Published at 23rd of August 2019 12:02 am

Volume 25, Chapter 3: Conference

This chapter is updated by NovelFree.ml

Tuesday, December 7th

Koutarou stood stock-still staring at his damaged armor. It was currently affixed to a maintenance workbench with several automated machines working to repair the compromised parts. At the current rate, it would be fixed within a few hours.

“...In the end, the problem is that I don’t have any strength of my own...”

Koutarou and the others had safely been able to escape from the hotel and move over to the Cradle, which then left the space station and rendezvoused with Blue Knight on its way back. Their escape had gone almost exactly as Kiriha had planned.

“...So long as they had the right strategy, even a normal squad could take me out...”

The only miscalculation was that Koutarou was almost killed in the process. Because of his teamwork with Harumi through Signaltin, their loss made a profound difference in terms of Koutarou’s combat capabilities. They’d simply underestimated what that loss would cost them. The bandage now wrapped around Koutarou’s arm was a sign of that hefty price.

“...No matter how hard I try, I’m just a normal human...”

Koutarou was certainly strong. He’d be among the strongest even in Forthorthe. But that strength came from the support of nine other girls. He himself was just a boy with some skill in swordplay. His strength on his own was tenuous. Harumi’s absence had revealed it was like a high-rise on a fragile foundation. And that realization put even more strain on the collapsed Harumi.

“...Despite that, the Reborn Forthorthian Army is counting on my strength because of some legend. Will we really be okay like this?”

Koutarou had gained a true sense of the danger they were in courtesy of the incident at the hotel. The Reborn Forthorthian Army as it stood was greatly influenced by Koutarou’s existence, predominantly because Forthorthian citizens had started to see him as their beloved hero of legend. “Let’s support the Blue Knight’s army. If that’s the army Her Majesty Elfaria is leading, she must be in the right.” There was no doubt that was the kind of public sentiment that was earning them support.

But in truth, Koutarou wasn’t all that strong. He’d almost been killed at the hotel. It left him with a lingering question: “What would happen if I got killed?”

“...Theia and Elle say they definitely won’t let me die, but isn’t the risk is too big to ignore?”

While he hadn’t really thought about it before, killing him wouldn’t be all that hard. Even worse, Vandarion and the others had realized that the Reborn Forthorthian Army needed Koutarou, so they were actively trying to eliminate him. If Harumi was out of commission when they attacked with something like the Type One Revised, what would happen then? While he had overcome it once, would he be able to do so a second or third time? Koutarou wasn’t optimistic enough to believe he’d get that lucky.

“...Public opinion is currently in Elle’s favor, but if I died, there are sure to be citizens that would lose faith in her. My life carries too much risk with it...”

If Koutarou were to fall, public opinion would likely shift in Vandarion’s favor once again. The citizens would either believe that Koutarou wasn’t really the Blue Knight’s successor after all, or worse, that not even the Blue Knight’s successor was a match for Vandarion. And with their hopes crushed, there was no guarantee that they would continue to support Elfaria. A drop in public support would then mean a drop in the army’s morale, and it would make it harder to collect supplies and other contributions from sympathizers. While he didn’t know exactly to what extent his death might affect the army, he knew it would be foolish to trivialize it.

“...I can’t let Sakuraba-senpai fight anymore. But if I keep fighting like that, things are only going to get riskier. That said, if I don’t fight at all, the enemy will use that against us in their propaganda. Is there nothing I can do?”

With Harumi and Signaltin at his side, the chances of Koutarou dying were remarkably lower, but that wasn’t such an easy task under the current circumstances. That said, without her and Signaltin, the odds against him were much higher. Even if he just stopped taking the front line to lower the risk to himself, the Reborn Forthorthian Army would be losing the pillar of support that had gotten them this far. Vandarion’s side would surely use that to tarnish his image and ruin his reputation, claiming it was proof that Koutarou wasn’t the Blue Knight’s successor.

“...Just what should I do?”

Koutarou wasn’t afraid to die. This was far beyond that. Right now, the most important thing to Koutarou was how to protect Theia, Elfaria, and the other girls. Then there was his desire to protect the wishes of everyone from two thousand years ago. His life had a much lower priority than all that.

If he was unable to protect the girls, the pain would be soul crushing. Probably even worse than what he’d felt when he lost his mother. And he couldn’t disappoint the friends and allies he’d made in the distant past. For those two reasons, Koutarou was determined to protect Forthorthe and its people.

So rather than fearing for his own life, Koutarou was afraid of losing his friends and betraying the hopes of people who were dear to him in his memories. But no matter what he did now, the chances were high he’d be faced with that scenario, both because he was weak and because he couldn’t find a way to overcome that weakness. His frustration at his own helplessness continued to mount as he slowly moved towards that terrible reality.

Beep, beep, beep!

“...Hm?”

The sudden beeping snapped Koutarou back to his senses. It wasn’t the alarm for an emergency, so Koutarou casually approached the terminal for telephone calls in the room.

“Yes?” he answered.

“Oh, Master, I thought you might be there.”

As the terminal activated, Ruth and parts of the surrounding bridge where she was were displayed as a hologram. Since she looked somewhat relieved to see him, Koutarou got the vague feeling that this wasn’t about anything good.

“What’s the matter, Ruth-san? Did something happen?”

“Actually, something strange was delivered for you, Master,” she replied in a puzzled tone.

Ruth had received a package addressed to Koutarou, and she wasn't sure how to handle it. That was why she’d be trying to find him.

“To me? What is it?”

“Well... It would be hard to explain, so would you mind coming down?”

“Okay, I’ll be right there.”

Koutarou left the maintenance hangar and headed for the bridge with his head tilted in perplexity. He knew that this wasn’t normal. Since their current whereabouts were kept secret, a packaged being delivered was a strange, potentially troubling development. That said, putting a bomb in a package was the most elementary level of trap conceivable, so any mail they did get received a thorough inspection before being brought aboard Blue Knight. That it had reached Ruth’s hands suggested that it wasn’t anything nefarious, which puzzled both her and Koutarou even more.

The package in question was a small box. It had been wrapped in a thin layer of high quality wrapping paper, complete with a ribbon on top. It looked more like a present than a package, whether judging by Earth standards or Forthorthian standards.

Just having a present addressed to Koutarou was baffling enough, but the most bizarre thing of all was the tag affixed to the box. It was addressed to Koutarou, but it was written in both the Forthorthian alphabet and in kanji.

“‘To Satomi Koutarou-sama,’ huh? There’s definitely something up with this.”

Moreover, the sender’s name was nowhere to be found. The strange package only seemed to get stranger.

“At the very least, it’s from someone that knows you’re from Earth. It could be Vandarion, or it could be DKI... Those are the most likely culprits right now,” offered Kiriha.

Considering the kanji on the tag, it stood to reason that the sender was someone who had been to Earth. And since they were now in the solar system of Forthorthe, that seemed to point a finger at either DKI or the Imperial Army.

“Let’s open it up.” Koutarou casually put his hand on the box. “Considering the method, it’s probably from him, and I’d bet it really is a present.”

Koutarou had a hunch as to who’d sent it and knew that it most likely wasn’t a trap. The person he had in mind loved being dramatic, but also had a strangely serious side to him. Because of that, Koutarou didn’t believe there was any danger involved, but the girls were quick to stop him.

“Koutarou, wait! What if it’s a trap?!” Theia cried.

But the one who had the most intense reaction was Maki.

“Satomi-kun, we should examine it again before you do that! That way you can still open it if everything checks out!” she shouted in a harsh tone.

She forcefully snatched Koutarou’s hand away from the box and shot him a sharp glance. It was as if she’d gone back to her former life as an evil magical girl for a moment. But despite all appearances, it was quite the opposite. She was just that desperate to keep anything from happening to Koutarou.

“I get it, so don’t make that face, okay?”

The box had received the standard inspection before being brought aboard Blue Knight, but it hadn’t been examined using magic or spiritual energy. Koutarou understood what Maki was worried about, so he managed a smile and let go of the box.

“Jeez... You’re so careless, Satomi-kun...”

Maki had a tendency to be a little overprotective of Koutarou, but the incident at the hotel had really shaken her. She could feel it too. That Koutarou might end up dying somehow.

“Then I’ll leave it up to you, Aika-san, Kiriha-san, Clan.”

Maki would examine with magic, Kiriha would examine with spiritual energy, and Clan would examine with science. They were all skilled at their crafts, so it only took a few minutes to get the results.

“I think it’s okay.”

“We think so too, ho!”

“We can’t sense anything suspicious, ho!”

“...I see what you were saying, Veltlion.”

Maki and the haniwas simply reported their findings, but Clan had an exasperated expression on her face after X-raying the package. She seemed to have realized who it was from as well.

“That’s right. It’s another one of his super serious jokes. And if he sent it, he probably wants it to be opened right away.”

Koutarou put his hand on the box again. This time nobody tried to stop him. He removed the decorative ribbon and tore off the wrapping paper. The box underneath was from a famous luxury clothing brand in Forthorthe. Koutarou casually opened it.

“What poor taste to try and get Veltlion to wear this...” Clan muttered with a grimace.

“Leave him be,” Koutarou replied with a glance in Clan’s direction.

Inside the box was a full suit, including pants and even underwear. It was a vivid blue that matched Koutarou’s armor, and it was all accompanied by a card that had been folded over twice.

“So this is the real message...”

Koutarou was more interested in the card than the suit. He picked it up and began reading what had been written inside.

Dear Satomi Koutarou,

On the this coming Thursday, December 9th, we would like to hold a welcoming party for you. There’s a great deal to talk about, including the future. We humbly that you attend in the accompanying suit.

-Your friend

While the message on the card was brief, Koutarou knew what it meant. But since deciding his next move on his own would be dangerous, he handed the card over to Kiriha.

“What do you think?”

“Hmm... It seems like Elexis is officially calling for a conference. And it seems to be in regards to something he doesn’t want Vandarion knowing about.”

Kiriha’s interpretation of the message matched up with what Koutarou had suspected from it. Elexis wanted to have a conference, but he had taken such elaborate steps because he didn’t want the military to find out. This way, even if the military intercepted the package, they would have no way of knowing that it was Elexis who had sent it. But Koutarou and the others knew better since Elexis had sent Koutarou a suit once before. Even more telling was that the date and time had been specified using Earth conventions, so only Koutarou and the others would know exactly when he meant. It was a very clever way to disguise a secret.

“So you think so too?” Koutarou asked.

“Yes. The suit is less of a dress code and more of a way to establish contact,” Kiriha replied.

“I think the suit is just a present, or more like a prank. If he wanted to use a sign, he’d have chosen something like a hat or a badge,” Koutarou countered.

“That sounds just like him. It’s always so hard to tell if he’s being serious or if he’s just playing around,” added Theia.

“So what will you do, Master?” asked Ruth.

Koutarou pondered her question. They now knew who sent the package and what they wanted. All that was left was to figure out how to respond.

“Let’s meet him, I guess.”

“W-Wait a minute, Koutarou! In movies and anime, there’s always some hitch to a setup like this!”

Koutarou had decided to meet with Elexis, but Sanae suspected it was a trap. It was impossible for her to read the aura of the sender from the card. It had been printed from a computer, so the sender likely hadn’t even touched it. There was no trace of strong emotion in it, just faint spiritual reside from the delivery person. She took that as a sign of danger.

“I understand what you’re saying, but he’s gone this far just to tell me he has something to talk about, so I’m curious. If this isn’t a trap, he’s being awfully cautious, so they must be about to do something big. If we ignore it and they start whatever it is on their own, we’ll fall behind.”

Koutarou was interested in the talk Elexis wanted to have. Considering how much trouble he’d gone to in order to contact him like this, there was a high chance that it involved a proposal about a large-scale military operation. It clearly had to be something important. That’s what Koutarou believed, and he knew there was a chance if he ignored it that the Reborn Forthorthian Army could get off to a late start, meaning there was chance they’d lose out big time.

“That... might be true, but...” Yurika said hesitantly.

“They’ve even used biological weapons before. It can’t hurt to hear what Elexis has to say now.”

“Satomi-san, can’t you just cheat at times like this?”

They were currently in the middle of war. If it was a trap and the Reborn Forthorthian Army lost Koutarou, the damage would be immeasurable. Yurika had been thinking about her own life recently, and it led her to believe that the best thing to do would be to cheat—to ignore Elexis this time.

It’s exactly because times are like this, Yurika...

But Koutarou actually had an ulterior motive for wanting to talk to Elexis, and that concerned Harumi. If Elexis’s proposal—whatever it may be— was within the bounds of what Koutarou could bring himself to agree to, it might not just accelerate the end of the war, but it might also let him avoid putting any more strain on Harumi. Koutarou was ready to face the potential danger of meeting Elexis because he was already keenly aware of the hazards of the war.

“There’s no need to worry. They’re actually surprisingly strait-laced. Besides, if it’s a trap, they’d try to go after you, Aika-san, and Nana-san at the same time.”

However, Koutarou didn’t share this with anyone. He knew what Harumi would think when she woke up.

The map printed onto the card didn’t lead to the space station where they had been attacked in their hotel, but to a different colony also orbiting Alaia. It was smaller than the space station, functioning more like a hub for development than a port. Right now it was docked to a large planetoid and was mining it for minerals.

“Master, wouldn’t it be better to bring more personnel with you?”

As Koutarou was about to step from the Cradle to the colony deck, Ruth called out to him from behind. Apart from Harumi who was still resting on Blue Knight, all the girls from room 106 had tagged along on the Cradle. They were all on standby in the case something happened.

“Aika-san alone will be enough. If there’s too many of us, they’ll put their guard up.”

Koutarou was only taking Maki with him. After careful consideration, she had been chosen as his escort for her personality, her magical prowess, her flexibility to respond in all kinds of situations, and because she knew more than anyone else about Darkness Rainbow. The instructions on the card hadn’t imposed a limit on the number of people Koutarou could bring with him, but he knew better than to overdo it. In the end, they’d all agreed on sending just Maki with him, although it was clear that Ruth was still worried—both as Koutarou’s friend and as a girl who loved him.

“At least take two or three more—”

“Ruth, I understand how you feel, but don’t trouble Koutarou too much,” interrupted Theia. “It’s the safest possible option for everyone just to send in the two of them.”

Koutarou and Maki were both were physically capable. And when it came to casting spells, less was more. Just taking another person or two would multiply the work Maki would have to do if things went wrong. Her mana

would have to be divided between them. That meant each additional person they brought along would reduce their chances of returning safely.

“I-I understand, but...”

In her heart, Ruth knew that. But she wanted to be a sacrificial pawn if it meant that Koutarou would be able to return safely.

“If you’re going, I am too.”

“Your Highness?! That’s...!”

“Then don’t say anything more.”

“Yes... I’m sorry, Master, Your Highness.”

Out of all the girls, the one having the hardest time was Theia. Her feelings for Koutarou were no different than Ruth’s, and she was the willful type to resolve things with her own strength. Her childhood friend, Ruth, knew better than anyone what it took for her to hold back those feelings in a situation like this. And knowing that, Ruth made no further objections.

“Ahaha, I can’t say it’s so bad to have someone like Ruth-san worrying about me,” Koutarou said lightheartedly.

“Is it just Pardomshiha?” Clan asked snidely.

“Yup.”

“Veltlion!”

“I know, I know. Everyone is worried.”

“Jeez, you’re always such a bully!”

“It’s not like I’m going off to die, you know.”

“Tch, then just hurry up and go already!”

“All right! I’ll see you guys later.”

“...I’ll definitely protect Satomi-kun, so don’t worry, everyone.”

“Come on, Aika-san! Let’s go!”

“Coming! We’ll be back, everyone!”

Maki chased after Koutarou in a sprint. When she caught up to him, the two of them stepped through the hatch together. Once they were gone, the atmosphere in the Cradle grew oppressive.

“They’re gone...” Sanae said with a heavy sigh.

Even though she was the first to say it, she wasn’t the only one sighing. The other girls felt more or less the same way she did.

“I’m honestly envious of Maki-chan...” Yurika sighed.

“Regardless of what happens, she gets to be right there with him...” Shizuka sighed too.

The two girls stared at the hatch Koutarou and Maki had left from. They had plenty of time on their hands to wrestle with the complex emotions in their hearts. While it was only thirty minutes from the specified meeting time in the message, they had no idea how long the conference would last. Regardless of the actual time, it already felt like a slow eternity to them.

“Everyone, now is not the time to space out. Koutarou and Maki might come running back at any minute. We need to be prepared.”

However, Kiriha had a different approach. She faced the other girls with her usual composed expression. No, perhaps it was even more composed than usual. Seeing that, Theia smiled bitterly.

“You’re as strong as ever...”

“I’ve waited for over ten years. I’ve waited all this time, and here I am. A few more hours is nothing. But isn’t it the same for you, Theia-dono?”

“Kiriha...”

Theia looked quite surprised, but she quickly understood what Kiriha was saying. A strong, lively light returned to her eyes.

“Okay, okay, you win! So what should I do?”

Elfaria had to live as the empress, so Theia had always lived with Ruth. She’d always been waiting for someone to fill that hole in her heart. If she was spaced out when that someone came running back for help, she would miss her chance to save him. While Maki was the only one protecting him directly, there was still plenty more to do.

“If we have to escape from here, there’s a high chance we’ll end up with a fleet chasing after us. In that case, it’d help if you were close to the gunner’s seat.”

“Got it. Since I’ll be free until then, I’ll send out a reconnaissance craft or something.”

“Then I’ll intercept communications alongside Her Highness.”

“And me?” Sanae asked.

“Astral project and follow Koutarou, but make sure that Elexis doesn’t find you.”

“Aye aye, captain!”

“Yurika, you keep defensive spells up and regularly check to see if you can detect any other magic in the area.”

“Got it.”

“What about me?”

“Shizuka, you’re though and can sense the presence of enemies, so go outside and patrol.”

“Okay.”

With Kiriha’s instructions, the girls all got to their feet and were out of the Cradle’s residential quarters in a hurry. That left only Kiriha and Clan in the room. Clan smiled as she adjusted her glasses. It was an honest smile, and a rare sight indeed.

“Kii, you’re good at putting people into action.”

“Everyone’s always been waiting for someone like Koutarou to show up...

Just like you, right, Onee-chan?”

Kiriha whispered the last part in a childish tone. She was implying that Clan’s own feelings had changed around the time they met when Kiriha was much younger. Clan’s smiling face immediately turned red at the accusation.

“...If you tell anyone that, I’ll kill you both, Kii.”

“Then let’s make sure no one finds out.”

It wasn’t just Kiriha and Theia. Koutarou was the one that all of the girls had been waiting for. That’s why learning that there was anything they could do to make sure he came home safely was all the motivation they needed.

Forthorthe had the technology to create artificial gravity, so there was no need to rotate a cylindrical space colony to simulate it. However, that being said, the traditional cylindrical design was strong and easy to make. Less corners made it more advantageous in terms of structural integrity, and it required less material to build. As such, it was still common for the space colonies of Forthorthe to be cylindrical even now. And since the shape was retained, it made sense to have it spin anyway so the city could be built on the inner wall. That way, they would only need to simulate gravity during emergency situations, allowing them to drastically reduce the amount of energy used.

But even with the traditional design, there were parts of the colony that didn’t rotate, like the port where ships came and went. This was achieved by building the structure in the center of the cylindrical tube where the rotation was at its slowest, and having it rotate the opposite way. That made it functionally stationary, which in turn made it easier for vessels to dock or land.

Since the design of the cylindrical space colony was overall convenient and energy efficient, it was still quite practical and in wide use in Forthorthe. That’s why after exiting the port and entering the residential district in the actual tube part of the colony, Koutarou and Maki were greeted with the strange sight of having the ground both at their feet and over their heads.

“It’s when I see things like this that I realize I really have come to a different solar system...”

Koutarou sighed as he looked the city spreading out in front of—and above—him. It was night when they had made their way to the previous space station, and they’d had to leave in a hurry after the attack at the hotel, so he hadn’t really had a chance to appreciate the station itself. That’s why Koutarou was overwhelmed by the sight before him.

“Don’t you think so, Aika-san?”

“Now’s not the time for that, Satomi-kun. People are after your life, you know.”

“I do know, but this is still incredible.”

Koutarou couldn’t deny that he might be in danger, but he didn’t actually expect there to be any problems. He didn’t think that Elexis and Darkness Rainbow would make an attempt his life with such a sloppy plan after all this time. And with that peace of mind, he casually made his way through the city in the space colony.

“Besides, if they were going to attack, they would have done it already, right? So you don’t need to make such a scary face.”

Just moving from the port to the city, there had been plenty of points where Koutarou and Maki could have been ambushed. And now inside the city, they were walking through a relatively empty warehouse district. Koutarou believed that if the entire thing was a trap, it was strange that they hadn’t been attacked yet.

Besides, by having us walk through all these places it would have been easy to jump us, they’re probably trying to tell us that they’re not going to.

Based on Elexis’s personality, Koutarou believed that was the most likely possibility. Granted, it wasn’t like he had any proof, so he kept it to himself.

“...I just can’t come to such trusting, confident decisions the way you can, Satomi-kun.”

Maki, who was walking alongside Koutarou, was unable to hide her tension. She was wearing a women’s suit that Ruth had prepared for her, which only served to emphasize the serious impression she gave off.

Really, Maki felt very similarly to the other girls who’d stayed behind on the Cradle.

“In your case, it’s probably unavoidable. You’ve learned that fear the hard way.”

“But I wouldn’t be scared on my own.”

“Sorry, Aika-san. I guess you’re just babysitting today.”

He had neither his sword nor armor. In an emergency he’d have to call for them, but he’d have to deal with the emergency empty-handed until an opening presented itself to do so. If Maki didn’t protect him, he’d be defeated in an instant.

“That’s not what I’m talking about. Jeez, you know what I mean...”

Frowning a little, Maki bumped her shoulder into Koutarou. It was extremely rare for her to be affectionate with Koutarou in a situation like this. Conversely, it could be said that the situation was putting so much pressure on her that she had no other choice.

“You are my everything. I can’t have anything happen to you.”

“Don’t say something like that with a straight face, Aika-san.”

“If I didn’t say it with a straight face, you’d just brush it off.”

“Well, that’s kinda the dilemma of a shy boy.”

“There’s no need to be shy. I don’t mind being your sacrificial pawn, Satomi-kun.”

Whump!

“Ow!”

“I mind.”

Perhaps because their conversation strayed from the task at hand, Maki’s expression eased up. The two of them now looked like they were in the middle of a lovers’ quarrel as they walked through the city.

“You know, I don’t hate hearing you say that...”

“Then make sure you protect yourself too, okay?”

“Yes, I think I will.”

After a little bit of back and forth, Maki recollected herself. Though she still looked a bit strained, she scanned her surroundings like usual, exactly as expected from an elite magical girl that had overcome countless battles.

Koutarou and Maki continued walking along, eventually coming to a large park in the middle of the city. The park was their real destination—the designated point of contact.

“It’s so big... Where should we go?”

The park was far bigger than Koutarou had expected. If it were smaller, he would have just waited at the center of it, but that wasn’t the case. The park was so large that it had a marathon course running around the perimeter.

“Don’t worry, Satomi-kun.”

Maki flashed a small smile. From her time in Darkness Rainbow, she had a good handle on how this kind of thing worked.

“They should have spotted us a while ago. They’ll contact us if we just keep walking.”

“So that’s why they made us wear these clothes...”

“Yes. Rather than specifying an exact location, this way is safer for both parties.”

They—most likely Elexis and his associates—had their reasons for not wanting to specify an exact location. If a third party happened to be there at the designated time, they might get followed after the meetup. In order to avoid that, it was safer not to pick a specific location, but instead find Koutarou ahead of time and contact him when the timing was right. That was the whole point of getting him to wear the suit—so he would be easy to pick out of a crowd.

“In fact, it’s a pretty common precaution not to choose a predetermined place.”

“I see. They’ve put a lot of thought into this. Then I guess we should leave the work to them. And in that case, then why not go Forthorthe sightseeing? Even though this is just a space colony...”

“Satomi-kun, jeez...”

Maki was feeling nervous, but Koutarou showed no sign of that as he looked around eagerly. She was a little jealous of that difference between them, but in the end, she chased after him without saying a word.

After entering the park, what surprised Koutarou the most were the colorful fish swimming in the artificial pond.

“This is incredible. What strange fish...”

“You didn’t see any fish when you were in Forthorthe before?”

“There weren’t a lot of fish being circulated for hygiene reasons, so I only saw three or four kinds. But they weren’t all strange like these are.”

The fish swimming in the pond were colorful and had peculiar forms. They looked less like the carps and ricefishes commonly seen in Japan, and more like tropical fish. In beautiful contrast to the plants in the surrounding woods, the fish made a vivid, colorful display in the pond quite unlike the image Koutarou had in his mind of a normal park.

“Maybe it’s because they’re aquarium fish?”

“Ah, right, this is a park after all.”

As they stood there looking down into the magnificent pond, a familiar voice called out to them from behind.

“This is the first time I’ve seen you make that face.”

The moment she heard the voice, Maki quickly turned around. As she did, a streak of flaming red caught her eye. It was the hair of the girl who had called out to them—her former colleague, Dark Crimson.

“Crimson?!”

Somewhere deep down, Maki had known that this would happen. While she was surprised by the suddenness of it, she wasn’t actually surprised to see Crimson.

“I guess that means you made the right choice for yourself.”

“...Yeah, I think so.”

“That’s good.”

Even for Darkness Rainbow, Dark Crimson was something of an outlier. While she was part of an organization that was hostile to Koutarou and the others, she conducted herself in a way that made it hard to write her off as just another enemy.

“We’ve been running into each other a lot lately, Crimson.”

“All of the work involving you gets dumped on me. Apparently because we got along the best or something.”

“Heh, even though you’re the worst at negotiating?”

“Just shut up and leave it at that!”

The reason Crimson behaved the way she did was her relationship with Maki. Darkness Rainbow was an individualistic organization through and through. Because of that, Crimson didn’t really feel like Maki had betrayed them, and so their relationship continued even after she left. Of course, that only held true until a battle broke out. Sadly, in those terms, there was no denying that they had parted ways. And so Koutarou let the two girls do as they pleased without interrupting. He knew right well it might be the last time they could see each other like this.

“Well then... if we play around too much, I’ll never hear the end of it from Maya, so let’s get a move on.”

However, contrary to Koutarou’s intentions, Crimson cut short her friendly conversation with Maki. Although Koutarou was a little sorry for it, it gave him a chance to finally ask Crimson something.

“So this really is about something serious, isn’t it?”

Koutarou stood up from leaning on the railing around the pond and stepped away from it as he spoke. Crimson nodded in response to his question.

“That girly-man wants to talk about it himself. He’s been busy with conferences and stuff lately, so it’s probably about that.”

According to what Crimson was saying, Elexis’s business was getting involved in something complicated. That was ultimately the reason she was in a hurry.

“Guide us there. Neither of us have much time, right?”

“This way.”

They were in the middle of a war. Neither Koutarou nor Elexis had much time to spare. Vandarion could catch onto them at any moment. And with that sense of urgency, Koutarou and Maki quickly followed Crimson out of the park.

Crimson took Koutarou and Maki to a small, old building at the edge of the city. However, its interior was far more luxurious than its exterior suggested. Wallpaper had been put up, antique furniture decorated the rooms, and there were paintings hanging on the walls. It was so posh that Koutarou half expected there to actually be a party as the card had suggested.

“Welcome, Koutarou-kun.”

In the furthest room on the top floor, where the CEO’s office would be in corporate building, Elexis was waiting for them. When he noticed Koutarou and the girls enter, he stood up from the desk where he was working and greeted them with a smile. But he wasn’t alone.

“Long time no see, Maki.”

“Maya-sama... It’s been a while.”

Maya was standing next to Elexis. She wasn’t very knowledgeable about the situation in Forthorthe, so she was going to leave the conference to Elexis, but she eagerly agreed to come when she learned Maki would be there.

“So what is this about?”

Koutarou was quick to cut to the chase. However, Elexis turned around instead of giving him the answer he wanted.

“Now hold on, Koutarou-kun. Let’s have a toast first.”

Elexis pulled a bottle from a nearby shelf. It was undistilled fruit wine, very similar to red wine on Earth. Even in Forthorthe it was common to drink this type of liquor before a meal or during celebrations.

“I’m not old enough to drink alcohol.”

“There’s nothing to worry about. This is Forthorthe.”

“Even under Forthorthe’s laws, I can’t drink yet.”

“Well that might depend on how much you're willing to abuse your authority, hmm?”

“You...!”

At first Koutarou thought that Elexis had pulled out the liquor as a joke, or maybe even as a symbol of his upper class wealth. But he was wrong. It was just an easy way to steer the conversation towards the main point.

“...What are you talking about?”

“Well, you see, I only have circumstantial evidence to base this off of...”

Elexis set the bottle down on his desk with a clunk, then turned back to Koutarou and shrugged.

“But this circumstantial evidence is rather convincing, I must say. Even ignoring all the hubbub about your armor, there’s your relationship with the royalty, the crest engraved on your sword, the silver-haired girl, magic, and dragons, not to mention everything that’s going on in the magical world and the underground world... Really, there’s just far too much to say that it’s all unrelated. And you just happen to be at the middle of it. Shall I go into more detail?”

“No, that’s enough. I get where you’re going.”

As Elexis had been to Earth, he knew a lot more about Koutarou than most Forthorthians. With that knowledge and the information that had surfaced recently, Elexis had reached a certain conclusion.

“Now if you ask yourself whether all that circumstantial evidence piled up by chance or for a reason, the latter is clearly more, well, reasonable. And with that in mind, we have grounds to assume a few things. For example, Koutarou-kun is at the very least the Blue Knight’s successor.”

While there was no way to say for sure if Koutarou had the Blue Knight’s blood running in his veins or not, he undeniably had some portion of his power, rights, and duty. That was the conclusion that Elexis and Darkness Rainbow had reached. While it wasn’t quite the truth, as far as the consequences of Elexis having figured it out were concerned, it was practically the same thing.

“Satomi-kun...”

Maki stepped forward as if to protect Koutarou. If they’d called Koutarou here knowing what they did about his connection to the Blue Knight, Maki couldn’t imagine this would lead to anything good.

“Calm down, Maki.”

“But Maya-sama...”

“I promise you that the two of you will return home safely today. I swear it on my name.”

“You’re being awfully nice today, Maya. Is it because your protégé is so cute?”

“Silence, you!”

“Okay, okay...”

“I understand, Maya-sama.”

Maki was prepared for a fight, but she heeded her old master, Maya, and lowered her guard. She then backed off in order to not get in the way of Koutarou and Elexis, although she remained closer to Koutarou than before. Since she understood Maya’s personality better than anyone, Maki fully believed in her. But even so, she knew that were other potential dangers still lurking.

You’ve gotten so cute in the short while I haven’t seen you, Maki...

Maya had some thoughts on how much Maki—her former completely devoted and utterly strait-laced disciple—had changed, but she decided not to say anything in light of the current situation.

“So Elexis... Even if what you say is true, what do you want me to do?”

Whatever the game was, it was already afoot. Elexis had initially done a great deal believing that Koutarou was Theia’s knight, but now he was operating under the assumption that Koutarou was the Blue Knight’s successor. This was considerably more delicate than Koutarou had thought at first.

“It’s simple. Why don’t you side with us, Koutarou-kun?”

“What?! You think I’d do something like that?!”

Koutarou swiftly and emphatically turned down Elexis’s offer. Since Elexis was on Vandarion’s side, working with him meant kowtowing to Vandarion. That was something Koutarou knew he couldn’t do. He was ready to stop the talk right then and there.

“Calm down, Koutarou-kun. I’m not asking you to side with Vandarion. Quite the opposite, really.”

“...What do you mean?”

Koutarou had his back turned to Elexis as he was headed for the door, but those words stopped him in his tracks. He slowly turned back around.

“Based on Vandarion’s actions thus far, his likely course of action in the future is a little... outside of what we were expecting.”

“You mean you won’t be able to rule the country if you continue following Vandarion?”

“Putting it bluntly, that would be the case. But even with that aside, I’ve decided to leave Vandarion and act on my own, hence why I’ve come to request your cooperation.”

Elexis was trying to improve Forthorthe in his own way, and siding with Vandarion had simply been a means to accomplish that. But with Vandarion’s methods becoming increasingly intolerable, Elexis was ready to try a new plan. And that was to work with Koutarou instead.

“I get what you want to say, but that doesn’t change that you want to bring Her Majesty Elfaria down from the throne, right?”

“Yes, that’s right. My goal is to destroy this decrepit social order and create a new, wholesome system, after all.”

“At least you’re honest... But because of that, I can’t accept your offer.”

Koutarou and Elexis’s goals were fundamentally different. Because Koutarou wanted to protect the current social order, he couldn’t envision working with Elexis.

“No, of course not. But we’re not there yet, and I think we can get along until the next stage. You could call it a limited-time ceasefire, if you’d like.”

“And what is the next stage?”

“We’re planning to hold a royal family meeting to appoint a regent. With that, military command will be removed from Vandarion and the trial can be conducted fairly. Don’t you think we could cooperate until then?”

Normally the head of the Imperial Army was the empress herself. However, with the empress stripped of her authority and denounced for fraud and murder, control of the military was left to the parliament. And since Vandarion had control of the parliament, the military had fallen into his hands and become his own private army. In addition, Vandarion held sway over the court judges, which was one of the reasons why Elfaria refused to go to trial.

But that was only temporary. If a regent was appointed, Vandarion would lose his control over the army. A regent empress would also have the authority to appoint and dismiss judges, which could quash the influence Vandarion touted over the courts. She would even be able to demand that he produce evidence of the crimes Elfaria had been accused of. With a regent empress being an impartial third party, Vandarion would have no choice but to comply. If he didn’t, Vandarion and his men would finally be branded as the traitors they were.

“So from there, you’d be aiming to make this regent empress the real empress while we’ll be trying to reinstate Elfaria.”

“Indeed. The chances of success would certainly be different from what they are now, but there will undoubtedly be less bloodshed. Honestly, it’s

a good deal compared to continuing this war that’s costing us the lives of citizens and soldiers alike.”

Elexis’s proposal hit Koutarou and the others where it hurt.

Less death, huh? He’s... right...

In the past when Princess Alaia had fought against Maxfern who was after the country, she had worried that the fighting would all be pointless if he could actually pave the way for a better government. Fighting would mean battles that cost the lives of innocent citizens, so if there was another way... When he thought about it like Alaia had, Koutarou couldn’t immediately reject Elexis’s proposal.

“...And where do I come in?” Koutarou asked skeptically.

Elexis was an enemy Koutarou had faced time and time again. He had done unforgivable things. But this was about protecting the people rather than defeating the enemy, and for their sake, Koutarou held back his urge to reject him on premise and decided to listen to what Elexis had to say. Of course, Harumi’s situation played a big part in his decision as well.

This... might just work out after all...

In contrast to Koutarou, Elexis’s expectations were on the rise. In truth, he knew the possibility of Koutarou accepting his proposal was low. But based on the way Koutarou was acting now, there was still a chance. Sensing Koutarou’s hesitation, Elexis carefully chose his next words.

“Your role is extremely important. Right now, a lot of citizens are starting to think of you as the Blue Knight. So we’d like you to acknowledge that you are the Blue Knight at the royal family meeting and declare your support for a regent empress.”

Elexis wanted Koutarou to give his support for a temporary ruler as the Blue Knight’s successor. The truth was that appointing a regent at this juncture could be incredibly dangerous. While it would draw in the citizens that hadn’t yet taken a side, the hardcore supporters of both Elfaria and Vandarion would reject it adamantly. If this happened without proper planning, it would only make the situation worse.

That was where Koutarou became important. Based on how Koutarou fought, many of the citizens, especially those on Elfaria’s side, had begun seeing him as their Blue Knight. If he were to officially acknowledge that he was the Blue Knight’s successor and give his support to the appointment of a regent empress, the public might buy it. Really, Elexis didn’t want or need Koutarou’s strength on the battlefield. He was after his overwhelming strength of influence as the Blue Knight.

“So that’s what you were up to...”

Koutarou was genuinely too surprised to think of anything else to say. This was something he’d have to consult with Elfaria and Kiriha about before making a decision. Elexis and his associates knew that, which was why Maya had been so willing to assure Koutarou that he and Maki would return home safely today.

“That’s right. That’s why what I said at first is important... Let’s have a toast, Koutarou-kun.”

Unlike Koutarou who was stunned and puzzled, Elexis was in a cheerful mood. He considered it a huge success that Koutarou hadn’t rejected his offer outright. He had done everything he could now. All that was left was to wait for the gears of destiny to turn.

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