straight through, the tip of the sword stabbed into the ground. A roaring sound shakes the space. At the same time, it shatters the ground, causing the ground to shake. The monster’s body became shredded as if it had exploded, and chunks of flesh scattered around and sank into the mud. In the middle of it all―a wildly breathing Hiro looked up above him and took in oxygen. The rain had stopped, and the sun shone warmly through the eerily swirling gray clouds to celebrate the hero’s return. “Hiro!” The red-haired girl―Liz, runs up to Hiro and hugs him. Hiro, who has given his all, fell on his buttocks, unable to receive it. He’d like to say something, but his mouth doesn’t move as he would like because he thinks oxygen is the priority. “There’s a lot to say, but I’m glad you’re… safe.” Liz let out a sigh of relief as she pinched Hiro’s face between her hands and played with it, giggling. As usual, Hiro can’t say anything, so she does what she wants. Then Cerberus comes to Hiro and rubs his head on his shoulder. Out of the corner of Hiro’s vision, Aura, supported by a soldier, was staring at him. Spitz is still unconscious and receiving treatment from the medic. Tris and Margrave Grinda approached them with excited looks on their faces. “I-it’s amazing! It’s amazing that you were able to defeat a monster like that all by yourself…” Margrave Grinda pinched his own cheek, wondering if he was dreaming. Next to that. “Muh… Who’s exactly you are, kid?” And it was Tris who mumbled. As if that was the beginning of it, jubilation exploded from behind them. “Wow… that attack… d-did you saw it?” “Eh, y-yeah, of course, I saw it!” “No way. You wouldn’t be a private if you could see it.” “H-hey… eh?” “What is――!?” The buzzing soldiers’ excitement quickly subsides. The roar of a horseshoe, which resembles an earth-shaking sound, shakes the space and violates the eardrums. Every time the distance is reduced, the pressure of the heart tightens. If it weren’t for the allies, they might have run away. With such an intimidating feeling, the large army appeared. “The Fourth Imperial Army…!?” Three cells (nine kilometers) to the west of the battlefield where Hiro was fighting. There were several large cliffs, and as if hiding behind a large shadow, an army of 20,000 troops filled the wilderness. It was the Fourth Imperial Army of the Grand Empire of Grantz, the dominant force on the Central Continent. At the head of the army, astride a horse with a white mane, the one who was slowly advancing was the man in command. His name is Trey Frien von Loing. His rank is general. He is a fierce general and one of the five great generals of the Grantz Empire. General Loing glanced backward. There, a luxurious carriage was running while shaking due to the uneven ground. Someone important to the general and the Great Grantz Empire was riding in it. General Loing turned forward, and one horse came galloping from the front. It was one of the scouts. “General! I’m reporting back! The battle is not going well as Margrave Grinda’s soldiers are fighting on the border.” “That’s likely the case. The Principality of Lichtine’s army must be fifteen thousand in number. I don’t know how many Margrave Grinda has, but there’s no way they can win. Or rather, I should praise him for holding them in check until now.” It’s an area that hasn’t even had a skirmish in many years. Its prowess is impossible to know. No matter what kind of ability they have, Margrave Grinda territory’s regular army is at least three thousand. There are also troops that can’t be moved to maintain security. General Loing thought it was around one thousand after being gathered. With just that, he wondered why they had been able to endure fifteen thousand of the enemies until now, and then――. “It seems the War Maiden is there.” The scout’s report finally made sense to him. “Hoho. So they came all the way from the west to the southern end?” “But I couldn’t confirm if she was dead or alive; it seems the enemy general has taken her down.” “So the little girl went to the frontline, huh? Good grief, why didn’t she just stay in the back?” He thought she was a smart little girl, but he was wrong. So much for mistaking reckless for courage. To such a person, the title of “War Hero” would be quite heavy. The whims of the third prince Blutar, who gave her that title, are also troubling. Loing thought that he was the one who deserved the title of “War Hero” and turned his attention to the carriage again. Then a voice with a hint of menace came from inside the carriage. “Loing.” When his name was called, General Loing slowed his horse and put his face to the carriage window. The interior was dimly lit, and what he could see was a man surrounded by naked women―the man was the first prince Stobel, who had followed the emperor’s pro-conquest. The first prince Stobel, together with the emperor, had recently destroyed Felzen, which was a great power and had a significant influence on the nations until its defeat by Aura two years ago. Instead of returning to the great imperial city intact, the first prince Stobel had brought with him his elite guards and even Felzen’s princesses, a byproduct of the victory. Perhaps it was because of their pessimism about their future, or maybe it was because they had seen hell, but their hapless forms have lost the light in their eyes like the dead. When the first prince had enough of them, they would soon be sold off as slaves. Pitying their near future, General Loing replied. ”What may I do for you?” “Call your scout here. I have a question.” “Ha!” General Loing looked out for the scout who had come to report immediately. The scout pulled his horse up to the carriage. Face to the window. General Loing waves his chin in the air. The scout put his face close to the window with a nervous look on his face. “…How was Rayhill?” The scout looked puzzled when Stobel told him that. “You have been ordered to check on Rayhill,” he said. The astonished scout opens his mouth in a hurry. “…I was surprised that a mysterious boy interrupted the battlefield. However, even the enemy general who is armed with a spirit weapon is not capable of dealing with it――.” “A mysterious boy?” “Ha, he appeared at the enemy’s main camp at an unspectacular speed――guahh!?” As soon as he said that, the window shattered loudly, and shards pierced the scout’s face. The painful scout’s screams did not last long. This is because a large arm reached out from where the window was, and that large hand covered the scout’s face. “Ogoo!? Uuh, uugh!?” The horse ran away from the scout, who couldn’t breathe. But the scout’s feet remained afloat, jittering in the air. Loing sighed, then grabbed the scout by the waist and called out to Stobel. “Prince Stobel… please stop playing around. Take your hands off――.” Before Loing could finish, there was a gurgling sound, and the strength from the scout’s body was released. The princesses of Felzen, who were in the carriage, heard the sound and screamed. Loing thought they were losing their emotions, but maybe it was because they remembered something that made their voices come out. When Loing released the soldier’s waist whose neck was broken, the wreckage that fell to the ground disappeared straight to the back. “…Is there something you don’t like about it?” “His report is inaccurate. Therefore, I am executing him. Do you have a problem with that?” His voice was full of frustration and killing intent that would chill anyone’s to the bottom. But Loing just shrugged his shoulders. It could be said that he has quite a bit of nerve. “I don’t think you’d listen to me if I told you.” “Don’t talk then. But I’m still curious about the dazzling speed. And he says that it is from a boy.” “If that is not a mistake, then it is possible that he has one of the “Five Great Swords.” If that’s the case, even though you gave him a spirit weapon, it’s still a heavy burden for Rayhill to handle.” “No, I don’t think so. I gave him that thing to drink.” “Fumu… then, I’m not sure what would be the result.” When Loing had once heard of Stobel’s ambition, he remembered his open mouth not being able to close it. At the same time, he wanted to see where this man would end up. Even now, when he recalled it, it made his heart burn with age. Loing laughed to himself. “Maybe the Spirit King’s curse will be sprinkled on me at some point.” “…What do you think the Spirit King can do now?” Loing could say nothing to Stobel, who said in a disappointed voice. “I will certainly be !@#$@.” Stobel’s muttered words were struck down by the rain, which shook so hard that they never reached Loing’s ears. Or even if they had reached him, Loing must not have been able to say anything to… When Loing reached the battlefield, the battle was over. There are four men and women in front of him, including the sixth princess. Every eye was looking at him with wariness. It’s not hard to understand; at this point in time, they would want to question him as to why he appeared. Whatever the accusation, the only thing he has to do is to avoid it. He gallantly dismounted from his horse and put his hand to his chest. Loing dropped to his knees in front of the sixth princess. “Your Highness Celia Estrella, I am sincerely sorry for the delay. It seems that the rain that was falling earlier slowed down our march, and we were unable to make it.” Loing looks up and sees a boy being held by the sixth princess. No matter how badly finished he is, he is still able to defeat a “Demon”… He thought that if someone could defeat it, it would be the sixth princess who possessed the Flame Emperor. That was only in a group fight, and even then, he didn’t think anyone would be able to defeat it alone… General Loing was amazed at what a boy not much older than the sixth princess had accomplished. (This is… interesting.) It was a shame that he didn’t get to see the boy fight. Still, the result alone is something that ignites the great general’s instincts. He wants to try it out. To see with his own hands just how strong he is. However, Loing clenched his hands so tightly that his blood-soaked through, and he endured. Defeating a weakened opponent is no fun or interesting. He could take care of the boy now with just one hand. (Let’s save the fun for now. And that’s not what I’m here for this time.) And then he noticed—a deadly force emanating from next to him. “That was close.” The one who muttered in a low voice was the first prince Stobel. The figure straddling a horse has an overwhelming presence like the supreme king. His golden hair stands upside down and looks like a crown. And his sharp eyes pierced the boy without hiding his killing intent. (Not good…) Loing twitches his cheeks. “He might get in my way.” “Please wait. In this situation――.” A thunderbolt gushed from Stobel’s hand. It was impossible to follow it with mere eyes. However, the lightning strike, which crawled across the ground, burst out right before the boy. “Huh?” A dumbfounded voice comes from Loing. (Ridiculous… It’s the Thunder Emperor’s thunderbolt of the Five Spirit Swords. How did he stop it?) He had no idea what was going on. The boy had done something; he was sure of it. But he had no idea how he had managed to avoid Stobel’s attack. “…What do you want?” A voice full of killing intent unimaginable from his mild appearance――was released. The boy’s pressures swelled as he stood up waveringly, and Loing involuntarily retreated. And then he was astonished. (For me to be pressurized… by such a child that more than younger than me?) The boy is weakened before then. However, he was afraid of the pressure that the boy radiated. He has gone through many battlefields and passed through many scenes of carnage, and hasn’t felt fear in a long time. That’s why he is unprepared. He was just ashamed of his unpreparedness. Did he think he was called a great general and stand at the top of his game? But now, rather than that, he had to admonish his lord. When he caught Stobel with a sideways glance―he was spilling his amusement from his misfortune-twisted mouth. “Kuku, interesting. Who are you? How did you prevent that one?” “The first prince Stobel. Please wait. Any more outrage will be heard by Your Majesty.” Loing whispered, but Stobel ignored him, and this time, he pointed his hand at the sixth princess―not the boy. “Try to deflect it.” The sky rumbled, and the air roared and scattered lightning bolts. An electric bolt of despair shot wildly around the girl. ―The boy dances. With unimaginable speed, he intercepted the lightning strike to protect the girl. However, the weakened boy couldn’t prevent everything, and when Loing noticed, he could only see the boy soaring like a scrap of paper. “Hiro…!!” It was Liz who screamed first. She ran up to the boy as he fell to the ground, getting knocked down. “Hold on! Oh no. Why?!” Stobel jumped down from his horse and approached with a broad gait. In his hand is a large battle-ax―the Five Spirit Swords “Thunder Emperor.” “Elizabeth. Get out of there.” “Stop messing around! Why did you do this to him!” Liz’s cry echoed with tears in the corners of her eyes. Flames rise from the Flame Emperor’s blade as if in response to her anger. The electroshock raged from the Thunder Emperor in response to its favored rival. “…You don’t think you can win by pointing your sword at me, do you?” “I don’t care if I don’t win. I won’t let you hurt Hiro anymore!” This is what it means to be in an explosive situation, and it’s not surprising if they start killing each other at any moment. No―Liz will only be torture to death on one side. That’s how much difference there is between their abilities. “I’m just trying to get rid of a pest that clings to my pretty sister, you know?” “Hiro is a pest, you said?” Loing thinks it’s terrible, but he can’t think of a way to stop it. If Liz were killed here, it would be impossible to hide it from the emperor. ――There are too many witnesses. And if they killed the Flame Emperor’s holder here, the throne would be far away for sure. He should know that. He must be aware of that. (That’s how much of a threat it is!) Stobel opened his mouth in annoyance. “Is that man that important… Or is there some reason you desperately need to protect him?” “Yes, I have. If you kill him, Father will never forgive you, I’m sure of it.” “What did you say?” Maybe it was a hard decision to make. After taking a glance at the lying boy, Liz’s face was tinted with deep sadness. “He’s―he’s the descendant of the second emperor.” With those words, the sound disappeared from the world for the very last moment. Everyone was speechless; everyone peeled their eyes. All eyes were focused on the boy who had passed out. ――The die has been thrown. ――The world begins to move with the boy at its center. Hiro was awakened in a strange place after being knocked unconscious by Stobel’s lightning strike. A pure white space, a world that had lost its color. Hiro has no idea what has happened, and the confusion on his face is evident. Someone called out to Hiiro from behind him. “You’re here. So that means… you’re back to Alethia?” Hiro turned around in surprise to see a blond-haired, golden-eyed young man. “It’s been a while. Maybe that’s not really true. I don’t know how many years have passed since you returned to Earth.” Hiro’s eyes widened in astonishment, unable to say anything. A gold throne adorned with jewels. It could be said to be tacky. And the young man was sitting on it. His well-groomed appearance, as if it had jumped out of a painting, would have caused a high-pitched scream if a woman had seen him. He is such a beautiful young man that even a man would stare in amazement. The long, slender, cross-legged, graceful figure made the tacky throne look strangely appropriate. When Hiro finally regained his composure, he spoke to the golden-eyed young man with a majestic impression. “You’re Altius… right?” The young man then gave a sly and nasty smile. Hiro wanted to put up a fight, but he held back. He told himself that he wasn’t so quick-tempered. He looked around to distract himself from his annoyance. As Hiro thought, it’s just a white space that goes on forever. Has he disappeared? Then Hiro looked back at Altius, but he was still smiling happily. “Yeah. It’s a dream.” Hiro assured himself. He should have been on the battlefield in the first place. Most importantly, he was a thousand years old and now deceased in Alethia. Maybe, just maybe, he is dead, and this is the other side of the world… That would explain why Altius is here. As Hiro began to worry, Altius smiled bitterly at him. “Hiro. I don’t understand why you’re confused. I can understand why you want to think of it as a dream. But you know――.” After cutting off the words, Altius pointed to Hiro’s chest. When he looked down at it, a clear, pale light leaked out of his chest. “This is…” Unbuttoning his uniform and digging into his inner pocket, he found a single card. This is a plain white card that Altius gave him a thousand years ago. “…I’m sorry to ask you in a dream… but is this also a spirit talisman?” “Exactly. That’s a spirit talisman.” “But I’ve looked in various references, and I haven’t found a spirit talisman like this one.” “I received a certain spirit from the Spirit King and made it for you. No wonder you don’t know that.” “I’m having this weird dream about… what does this have to do with me?” “I put some residual thoughts in that spirit talisman. That’s why the only thing I have is my memory of those days until Hiro returned to Earth. Your arrival here means that you’ve fulfilled the conditions for triggering this spirit talisman. Something must have gone wrong. And that means I’m not there anymore.” It was only for a moment that Altius had a sad expression on his face, and then he immediately burst into a joyful voice. “In what era were you summoned? You’ve had many surprises, haven’t you?” “I got summoned back in a thousand years. How can I not be surprised?” “Hahaha! That’s great! That’s an overwhelming number of years!” “That’s not great at all. I still can’t believe it.” “I see… you’ve appeared in a “turning point” period.” “Huh? A turning point?” Hiro asked back, but Altius ignored him. “It’s a fun period. I would like to go to the same place as you, but I don’t have a soul tied up in me, so I can’t go with you.” “Don’t ignore me… And I don’t understand what you’re talking about. Tell me what you’re talking about.” “Don’t worry about it… You’ll figure it out eventually.” “You’re always like that.” “That’s my nature, you know. Anyway, I can only tell you what I think is best for you, my friend. That’s all I can tell you!” Rising from his throne, Altius looked up at the white space and spread his arms out. “It’s a big world! That’s why the possibilities are endless! Live the life you want! Don’t make your world so small! Live free. Be greedy for everything!” Altius approached Hiro and pressed his fist to his chest. ”My dear brother-in-law is no small person. Don’t underestimate yourself. It’s a bad habit of yours. Be mightier than any king. Be more arrogant than any king. Be stronger than any king. And for that, I’ll give you plenty of options.” Altius says happily and claps Hiro on the shoulder. “I will watch it. Let’s see where my brother-in-law goes and the future he walks into.” It’s not as if he was satisfied with the fact that he was able to say whatever he wanted, but Altius sat back on his throne with a pompous look on his face. Slowly, he stretched out his right arm and turned his palm toward Hiro. “Come on; it’s time to wake up.” “…That was abrupt. I guess you just wanted to say what you wanted to say and say goodbye.” “You understand me a little better now?” Hiro shrugs at Altius, who chuckles. He’s been hit by a sore spot. There was no way he could argue with that. A thousand years ago, Hiro suddenly decided to return to Earth. Altius desperately tries to stop him, and without giving a reason, Hiro returns. It is impossible for Hiro to blame him for this. There are several things that bothered him, but if he returned to his original intentions, he would only get sidetracked if he asked. So, he decided to ask the most important question of all. “Is this really a farewell?” “I doubt we can even call it a reunion in the first place. I’m here because I’m just a residual thought anyway.” “…I see.” “Yeah. We’ll never see each other again. But――.” Altius sighs ruefully as he breaks off the words. “Looks like we’re running out of time.” As he pointed to the heavens, Hiro looked up above him. Black darkness had appeared in the white space. It gradually increased in speed and dyed the empty world black. Altius smiled and told Hiro. “The truth is――you――. ――to mislead――intention――, surely――.” It was difficult to hear clearly due to the interrupting words. Hiro’s vision was rapidly going dark. Altius’ figure disappeared like a haze. (Goodbye… Brother-in-law) ――Hiro opened his eyelids again, and an unfamiliar ceiling pops into view. The smell of chemicals hit his nose, awakening his consciousness. The soft sensation that covered his body, and while he regretted it, Hiro raised his upper body. When he looked around, he saw that color had returned to the world, and the shelves containing the chemicals were illuminated by the moonlight streaming in through the windows. After convincing himself that it must be the infirmary or something, he noticed Liz sleeping by the bed with a happy look on her face. He smiles and drapes the blanket over his body, and places it over Liz’s shoulders. Hiro thought he had woken up from his dream. He tried to get out of bed, thinking to himself as if it were someone else’s dream. But that’s when he put his feet on the floor. The world wobbled. His vision went haywire as he turned his eyes. His back hit the floor hard with a loud noise. “Augghh!?” He stopped breathing and moaned, but he sensed something rising from his chest and pressed his mouth down. “Oguhh… ugh!” Unable to hold it in place, vomit was spat out. The blood drains from Hiro’s face as his breathing begins to get sluggish. (There’s something wrong with my eyes…? What’s this…) A vast rush of information is transmitted to his brain through his left eye. He can’t shut it off. Regardless of his will, he accepts everything and pressures his mind. Even with his eyes closed, he could still see. He had never felt anything like this before. Although it’s his own body, he has no idea what’s happening to him. “Hiro!?” Liz seems to have woken up when she noticed something wrong. But Hiro didn’t have time to reply. Liz ran up to the struggling Hiro and rubbed his back. “Hold on! Please, anyone, please come!” “What’s going on?” Tris, who was waiting outside, comes in. He looks at Liz and then at Hiro. He immediately realized what was wrong and returned outside. “I’ll get a doctor right away!” “Please! Bring them right away!” Vomit splattered on Liz’s upper body as she held Hiro’s head. However, she didn’t care and placed Hiro’s head on her lap. Liz takes out a cloth and begins to wipe Hiro’s mouth gently. “It’s okay. Calmly take a breath…” Hiro vomits, but nothing comes out. All the food in his stomach may have been vomited out. “Hiro, can you listen to me?” He wanted to divert Hiro’s attention. In fact, Hiro reacts to a voice as clear as a compassionate mother’s. His bloodshot eyes turned to Liz―the pupil of his left eye is strangely enlarged and reddened. “Huh?!” Liz almost screamed involuntarily and held her mouth. The sensation of having her mind looked into sends a shiver down her spine. But she can’t be frightened. She wants to take away Hiro’s pain as much as possible. Liz said, trying to be cheerful. “I was so surprised when I first met Hiro.” It was the first time they met in the Anfang Forest. After returning from a quick bath, she saw a boy being intimidated by Cerberus. A black-eyed, dark-haired boy. It was as if――. “He looks just like the second emperor I ever imagined.” The second emperor is the only one of the emperors of all time whose portrait does not exist. It is impossible to know what he looked like. People can only imagine him from what is written in the legends. Even the statue of the second emperor was created based on legend. “His Majesty Schwartz, which I have always admired.” She had always been a tomboyish girl, and she was more interested in swords than dolls. Before going to bed, she begged her mother to sleep while listening to the stories of the Twelve Great Gods of Grantz instead of fairy tales. The popularity of the second emperor had always been tremendous in Grantz’s military state, so it was only natural that she, who wanted to become a soldier, would be interested in the second emperor. “I’ve worked hard at my training, no matter what people say about me. I never got any credit for it because I was a woman.” First, she wanted to be a soldier. Then came the general, then become a great general. With every step she took, the dream grew. No one laughed at Liz, but then things started to fall apart. ――She was favored by the “Flame Emperor.” The first person who approached was the Kelheit family’s head, one of the five great Grantz nobles. With his influence in the Eastern region, the small and medium-sized nobles all expressed their support for Liz. She became too powerful for the other heirs to the throne to ignore, but the head of House Kelheit was assassinated by someone and instantly collapsed. The next thing she knew, Tris and Dios were the only ones left standing with Liz. “Then… I was told that I’d been demoted, and I needed a change of scenery, so I went to bathe in the Anfang Forest.” Then she met a boy—a boy who looks exactly like the second emperor she had admired. Liz smiles as she puts her hand on Hiro’s cheek. Hiro is still breathing painfully, but perhaps he has calmed down a bit. The look in Hiro’s eyes had softened a bit, and he looked up at Liz. “I, you know. I have a dream.” That’s when she hears the sound of noisy footsteps from outside. “Hurry up! The boy is going to die!” “Don’t make this old man run!” “Then I’ll carry you on my back!” “Hyiieeee!?” Liz laughed and put her mouth close to Hiro’s ear to make sure he didn’t miss anything. Muttered words… There was no surprise on Hiro’s face as if Hiro had expected the words that were muttered. It’s a tremendous dream. It will never be an easy road. As she moved away from Hiro, the moonlight illuminated her face, making her beauty look even more radiant. 

Epilogue

On the 11th of July, 1023 in the Imperial year. Ten days after the battle with the Principality of Lichtine. Berg Fortress, Central Tower. Hiro was in the room he was given. It was a bleak room with a bed by the window and a full-length mirror to the right. Naturally, there was no such thing as personal belongings. The only thing he brought with him from Earth is his uniform. “Fufu, nice.” Hiro stood in front of the full-length mirror, looking at his figure. Rather, he was stroking a part of his face. An eye patch covers the left half of Hiro’s face reflected in the sighting. It’s a special eye patch purified with spirit talisman. Although he would never get used to the uncomfortable feeling, thanks to this, he could no longer feel the world out of place, and he could continue to spend his time as before. If he removes it, the world will spin like before. It makes his brain capture more information than it could burst. “Well… I guess I’m used to it. The point is, I just have to get used to it.” That’s right; it’s just a matter of mastering the Heavenly Spirit Eye. It’s his own eye; he will be able to use it in the near future. And that’s not a bad thing. He feels indescribably mature in himself with the eye patch on. Unintentionally, Hiro crossed his arms and lifted his chin to dress up. He’s wondering if he should call out “Heavenly Emperor” too when he starts to get into the swing of things――. “Hiro! I’m coming in.” A red-haired girl walked in without knocking on the door. He wanted to say things about privacy and all that, but this situation was worse than that. “What are you doing?” With a big smile, Liz stopped in front of the door. Hiro’s face instantly turned red――he’s being seen, and it’s very embarrassing. His heartbeat accelerated. He could see that the top of his neck was getting hot. Hiro hurriedly stuck his arms out in front of him and waved his hands. “N-no! This is different!” “What’s different?” Liz tilted her head and shook her red hair. It was a cute gesture, but Hiro didn’t have enough time to enjoy it. If possible, he wants to run away from this place right now. But the doorway is blocked by Liz. “No… what should I say…?” It would be much easier if he could say that his body was dominated by his middlegrade syndrome*. [TLN: Chūnibyō.] A silence fell. An air of awkwardness flowed through the air. As Hiro was unsure of what to do, it was Liz who moved first. “What do you mean by that? For now, come with me!” She grabbed Hiro’s arm as if she didn’t care about him being flustered. After being pulled out of the room by the monstrous force, they ran out of the room and saw a spiral staircase connected to the downstairs. “Where are we going to go――?” He was still sick until the other day, but he couldn’t say those words because they started down the stairs at full speed. If they talk in such a situation, they will bite their tongues. They ran down the stairs as fast as they could. As they jumped out of the central tower, they were greeted by the central square. The bright sun is baking the ground. They could feel their skin sweating. “Aura’s going back to the west, so we have to see her off, okay?” “T-there’s still time, right! There’s no need to be in such a hurry!” Aura had stayed at Fort Berg to bury the soldiers who had been killed in the last battle, including medical treatment. Unfortunately, there were many soldiers who could not be found. They were severely damaged, and it was difficult to tell the mud-covered corpses apart, whether they were friend or foe. Even though they were wounded, Aura had been looking around for the corpses of her men until nightfall. All the corpses of the Principality of Lichtine’s army were gathered in one place and burned. Due to the fear of a plague outbreak, it was decided to take care of them as quickly as possible with the help of the Fourth Imperial Army. After that, the Fourth Imperial Army scattered to various parts of Margrave Grinda’s territory. This was because the Lichtine Army’s remnants might remain in Margrave Grinda’s territory and worsen the security situation. The first prince Stobel, who was accompanying them, returned to the Great Imperial City with his elite guards. (Someday… I’ll have to pay off that debt.) As Altius told him that day, Hiro wants to live his life as he pleases. In the meantime, he will pay the first prince Stobel back someday, so he won’t let his anger out now. Because there is someone who must be sent off with a smile. “Farewell? It wasn’t even necessary.” A girl with a suspended right arm astride a warhorse―Aura with the same mortified look on her face as ever. Next to him is Spitz, whose entire body is wrapped in bandages. It’s a painful figure, but you can’t help but laugh at his somewhat comical appearance. “Your Highness, and… descendant-dono. Thank you for seeing me off.” Spitz’s voice sounded deeply disgusted when she said, “Descendant-dono.” Hiro can’t see the expression on his face because of the bandages, but he knows what kind of look he is making. Liz puts her hands on her hips and says. “Yeah, we’ve been through a lot. We’re both lucky to be alive.” “Yeah. The result is a disaster. But a lot of good things come out of it.” Aura said, and then―she stared at Hiro. “How are your eyes?” Hiro gave an affectionate smile at the leaden eyes that seemed to be searching for something. “Yeah. I guess it will take a while to heal.” Only Liz, Tris and the doctor know of his eyes problem. The rest of the people have been told about it as a battlefield injury. So there is no way that Aura could understand, but why did he feel like she knows when she’s gazing at him to observe him? “I see… I’m glad you didn’t go blind. But a big eye patch.” “Yeah, well, that’s…” The only way to prevent the spirit talisman from being seen was to wear a large eye patch. There was no way to explain it. As Hiro was thinking about what excuse to make, Liz sent out a helping hand. “He got a big wound! What can I say about it… it was an amazing scar!” “…Will it remain like that?” Aura gives him a worried look. Hiro opened his mouth brightly, trying hard to escape the guilt. “Oh, no, I think it will be fine. It won’t hurt, and I’ll take the eye patch off when the wound heals eventually.” “I see… I hope so.” Despite the words, those blue-gray eyes are gazing at Hiro’s eye patch with disbelief. No matter how long it takes, her gaze remains to shoot through Hiro. Perhaps thinking that this is not going to get anywhere, Liz stands in front of Hiro to interrupt them. “I’ll send you a letter again.” “And, I will also send you a letter when I get settled again.” “Aura-sama. It is about time.” Spitz interrupted the conversation. Behind them―although their numbers have been significantly reduced, the “Imperial Black Knights” are lined up. Because of the heat, they are not wearing heavy armor but light armor, and the warhorses have also taken off their horse armor. As for where the heavy armor went, it was put on a cart with food and water. “Then we’ll leave. Take care, both of you.” Fluttering her military uniform’s sleeves and circling her horse’s neck, Aura headed for the main gate. After advancing a bit, she turned around. Her gaze is sent to Hiro. “‘Hiryo.’ I’ll see you later.” With that, she never looked back again. A herd of warhorses led by her slowly walked out of the gate. Even though it was so hot, her heart froze, and a chill hit her. Liz patted Hiro’s back as he stiffened. “Hiro, it’s early, but we’re going to practice riding the horses.” That was a statement that would make Hiro freeze again. Hiro was exposed to the blazing sun, and he was left with more scrapes. ――Two days later. An edict from the current emperor reached Hiro.