Published at 23rd of August 2019 12:05 am

Volume 25, Chapter 5: The Name Is Ceilēshu

This chapter is updated by NovelFree.ml

Friday, December 17th

One week after the ceasefire had been called for under Regent Empress Ceilēshu’s rule, the royal families held a grand press conference. The conference was filled with representatives from all kinds of media, from reporters of well known newspapers to independent journalists. There were so many people there that not all of them could fit in the conference hall of the biggest hotel in Forthorthe’s capital, Fornorn. The journalists who couldn’t fit in the hall and the citizens who had gathered for the occasion simply surrounded the hotel, making the royal families’ press conference a much bigger affair than usual.

The reason for the abnormal excitement was a statement that had been released to the media prior to the press conference. The statement was regarding the election of the regent empress and the details surrounding it, but it also indicated that there would be an announcement from Lord Koutarou Satomi, the knight in blue armor who was traveling with the Reborn Forthorthian Army. The people interpreted this to mean that the imperial household would be officially recognizing Koutarou in some way.

Of course, if the announcement were something negative, it wouldn’t be presented during the regent empress’s press conference. If the royal families were to make an announcement like that, it would have been a press release instead. Because of that, it seemed clear to the public that the

announcement was going to be a positive one. Hoping that it would be exactly what they thought it might, the media and citizens alike flooded the hotel.

“To all those in attendance, the royal family meeting’s press conference will now begin.”

Serving as the coordinator for the press conference was the same man that had presided as the chairman of the royal family meeting, late Empress Dilumiora’s spouse, Lord Karlstoff. While he was an elderly gentleman almost eighty years old, his behavior and voice still maintained a powerful presence. Because of that, when he spoke through the speakers to the conference hall, all fell silent.

“While this conference is in regards to the official announcement of Her Highness Ceilēshu being elected regent empress, there is something that must be announced before that.”

But the hall didn’t remain silent for long. Once Lord Karlstoff mentioned the announcement they’d all been waiting for, the venue was abuzz and cameras were going off left and right. Lord Karlstoff had to wait patiently for the commotion to die down.

“I am speaking of an announcement in regards to the knight in blue armor traveling with the Reborn Forthorthian Army.”

The hall was abuzz once more. The long-awaited truth would finally be revealed. The anticipation was only building with each passing second.

“His birth and status have been kept hidden as he himself and Princess Theiamillis believed that it would be better not to reveal such information. Because of that, there has been a great deal of conjecture on the matter flying around. At the royal family meeting, we consulted him and asked if he might disclose these details to us as we are now in a situation where this holds great sway over public opinion.”

The buzz in the hall gradually died down. However, that wasn’t because the people present had lost interest. It was simply because nobody wanted to miss what was Lord Karlstoff was about to say.

“As a result, he has taken our side and revealed this information to us under the condition that we treat it with utmost care.”

Lord Karlstoff stopped speaking for a moment and picked up a water bottle from the desk. His throat had dried up from the pressure of making such an announcement. After drinking the water and wetting his parched throat, Lord Karlstoff continued.

“However, what he shared with us far surpassed what we could have imagined. That is why he kept it a secret for so long, and I understand how he feels. However, that is exactly why we were unable to keep such truth a secret any longer. It is far too important to the citizens of Forthorthe.”

Lord Karlstoff didn’t falter, but serious tension could be heard in his frank voice.

“With all of that in mind, citizens, please listen calmly. This boy is neither the descendant of nor successor to the Blue Knight as we had suspected.”

Lord Karlstoff knew what he was about to say would shake all of Forthorthe.

“He is none other than the Blue Knight himself.”

And he was right. In that moment, the very foundations of the massive nation spanning the galaxy, the Holy Forthorthe Galactic Empire, were thoroughly shaken.

After the identity of the knight in blue armor was revealed, it took more than fifteen minutes for the conference hall to calm down again. The hall had fallen into tumult with people running outside to tell others what they had just heard, people running inside of the venue in their stead, and people trying to run up to Lord Karlstoff but being stopped by police. It was so bad that Lord Karlstoff had to leave the hall and wait for the commotion to die down.

Once the press conference restarted, Lord Karlstoff began going through the details on how exactly they’d come to determine that the person in question was actually the Blue Knight. The most impressive evidence of all was the large amount of data that the second princess, Clariossa, had submitted. Her own recordings on top of video records and operational data from the armor were very convincing. The sheer amount of data she had on the matter was so staggering that it would have been impossible to fake it all without any sort of obvious discrepancy. Moreover, that it had

come from a princess of the Schweiger family, known to be on bad terms with the Mastir family, was rather compelling.

And after taking all of the submitted data into account, a genetic investigation was performed. In it, traces of gene manipulation were found in many of the citizens of Forthorthe, and the genes that had been manipulated largely matched those of the knight in question. With that, there was plenty of backing to support the princess’s data.

They had also questioned the knight himself. He knew things not even the royal families did, so archaeologists and historians had come together in an effort to confirm whether or not what he was saying was the truth. They hadn’t been able to determine much, and there were notable discrepancies with certain history books. His story, however, perfectly matched up with Princess Alaia’s memoirs and military records from the time. It also seemed to answer some long-held questions the archeologists and historians had on the matter.

A thorough investigation was also performed on the articles that Princess Clariossa submitted. The results of their examination through various archaeological techniques confirmed that they were all real. Everything from the materials to their production methods was exactly the same as what had been used during that time period, and moreover, it was even believed that it would be impossible to replicate those with modern means. However, the decisive pieces of evidence were the wooden insignia on the armor’s breastplate and the silver sword the knight carried.

DNA was found and collected from the wooden insignia. Genetically, it indicated that it belonged to royalty, and a comparison with an imperfect sample showed that it was very likely Princess Charl’s. As for the silver sword, they went to a stand for it hidden in a temple in the mountains of Raustor and compared the silver fragments they found there to his silver sword. Of course, the raw material had corroded some over the centuries, but by calculating backwards, they could tell that the samples were very similar. Moreover, the knight had been the one to tell them where this stand was. Not even the royal families had known about it, and based on the fact that the stand hadn’t been touched for at least several hundred years, the chances were high that the silver sword was the real Signaltin, which only further served to prove the knight’s identity.

In addition, all kinds of other investigations were carried out. But all the results that came in seemed to corroborate the knight’s story. Faced with a mounting pile of evidence, even skeptics were forced to admit the knight in question was indeed the real Blue Knight. That also meant acknowledging that he had traveled to the past by accident.

Granted, there was still the possibility that all of this was purely by luck or coincidence. It just seemed so unbelievably unlikely. Even though the odds were non-zero, they were still astronomical. It was far more realistic that this boy was indeed the Blue Knight.

As the news from the press conference made its way throughout Forthorthe, it put the whole nation in a stir. The one they had been waiting for had finally returned. And he was fighting for the country, its citizens, and the royal families once again. It was a much needed balm to the war- weary hearts of the citizens of Forthorthe. It gave them hope. Hope that peaceful times would return once more.

“Well now this is a commotion... I suppose what’s done is done, but to think it would cause this much of a fuss...”

Elexis switched between holograms while muttering to himself in admiration and surprise. He was currently in the VIP room of the hotel where the press conference was taking place and looking at various information using his computer. The town was overflowing with people and everyone was cheering. Regardless of the channel, all news stations were billing the Blue Knight’s return as their top story, then running specials on it after their regular news programs. It was as if all kinds of festivals and holidays had started up at once, and the joyous atmosphere spreading through the nation made it hard to believe they were in the middle of a civil war.

“But I know how they feel. I almost fainted when I heard about your identity myself, Koutarou-kun.”

Elexis sat down in his chair, looking away from the holograms and towards the sofa and the armchair in the room. Sitting in the sofa were Clan and Kiriha while Koutarou was in the armchair. Behind him was Maki, sticking to him like a shadow. Hearing what Elexis said, Koutarou looked at him with surprise.

“Hadn’t you already realized it?”

“I didn’t think there was any doubt that you had the Blue Knight’s powers, but I never imagined that you were the Blue Knight himself. It’s been two thousand years since then, after all. At best I figured you were a descendant or successor, or perhaps both. I have common sense, you know.”

Elexis had been as surprised as anyone when Koutarou told him the truth of his identity. Of course as a veteran businessman, he didn’t let it show. He’d been able to keep a straight face at the time because he hadn’t been presented with all the research the royal families would do in order to confirm it. He wasn’t truly shocked until he saw all of the evidence that was collected. It was enough to make him question his own sanity, and he had to drink several shots of strong liquor to calm himself down. While he had fought against Koutarou many times before, Elexis was a Forthorthian too.

“If you ask me, I’m surprised Maya’s reaction was so tame. Folsarians were exiled by you, weren’t they?”

“That was several hundred years ago, and it was their fault for losing.”

Maya was standing behind Elexis. Like Maki, she was protecting the person in front of her. The presence of the two girls and their defensive postures indicated that Koutarou and Elexis didn’t fully trust one another.

“Now that you mention it, Darkness Rainbow is full of people like that. There are only a few still working towards the original goal, no?”

“The country is at stake. I’m not childish enough to start a commotion for no reason. Of course I can’t speak for Crimson.”

Maya looked like she was enjoying herself. Things were proceeding through bargaining and scheming, just the way she liked it. And victory was within reach. Besides, she had known for a long time that Koutarou had the Blue Knight’s powers, so the news didn’t take her by surprise. In fact, she wasn’t acting much different now than she usually did.

“Being able to get all the way to the capital right away was largely due to Princess Clariossa. And for that, you have my thanks, Your Highness.”

Elexis elegantly thanked Clan in a high-class fashion. It was true that Clan had played the most important role in all of this. Not only had she provided evidence of Koutarou’s identity, she had also provided a point of contact with the royal families as a member of the Schweiger family. Since it meant taking away power from the Mastir family, the Schweiger family was more than happy to help. They had told the other royal families about Koutarou and used their influence to suggest the appointment of a regent empress. Ever since then, Clan had been given the duty of being the Schweiger family’s liaison with the Blue Knight. With that, she was officially acknowledged by her family as the Blue Knight’s partner. She was even praised for bringing the Blue Knight over from the Mastir family.

“Who would believe thanks from a man who’s planning to end the imperial government?”

Of course, Clan herself wasn’t very happy about Elexis. She believed that preying on their weakness to manipulate them into this alliance was extremely unbecoming of leader. To Clan, Elexis was exactly the kind of man she couldn’t stand.

“But I am sincere, Your Highness. At the very least until our ceasefire ends.”

“I’ll stay quiet until then too. Pointless fighting will only benefit Vandarion, after all.”

“A wise judgement, Your Highness.”

But despite her personal feelings, Clan understood their current situation. It was important for her to play nice and keep up their relationship with Elexis as long as their real enemy, Vandarion, was still in power.

“Koutarou, it’s almost time,” Kiriha spoke up.

“Jeez... I wish I could’ve just stayed behind the scenes.”

At Kiriha’s urging, Koutarou stood up from his seat. He had an important job coming up. Taking the three girls with him, Koutarou headed towards the entrance to the room.

“Oh, we can’t have that. You’re the star of today’s show, Koutarou-kun. Make sure you properly escort Princess Ceilēshu.”

“I know. You just keep your side of the bargain.”

“The safety of Her Majesty Elfaria and Her Highness Theiamillis, right? Just leave that to me. I always oblige my contracts.”

“Then that’s fine. But man, this all sure has gotten troublesome...”

Koutarou was now headed to the conference hall in order to take part in a question and answer session with the press. He was specifically supposed to show his support of Princess Ceilēshu as regent empress. In order to do that, Koutarou had to announce that he was the Blue Knight. With the influence he would gain by admitting that, he could help convince the public that Ceilēshu was the right choice. And in exchange for doing all that, Elexis would make sure Elfaria and Theia were safe.

The first princess, Ceilēshu, was tall compared to Theia, but it was to be expected since she was older. In Earth years, she would be around twenty years old. She was practically an adult compared to the young Theia, and the difference in height seemed to highlight that.

“Layous-sama, I look forward to working with you today.”

“Same here, Princess Ceilēshu.”

The biggest difference by far between Theia and Ceilēshu was their personalities. Ceilēshu was quite different from what Koutarou had come to expect of Forthorthian royalty. The empress and the princesses he knew were all openly strong-willed people. Theia was on the top of that list. In contrast, Ceilēshu practically emanated gentleness. She was very similar to Alaia in that sense, but even Alaia had had a great deal of strength underneath it all. Ceilēshu was lacking that. Rather than seeming to be from a family of warriors or knights, she seemed more like someone from a family of scholars or priests.

I bet Elexis figured that would make her easy to control...

That’s what Koutarou felt as he looked at Ceilēshu. What Elexis needed was a puppet until he could edge out Elfaria and Vandarion, not a real leader that could make decisions on their own.

“By the way, may I ask you a question, Layous-sama?”

“Ask me anything, Your Highness.”

Koutarou and Ceilēshu were headed to the conference hall together, but Koutarou walked half a step behind her as a knight. Because of that, he couldn’t see the expression on her face.

“You are Layous-sama, are you not?”

“After everything, yes.”

Koutarou gave Ceilēshu a casual answer. Her gentle demeanor seemed to encourage it. Her question was also an abstract one, and Koutarou didn’t think it was very meaningful.

“And are you still Layous-sama even now?”

However, her follow-up question made Koutarou reevaluate his opinion of her.

She might not be exactly as she seems...

This time, Ceilēshu’s question clearly had special meaning behind it. To Koutarou, it sounded like she was asking if he was still living as the Blue Knight.

“Living like this is a way to show my sincerity, good will, and gratitude to the people I lived and fought alongside... No, that’s not it...”

Koutarou earnestly searched for words as he tried to convey his vague feelings. He felt like he couldn’t give her such a casual answer this time.

“Living with my head held high as the Blue Knight is sort of my own chivalry.”

“I see. That’s a wonderful aspiration.”

As Ceilēshu said that, she stopped and turned to Koutarou. She had a very beautiful and gentle smile, yet it also looked sad.

“One more question. How did Theia-chan... How did Princess Theiamillis grasp your heart?”

But the sadness in her smile quickly vanished. She was simply smiling gently now just as she had when she and Koutarou first met.

“I don’t really know myself. After all, she tried to kill me at first.”

Even when asked why he became Theia’s vassal, Koutarou couldn’t give a clear, specific answer. Maybe because he never had one to begin with. He just simply couldn’t leave Theia be when she was troubled.

“Heehee, do you even realize, Layous-sama?”

Ceilēshu held her hand over her mouth in ladylike fashion as she giggled and cocked her head to the side. She was still quite visibly smiling.

“Huh?”

“That is the same as saying that you love everything about her.”

Not having a specific reason meant that everything was a reason. That was absolute loyalty, or perhaps... Ceilēshu couldn’t help but smile.

“Your Highness...”

“Let’s go, Layous-sama. We have to protect Forthorthe.”

When Ceilēshu said that, she revealed an expression Koutarou was familiar with.

There really is more to her than meets the eye.

It was the expression of a princess determined to fight.

Once in the conference hall, Ceilēshu boldly spoke to all of the citizens through the cameras without flinching. It was quite different from the mild air she’d had about her before. She now truly looked and sounded like a leader worthy of guiding Forthorthe.

“I am Ceilēshu. First off, I would like to report to all citizens that I, Ceilēshu Kua Forthorthe, have been appointed regent empress.”

Ceilēshu then began going through her qualifications and why she’d been chosen for the job.

Forthorthe was currently without an empress. The former empress, Elfaria, had been stripped of her royal authority. And since someone without royal authority couldn’t be empress, Elfaria had subsequently lost her right to the throne. Following those events, a conference was held to decide what to do, and it was ultimately determined that parliament would take things over as they were.

But things hadn’t worked out as planned. With parliament in control, everything needed to be decided during conferences with the entire parliament assembled, meaning decisions took longer to reach and the original role of the parliament as a legislative body was stagnating. If things continued as they were, a political void would open and the entire country would decay from the top down. In order to avoid that, a regent empress had been chosen.

Of course, since it was an emergency measure, the throne had not actually been abdicated. These measures were normally only taken during extreme, unexpected situations such as the empress falling ill, and it was customary to go in the order of greatest claim to the throne. That’s why Ceilēshu was chosen, and why she had become regent empress rather than empress. This was out of deference for the possibility that the charges brought against Elfaria proved to be false. In that scenario, she’d need to reclaim the throne or the validity of the monarchy would be lost. Inversely, if Elfaria was found guilty, she would be forced to abdicate, and another empress would ascend the throne in accordance to the ancient customs.

“Of course, the royal families and I know that this is not the best option. However, since a better option can’t be determined at this time, we are confident that we have adopted the best plan in this situation. I’m sure there are many citizens who are not convinced of this, but this is only a temporary solution until things are fully resolved. And to that end, I ask for your cooperation.”

Ceilēshu’s speech was splendid. Not only had she honestly acknowledged what she could and couldn’t do, did and didn’t know, she was also gracious enough to ask the people of Forthorthe for their help in resolving the situation. She was the ideal leader to those who had been unable to choose between Elfaria and the military thus far.

“And I would like to once again make my wishes clear. The Imperial Army of the Holy Forthorthe Galactic Empire and the Reborn Forthorthian

Army are to stop combat immediately. This is an official order from the regent empress.”

After finishing explaining the details, Ceilēshu demanded an end to all combat with her authority as empress. The empress was originally the commander-in-chief of the Imperial Army, but parliament had accepted Vandarion’s leadership in the absence of an empress. But now a new, albeit temporary, empress had appeared. If Vandarion defied her, he would become a traitor and the Imperial Army would become a coup d’etat army. All fighting had to be stopped. And since the Reborn Forthorthian Army was only fighting to stop Vandarion’s violent actions, they had no reason to continue if the Imperial Army ceased all hostile actions.

“Moreover, the military that denounced Her Majesty Elfaria due to suspicions of criminal activity are to immediately submit the evidence they made their decision on. It will need to be examined for validity before the trial.”

Next, Ceilēshu demanded that Vandarion’s side submit the evidence they had so far withheld. Up until now, they had claimed that they feared that Elfaria’s side would tamper with it if they released it, but Ceilēshu was an impartial third party to the whole affair. And since she was serving as empress by proxy, it would be hard for Vandarion to reject her request. If he refused, he would lose his credibility.

“Additionally, to ensure a fair trial, a special court will be prepared with a newly appointed judge and staff.”

The empress had the right to appoint judges, especially those for high- ranking courts. As things were, there were accusations that a normal trial would be biased. It was rumored that the judges and other court staff were being bribed or threated by Vandarion. And for those reasons, a courtroom shake-up was required for a fair trial.

“The trial will be held as soon as the evidence has been examined and the judge and related staff have been appointed. I request that Her Majesty be present at court for this trial.”

Ceilēshu also requested that Elfaria obey the law. Even though she believed that the evidence was fabricated, she was clearly evading trial. But once the impartiality of the court was reestablished, Elfaria would no

longer be able to justify that. As such, she would need to comply with Ceilēshu’s orders.

“I would like to once again demand that all those involved in this incident swiftly put everything I’ve asked into action. This is not a request, but a decree from your regent empress.”

Ceilēshu’s words were, from start to finish, coherent and without contradiction. Only one uncertainty remained, and that was if she and her orders would be respected. If not, Vandarion might refuse her and use public opinion as an excuse. The only reason he had caved to the ceasefire the other day was because he wasn’t yet sure if he could get away with defying her or not. Unfortunately, regardless of how in the right she may be, the chances of a third party stepping in so late in the game and still managing to gain traction with the people were low. But the one holding the key to overturning that was the knight in blue armor who appeared on the platform after she had finished her speech.

Once the knight in blue armor, Koutarou, stepped on stage, Theia and the others who had gathered to watch the conference held their breath. It had only been a few days since they last saw him, but it felt like it had been ages since he left. Ruth even had tears forming in her eyes. Immediately after making his appearance, Koutarou was bombarded with questions from the journalists.

“Um... Layous-sama, may we call you Layous-sama?”

“Is that your question?”

“I-It’s not, but... this is a special situation for us, and we wouldn’t want to risk offending you.”

“You may call me whatever you like. Her Majesty Alaia would call me Layous on formal occasions, Blue Knight during war councils, and Koutarou privately.”

“Then since this is a formal occasion, I shall follow Her Majesty Alaia’s example and call you Layous-sama.”

Some anxiety could be seen in Koutarou’s expression, but it didn’t hold a candle to the journalists who were asking him questions. Standing before a legend, some of them were nervous wrecks. The same was true for the citizens watching. The entirety of Forthorthe was rapt.

“The first thing I would like to ask about is under what circumstances you ended up time slipping two thousand years into the past.”

“The cause of that was an unexpected accident. I was caught up in a space- time device being developed by Princess Clariossa that was running out of control.”

“So it wasn’t by choice?”

“That’s right. Besides, traveling to the past isn’t something you can will yourself to do. And even if you could, wouldn’t you aim for something closer to present day? That would reduce the risks if you were unable to return. What about you? Would you be willing to travel to the distant past?”

“No, I think I would choose something more modern, just as you say, Layous-sama. Also, in regards to your return... I hear you were buried underground for two thousand years.”

“That would be Veltlion’s special territory. Thanks to Her Majesty Alaia declaring it inviolable domain, we were able to safely return. I believe you will still find traces if you investigate there.”

Koutarou honestly answered the journalists’ questions. Though he held back some of the truth when it came to Theia and Clan, he technically didn’t tell a single lie. And as such, one remarkable thing after another left his mouth. Each time, some of the journalists in the conference hall would dash out to immediately go try and find evidence to corroborate what he’d said.

“I’m Galesbarn of The Forthorthe Periodical. Layous-sama, you’ve been supporting Her Majesty Elfaria up until now, but do you intend to now support Princess Ceilēshu?”

“In terms of who I do and do not support, I am still supporting Her Majesty Elfaria. Since Her Majesty is from the Mastir family that I am indebted to, I hope you can understand. But when trying to maximize the

advantages to both the Mastir family and the citizens of Forthorthe, I have decided that it would be best for Princess Ceilēshu to become regent empress in order to get the situation under control.”

“So you’re saying that if a fair trial is held, there won’t be any point in continuing the civil war?”

“That’s right. My standpoint is the same as Her Majesty Alaia’s was. We shouldn’t persist with justice if it would force strain and sacrifice onto the citizens. I believe that all royalty should share in that wish. How about it, Princess Ceilēshu?”

“It’s just as you say, Layous-sama.”

“I still support Her Majesty Elfaria, but in order to restore her position without putting undue burden on the citizens, I support the appointment of Princess Ceilēshu as regent.”

As Koutarou’s interview with the press continued, the energy in the conference hall only grew more and more excited. The same was true for all of Forthorthe. But in contrast to the euphoria the citizens of Forthorthe were feeling, the girls left behind by Koutarou were confused. And that only got worse the longer the session continued. Their confusion reached its peak when Koutarou clearly stated his support for the appointment of Ceilēshu.

“Wait, what does this mean?! Why is Satomi-san siding with her?!”

Yurika’s pained voice rang out in the bridge of Blue Knight. While she wasn’t the brightest, even she understood what that meant. This was the result of his secret meeting with Elexis the other day. In other words, Koutarou was siding with Elexis now. And that meant allying with Darkness Rainbow. That was something Yurika couldn’t imagine.

“I don’t get it either! Koutarou! What are you doing over there ignoring us?!”

Things were simpler in Sanae’s case. She was just extremely unhappy that Koutarou hadn’t brought them with him. She’d normally be able to understand Koutarou’s feelings by looking at his aura, but that kind of spiritual presence wasn’t conveyed through the hologram they were watching. Sanae felt both left out and anxious.

“Satomi-kun, if you don’t tell us anything, there’s nothing we can do...”

Shizuka was feeling a pain very similar to when she’d lost her parents. Koutarou hadn’t been the only one that left. Kiriha, Maki, and Clan were gone too. The four of them were like family to Shizuka, and the pain of having them snatched away was immeasurable.

“Your Highness, did Master really not say anything?”

Ruth’s tone of voice remained unchanged, but there were still tears in her eyes. She would do anything for Koutarou’s sake, but thinking that her feelings were for nothing, Ruth was inconsolable. Even more so considering how strongly she felt for him. And so those feelings she couldn’t contain manifested as tears.

“I don’t know... All he said was to trust him...”

Even with Ruth looking to her for an answer, all Theia could do was shrug. There was no doubt that Koutarou believed that his actions were for the sake of Theia, Elfaria, the other girls, and the citizens of Forthorthe. In that sense, things were most likely just as he had said during the question and answers session. However, Theia was very disappointed that the decision had been made without her. As Koutarou’s lord, she wanted him to tell her about important things like this.

“I’m sure it’s because of me... It’s because I collapsed... That’s why Satomi-kun is...”

But of all the girls, the most affected might have been Harumi. She believed that if she hadn’t collapsed, Koutarou might not have made this decision. Without Harumi, Koutarou was still the Blue Knight, just without his power. And that put them all in a dangerous position. Vandarion was launching attacks on the assumption that the Blue Knight was present, but Koutarou could no longer defend them as the Blue Knight could. With the risks for the Reborn Forthorthian Army increasing, further strain would be placed on the citizens. And if Koutarou were to die in battle, things would get ugly very quickly. Harumi believed that Koutarou had chosen to side with Elexis because he couldn’t stand that thought.

She was Koutarou’s Achilles heel and was already on the verge of being cut off. Admitting that was rather weighty for Alaia who existed inside of

Harumi. Thinking that she was standing in the way of Koutarou’s chivalry was an unbearable pain for her. Worst of all, Koutarou had taken Signaltin with him, but not Harumi. She believed that was proof enough that she was getting in Koutarou’s way.

“What do we do, Theia?! Can we really just let this happen?!”

“Sanae... I...”

“At this rate, he’s going to take Koutarou from us! That slime of a man will force Koutarou to work for a low salary for the sake of us and the people of Forthorthe! Are you okay with that?!”

Forced to work... for a low salary...

Sanae’s words conjured memories in Theia’s mind. While they were on Earth, Theia had given Koutarou his salary as her knight every day. Doing that made her feel like a proper princess, though calling it playing princess would have been equally accurate. But with things as they were, she would no longer be able to do that. Of course, Theia couldn’t accept that.

“N-No! I don’t want that! I’m Koutarou’s master! I won’t let him give Koutarou a salary―”

Theia’s emotions exploded in an outburst. But in the middle of it, something popped into her head. And the moment it did, she seemed to snap back to herself with a blank expression and her hair now disheveled.

“Salary...?”

It was almost unbelievable, but if it was true, it would clear up Koutarou’s so far unexplainable actions.

“I see! So that’s what you were thinking, Koutarou!”

Theia’s gloomy expression brightened up in an instant. She was now convinced that Koutarou hadn’t truly sided with Elexis. That he must be working with Elexis in order to accomplish a greater goal. In reality, there was no evidence that was what Koutarou was really thinking, but it was the only answer that made sense right now. It would also be in character for Koutarou, so Theia was quite sure she was onto something.

“That’s right! Now it makes sense! Why he didn’t tell me anything, why he didn’t take me with him, and why he asked me to put a stupid amount of trust in him... That’s what all of that was about!”

“Your Highness, did you figure something out?!”

“Ruth, prepare to take off immediately!”

“To the rally point? It’s ahead of schedule, but...”

“No, that’s not it! We’re going to pick up Koutarou with Blue Knight!”

Theia ran over to the pilot’s chair and hopped in. As Theia regained her vigor, her confidence began to spread to the other girls. First was Ruth. She was the most sensitive changes in Theia.

“If my suspicion is correct, Koutarou will be faced with his greatest danger yet before long! Let’s hurry!”

“Y-Yes! Calculating a route to Planet Forthorthe!”

Following Theia’s order, Ruth calculated a route to Planet Forthorthe where Koutarou and the others currently were. Ruth still had a serious expression on her face, but what was going on underneath the surface was completely different. Now she was worried about finding the route with the least chance of coming across the enemy in order to save Koutarou from the danger Theia had warned of. It was as if being left behind no longer fazed her in the slightest.

Seeing the two of them spring into action, Sanae and Yurika seemed to lighten up as well. Normally, they were the last ones to catch on, but not this time.

“Sounds like Koutarou came up with a plan.”

“Maybe it was Kiriha-san or Clan-san that came up with it.”

“Ah, yeah. It was definitely one of them.”

The two girls looked at each other and smiled before running to Theia. Even if the details were explained to them, they wouldn’t get it, so it was

enough for them right now just to know that Koutarou had a plan. And that they were going to rescue him.

“Theiamillis-san understands... but I don’t...”

Even though the mood in the bridge had changed, Harumi remained unmoving. Theia had realized Koutarou’s intentions and was preparing to move out. Ruth was assisting her. Sanae and Yurika hadn’t done anything, but they would do more than their share when it came to a fight. Only Harumi had nothing to contribute. She wouldn’t even be able to defend herself when things got dangerous. And worst of all, she couldn’t understand Koutarou like Theia did.

“In the end... I... can’t do...”

What would happen from here on out would happen regardless of Harumi. Nothing had really changed. She was still a hindrance. Even though she might be the reincarnation of Alaia, Harumi was just a powerless girl now.

“Harumi, what’s with that gloomy face? Hold your head high!”

“But I’m just useless...”

Theia was filled with hope and determination while Harumi was afflicted with disappointment and helplessness. Both girls were precious princesses to Koutarou, but they couldn’t have been more opposite in that moment.

“You fool! If Koutarou’s goal is what I think it is, you’re going to be the one that strikes down Elexis’s ambitions!”

“Huh...?”

“So you just wait for your grand reversal with my knight!”

Harumi looked up, guided by Theia’s powerful voice. As she did, she saw Theia leaning forward from the pilot’s seat with a fearless grin. That smile made her want to believe in Theia.

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