Published at 25th of March 2019 11:06 pm

Volume 6: Chapter 3: Fallen Guardian

1

It was unofficial, but in Rod Lab, people of the same subclass researching the same topics would form groups known as divisions or departments.

For instance, chefs like Mikakage would experiment with new cooking techniques daily, testing the limits of this action known as cooking. But on top of clean and plentiful water, ingredients and fuel, they needed a kitchen, ovens, heaters, fridges, all sorts of knives, different containers, molds, and equipment like blenders.

In the end, the value of a guild lay in utilizing large facilities like this that were hard for a single Adventurer to own. The facilities belonged to the guild so they were not for their personal use, but being able to use such top-class equipment by just paying a small membership fee was a steal. And recently, their membership fees were waived because of the profits they brought in from their collaboration with 8th District Shopping Center.

There were dozens of kitchens with varying sizes and facilities in Rod Lab, used by 70-odd members of the gourmet department. To coordinate timetabling for kitchens and booking of equipment, the members had to communicate with each other.

"Allie~!"

The late afternoon showed a tint of orange as the sunlight hours before evening basked the room. A casual youth appeared.

The plant fairy Allie was frightened by the sudden visitor, her tiny body jumping into the air. The visitor took the chance to hug Allie.

Wearing a fancy 3-layer shirt, this Cleric with bad taste in fashion was Aomori. This useless Adventurer was a colleague of Mikakage and also a chef. He was another member of the gourmet department.

Allie, who had a potato in each hand, was spooked, and started to struggle by waving her hands around.

"Aomori, don't bully Allie."

"I'm not bullying her. Right, Allie?"

With the height of a kindergarten child, the fairy wearing the same clothes as Mikakage continued to struggle. This little girl was scared of strangers; in Mikakage's eyes, Aomori was like the terrible uncle who wanted to cuddle his niece but ended up bullying her. Allie's eyes, under the chef hat that was similar to Mikakage's, were starting to tear up.

"Aomori!"

Mikakage threatened Aomori, and with Aomori saying his usual phrase, "Don't call me Aomori, call me Blue Forest," he let Allie go.

Allie ran off with the potatoes and hid behind Mikakage, hugging her legs.

"Anything to eat?"

Aomori pulled a chair over and sat down, asking the question that shouldn't come from a chef. Mikakage pointed calmly at the pot. Aomori made his way slowly over, making happy sounds of 'wah' as he filled his plates.

Mikakage ignored Aomori as she continued peeling potatoes with her knife. After peeling one, the cute Allie would hand her another. The petite Allie stood on her personal stool. The image of the top half of her body and wiggling ears showing on the kitchen table was very cute.

Allie was a fairy summoned by the Druid Mikakage with unlimited summoning time. If Mikakage did not dispel her, Allie would stay by her side forever. Mikakage treated her tiny familiar like a kid sister and didn't dispel her, spending her days eating and sleeping with her. The chef clothing and hat on Allie were the same style as Mikakage's, made by the clothing department of Rod Lab on Mikakage's request.

Mikakage spent the chaotic time after the Catastrophe with her tiny familiars like Allie. Her kid sister assistant Allie, the goods-ferrying helper Myconid and the lullaby singer Orches. If they weren't with her, Mikakage would have definitely fallen into depression. Mikakage was glad that she was a Druid.

"Ermm…" Aomori called out to Mikakage, but Mikakage only diverted the attention of her ears towards him.

"What dish is this?"

He was probably asking about what was in the pot.

(I remember it was…) Mikakage tried to recall the answer.

"Eagle beak beans with flute Horn Buffalo stew. Added salt, pepper, butter, and several spices."

"I see. I don't understand."

Aomori replied honestly, Mikakage just shrugged.

It was useless for him to ask. Mikakage was not good at cooking after all.

Some may be surprised at her saying this despite having the subclass of Chef, but Mikakage saw herself as a confectioner, not a chef. She did know how to make a meal but she basically threw everything into a pot and heated it up. Pressure cookers were so wonderful, you just needed to add ingredients and spices and then warm it up. You could make something that could pass off as food. Mikakage thought this was a great invention and loved using it.

"Speaking of which… Cheese."

"Hmmm?"

Aomori who was eating the stew tilted his head. Mikakage was asking for cheese again, and he immediately said 'Ohh! I forgot. Yeah, it's done. ' He took out something that looked like misshaped tofu from the ice bucket beside him.

Mikakage received it and sniffed it. It was cheese.

With this, the number of pastries she could make would increase. Cheese roll? Or basic cheese cakes? Or serve it with pudding? Since she was going to do it, Mikakage wanted to surprise everyone.

"Thanks."

"Yeah."

Aomori replied between sips of water. He was not a normal chef either.

He changed his subclass to Brewer, making all sorts of ingredients, a weirdo that didn't make food himself. But that was to be expected.

If you wanted to make food and serve customers, joining 8th District Shopping Center and opening a stall would be a better option. Or if you wanted to move towards mass production and grab a share of the market, Oceanic Systems would suit you better by getting funding from smaller guilds. They were developing catering systems, so it was a great business opportunity.

This was Rod Lab, where weirdos working on new inventions congregated.

In a sense, Mikakage and Aomori were the same.

"Making something new again?"

"Yeah."

Mikakage carefully placed potatoes inside the oven and sprinkled sugar on it, answering half-heartedly. Compared to cakes made from flour, the foods made from fresh ingredients like potatoes were always different. Like the moisture and the sweetness, the impact of the ingredients had more variety. She needed to add sugar to make up for the lack of sweetness in the raw ingredients, so she had to be careful in her cooking.

"A door gift?"

"Yeah."

"Take me with you."

"No."

Mikakage rejected him immediately as she put in fresh margarine. Aomori had impure motives behind his request. After finding out about the 'all-girl' tea parties, he had brought this up dozens of times. Aomori was… Speaking of which, most of the men didn't understand. Chatting idly was a very precious thing.

It was irreplaceable.

Mikakage realized several things after coming to this world.

One of which was how valuable her time with friends was. There were no televisions, cell phones, movies, or manga here. All these forms of entertainment were gone. Describing them as entertainment seemed to imply that they were unnecessary, but Mikakage didn't think so. No, all the Adventurers probably thought that was so too.

When the Catastrophe first occurred, the city was lifeless. Even with an immortal body, just eating tasteless food slowly without energy could not be described as living. Living should be a happy and beautiful thing, there was a need for things to soothe both your body and soul.

(Like cakes, or friends to share your cakes with.)

Thinking carefully, Mikakage felt that the time she had spent chatting with friends after school was the best time of her life.

Mikakage reminisced about her middle school days, going to a fast food restaurant and ordering a 100 yen milkshake after club activities. She would empty her brain and chat and laugh until the sky grew dark. Back then, she thought this was something that would always be there and such days would never end. After moving on to high school, she grew apart from these friends and went straight home after school. Although she spent her time on manga and games instead, Mikakage learned the importance of the warmth between people after coming to this world.

Mikakage was a bit introverted by nature, but she had Allie now. Her tiny partner that was even more shy than Mikakage. When Mikakage was together with Allie, she would become mysteriously motivated, thinking that she had to take the initiative to greet others for Allie's sake. She wanted to protect Allie from making a troubled expression, giving her the strength to keep calm before a world-class beauty like Raynesia. But the truth behind her calmness was that she knew about the careless side of the princess.

The pastries Allie liked were loved by everyone.

Making new pastries for her friends was the biggest joy for Mikakage and the focus of her daily life. Fortunately, she made enough money from selling pastries and handing in recipe reports to live comfortably. Because of this, Mikakage was living every day meaningfully after the Catastrophe.

Although the new findings from the gourmet department made her uneasy, the results seemed to be bearing fruit. Even though they had to survey in lots of places, it was interesting once they got used to it.

"Really, is that gathering so important?"

Mikakage pondered about Aomori's bashful question. Of course it was important.

Making pastries.

Sharing them with everyone.

Chatting about all sorts of things.

There was nothing that was more important. Men always wanted some form of result, which was not good. Things needed to be done slowly, with adequate heat and timing.

Mikakage wore big oven mitts and took the freshly baked cream potatoes out of the oven, presenting it to Aomori for him to eat. This was a new experimental pastry. Aomori gasped happily, but this was just a test, not good enough for the tea party participants. It was a bit better than testing poison, so it was fine to give it to Aomori.

"Yeah, it is important. Very important. There is definitely nothing more important."

"Huh? More important than your relationship with me?"

"That sort of thing is worse than burnt jam."

Aomori became depressed. Mikakage ignored him and cleaned up the kitchen appliances.

Even if Aomori complained, he would still finish the potatoes, and the shy but caring Allie would console him.

2

Raynesia was surprised when she learned the young man was visiting.

Raynesia knew this important person, but she didn't expect him to visit her or anyone ever.

When aristocrats visited, they would provide notice several days or even months in advance. For better or worse, Raynesia and her staff had gotten used to unexpected guests after living in the Water Maple Consulate in Akiba for a while.

It was the same this time, Raynesia received the report after the visitor entered the drawing room.

With Elissa's help, Raynesia groomed her hair and changed her dress. The young man was from 'this side', but he was not a noble. More importantly, both of them were People of the Land living in Akiba, so there was no need to dress up too formally. Because of this, Raynesia opted to wear a slender one-piece dress with long sleeves.

The pink snowy dress was a gift from Maryele of Crescent Moon Alliance. It was less prominent among the clothes she received, and Raynesia liked this dress a lot.

Seeing Raynesia rush over, the guest stood up to receive her.

"You look as wonderful as ever, Raynesia-sama."

The youth bowed his head politely. His name was Kinjo, the young leader of the Kunie clan operating in Akiba.

"Sorry for the wait."

Raynesia returned the greeting.

While waiting for Elissa to prepare the tea, there was an uncomfortable silence.

Raynesia didn't know this young man well. Rather, the only thing she knew was that he was the young leader of the Kunie clan. The Kunie clan had a unique place amongst the People of the Land, they were an influential force in Yamato.

Yamato was roughly split into 5 domains.

In the barren north was the Ezzo Empire; in the extreme south was the seafaring nation, the Ninetails Dominion; the fallen state that was overrun with monsters, the Fourland Dukedom; the successor of the Westelande dynasty, Holy Empire Westelande; last of all was the League of Freedom Cities Eastal that included Maihama ruled by Raynesia's grandfather, situated in eastern Yamato.

The 5 domains shared a common currency. Full gold and its denominations of half gold and quarter gold, known collectively as gold. Not only Yamato, Raynesia had heard the other continents were all using the same currency.

The currency that had been in use since ancient times. The Kunie were the clan that controlled all the banks around the globe.

Inheriting several technologies of the ancient Alv, they carried out long distance trades without relying on the intercity transport gates. By applying this technology, the Kunie were able to operate banks around the world.

But they were not a banking clan.

Their duty was the management of the Alv's magic techniques.

Although they were best known for running the bank, the Kunie were also in charge of the maintenance of the magic barriers in the League of Freedom Cities Eastal. The 30-odd cities with magic barriers had ancient magic circles built underground to power the defenses of the city. It prevented any monsters from invading and also powered the Moveable Armor of the guards.

Apart from a few cities that were against the aristocratic system in the Holy Empire Westelande, all the cities in Yamato were supported by the Kunie clan.

With their heavy responsibilities, they were in a sense much more important than the noble families. When Raynesia was posted to Akiba, her grandfather told her everything he knew about the Kunie clan.

But the Kunie clan did not seek fame and power since ancient times. They simply did their assigned duties, and didn't bother with anything else other then finishing their task. That was the impression the aristocrats of Eastal had of them.

They were shrouded in mystery, a People of the Land clan that had been working hard to maintain the operation of this world. This was how normal People of the Land and Raynesia saw them.

"Please have some tea."

That was all she knew. Raynesia didn't know what to talk about, so she started by offering him tea. On the table was green tea she had purchased recently.

Kinjo took a sip with his eyes squinting slightly.

Elissa had said that he was a young man. After meeting him face-to-face, that was the only way to describe him. But after observing this man with purple pupils, black hair, and a high-collar tuxedo, she was unable to tell his age.

He was definitely older than Raynesia, but how old was he compared to that monster warrior Krusty? The smooth contours of his face made him look young, but the veins on his hands seemed to be old. Raynesia had never met anyone whose age seemed so indefinite.

"I am sorry about this sudden intrusion. There is something of grave importance I needed to report to Raynesia-sama and apologize for."

Kinjo put the cup back on the table with a serious face.

"May I ask what the issue is?"

"According to reports from the Guard room, a Moveable Armor has been stolen."

"Eh… ?"

"The thief is a guard, one of the Kunie clan."

Raynesia didn't think of herself as a dull person, but she really didn't understand these words this time.

She could feel the blood draining from her body.

The revelation made her dizzy and and her vision turn black.

Moveable Armor were one of the legacies of the Alv, a special suit of armor made to protect a specific zone. The biggest difference from normal armor was that it was powered by magic from an external source which enhanced the abilities of the user.

The combat power of the People of the Land was low in this world. Not just Adventurers, they couldn't even fend off mid-level monsters. The People of the Land could only survive in this world because of several helpful elements.

One of them was the Ancients that were the heroes of the People of the Land, another was the Adventurers roaming the land erasing humanity's enemies. Third was the magic barrier that protected the major cities.

Lastly were the guards equipped with Moveable Armor.

People of the Land who were enhanced by the power of the Moveable Armor could outmatch an Adventurer. Although it was limited to within the city, they had the power to teleport and send criminals to prison. The guards used this ability to maintain order in the city.

But there was a limit to its usage. The Moveable Armor that drained a tremendous amount of magic just in standby mode could only be activated on the streets.

"That is correct. Moveable Armor can only be used within the city limits. Without the magic supply from the giant magic circle built underground, the user won't be able to move a finger, a unique feature of this armor. As the magic supply wavelength is unique to each city, it will just be a heap of junk once you take it away from Akiba."

Kinjo continued explaining to the stunned Raynesia.

"In summary, this matter is of grave importance. Although it becomes junk once you take it away from the city, it is still terribly powerful within the city limits."

The power of the Moveable Armor could be increased through adjustment. Its power was beyond level 100 on the streets of Akiba. This power was necessary to keep errant and violent Adventurers in line, so being more powerful than Adventurers was within expectations.

That Raynesia was able to take up the post in Akiba as a woman was all thanks to the Moveable Armor providing security for her. The official reason Raynesia came to Akiba was to take responsibility for going to the Adventurers for aid in the war of Sand Leaf without the League's permission. The reason why the defenseless Raynesia moved into the Adventurer city with only a small group was because her grandfather already took into account the existence of the guards.

But this powerful backing had leaked, which raised several other points.

"Could it be… the Murderer is…"

Facing the question of the pale Raynesia, Kinjo nodded.

"Correct, the actions of this criminal are linked with the Kunie clan. It is a shame, but that is the truth."

This was like a nightmare to Raynesia.

The Kunie clan, or rather the guards going out of line was unacceptable. This was something that the People of the Land had never thought of for hundreds of years.

But this explained several mysteries.

That's why the guard system of Akiba was unable to detect the murder. The surveillance system was made against the Adventurers and the People of the Land, so it wouldn't detect anything from a fellow guard. The combat actions of a guard were not a crime, but an enforcement of security.

That meant the murder cases would never be detected.

The criminal wearing the Moveable Armor had power that outmatched the Adventurers. Raynesia who had no experience in battles didn't understand how much more powerful he was compared to Adventurers, but there had already been news of several victims falling to him.

Most importantly, the Kunie being involved in this raised two major concerns.

First, this clan penetrated deeply into their daily lives, an existence just like the air they breathed. Be it the security of the streets with the guards or the global banking network, these systems were rooted deeply in both People of the Land and Adventurer societies. Their safety and convenience formed the foundation of the societies in this world.

But wouldn't it be scary if this foundation were to crack? Without specialized education, Raynesia was unable to imagine how disastrous it would become, but she could feel the clouds of unease forming.

The other important point was more direct. Even though it was by the Kunie clan, a Person of the Land killed Adventurers.

Adventurers were totally different from People of the Land. Even though their appearance was similar, they were completely different organisms with drastic differences in potential. By going through battles repeatedly, Adventurers could advance their strength by leaps and bounds. Just one high-level Adventurer could rival a band of a hundred knights made up of People of the Land.

Right now, the Adventurers in Akiba were protecting Raynesia and supporting her. But weren't their actions influenced by the weakness of Raynesia and the others? Even if that were not everything, Raynesia knew it was a part of the reason.

If this reason was gone, the relationship between the Adventurers and the People of the Land might fall out of balance.

(Why is this happening…)

Raynesia's mind was full of remorse and sadness.

She couldn't describe it any other way. Why did this happen after she assumed the post here, was it because she made that speech? Why did this have to happen? The Kunie clan that had made no mistakes in hundreds of years just had to pick this moment when Raynesia was in Akiba to screw up, it was really incomprehensible.

"This happened because of our mismanagement, I offer my sincere apologies."

"Ermm… for the Kunie clan… Is there something you can do about this?"

Raynesia probed hopefully.

Although she could sense it before probing, she still asked anyway.

"I am terribly sorry Raynesia-sama. The movements of the Moveable Armor will stop if we cut off the magic supply. But the defensive magic barrier in the city will also be lost. To reactivate it, it would take 10 years. That is all I have to say."

The magic circle barrier protecting Akiba from invading monsters that must not be deactivated.

The fact that this magic circle was supplying power to the Murderer hit Raynesia hard.

3

Akatsuki was in the waiting room warming her hands with a tea cup while wearing a meek expression.

She was not doing it because it was cold or because there was nothing else to do.

How much of it was an accident and how much was this the schemes of the maid Elissa? With her keen hearing thanks to her Tracker subclass, Akatsuki was able to hear every word in the drawing room next door.

From the contents of their conversation, this was not something Akatsuki could settle alone. Only a major guild like West Wind Brigade or D. D. D could handle this. It might even require the strength of the Round Table Council. Without question, this was a major crisis for Akiba.

Akatsuki could not pretend she did not hear anything.

The princess that was as beautiful as the moon must be worrying about how to convey this to the Adventurers. Having heard about the Murderer before Raynesia made any moves had major repercussions.

So Akatsuki decided to meet the princess, but thinking carefully, that might be too rash. The reason probably lay in the sense of duty to her lord. Since Shiroe willed it, she had to see Raynesia's face at the very least. That was all. Right now, Akatsuki did not have any strength to meddle with the affairs of others.

She walked silently to the balcony from the waiting room. Her figure was just like a shadow with her low-profile clothes. Leaping to the balcony of the meeting room 3 meters away was as easy as moving across a tatami for the superhuman Adventurers.

In the shade of the window frame with elaborate carvings, on the other side of the bubble-like lace curtain was Raynesia. The young man she was talking to earlier probably left, leaving Raynesia alone to bury her face in a cushion.

(How strange,) Akatsuki thought absently.

Raynesia was always so gentle, bright, keeping her back straight, a beautiful young lady who made others envious. Her pretty silver hair, slender neck, and proper manners that were always under control gave her an air different from Adventurers. Their difference was not because of Raynesia's beautiful silver locks and her slender neck, but because of her polite manners. Having the charm to convince any Adventurer, that was the type of girl Raynesia was.

But the Raynesia right now was leaning forward deflated, with her face buried in a cushion supported by her hands. It was not like Raynesia to act this way.

"I can't."

She heard these words through the glass.

The soft voice was like the chime of a bell, but her helplessness and troubles were obvious.

"I really can't."

Raynesia was shaken, her silver hair was shaking like a waterfall.

"… Why, why now… why me?"

Raynesia seemed to be getting smaller.

After a long sigh, Raynesia became a frail girl.

"Why can't things go right…"

Akatsuki nodded while standing on the veranda in the winter sun. She understood this feeling.

There were so many difficult things in this world, but the things you could do well were so limited. It made you remorseful and frustrated.

"Isn't there any other way?… Can't they just close an eye? Can't… they just let me go?"

Akatsuki hoped so too.

Who didn't?

But it accomplished nothing.

Akatsuki thought everyone had been betrayed before. Not all of your wishes would come true. Something you thought was in your hands, something you achieved, something which you thought belonged only to you, would one day fade away and slip from your grasp.

Because she was too insignificant, she wondered sometimes whether wishing for something was wrong in the first place. Maybe the majority of this world consisted of bullied beings.

"What should I do?"

Raynesia who was forced into a corner asked herself, so Akatsuki replied.

"Discuss this with someone from the council?"

"Wouldn't this turn into a conflict with the Adventurers?"

"But the facts will be known sooner or later. But it is difficult to convey this tactfully."

Slipping in through the barely opened window, Akatsuki stood before Raynesia without disturbing the curtains.

She felt a sense of nostalgia. She had seen her lord assume the same position before. But it had been so long since that day. The one before her was not the black-haired lord, but a silver-haired princess.

"Guess I have to inform them…"

"I'm not sure myself."

"Why isn't the mind-reading monster here right now… He always shows up when I don't want him to, to, but he's not here when I need him."

"Krusty-dono is heading towards the goblin's castle of 'Seven Falls'."

"I know. Even if you say that… Ah, that's not what I want to talk about."

"…"

"That's not what I meant!?" Raynesia sprang up and faced Akatsuki. The lips she was biting on were trembling, she tried to maintain her composure, but the corners of her eyes were turning red.

"Eh, ah, ermm."

She sat down properly in a hurry, straightening her back in front of the standing Akatsuki. Because Akatsuki was petite in size, their eyes were at about the same level if she sat up straight. Raynesia gazed downwards uncomfortably. Akatsuki felt sorry for startling the princess.

Akatsuki hadn't planned to eavesdrop or intrude like this.

"Eh, eh… so… did you hear everything…" Facing the probing eyes of Raynesia, Akatsuki nodded. Raynesia gave up and said with a voice growing softer "is that so."

Time passed gradually between the two dumbstruck ladies.

Akatsuki was out of ideas, so she took out the red bean bun she had purchased for lunch from her bag and gave it to Raynesia. The two girls sat side by side on the couch munching on the 2 halves of the bun in silence.

"The Murderer is a Person of the Land?"

Akatsuki asked and Raynesia answered Akatsuki's question slowly.

"Yeah. That's right… the Kunie clan who guards this city had a Moveable Armor stolen. Because this Moveable Armor is the equipment of the guards, it possesses immense battle capabilities and won't alert the authorities when going into combat. I am… really sorry."

"Why?"

"Eh?"

"Why was it stolen? Who stole it?"

"The culprit is still unknown. Whether the Moveable Armor is being operated by the defector of the Kunie clan is uncertain. His motives and hiding place are also unknown."

"I think he is hiding in the sewers."

"Sewers?"

Akatsuki expressed her thoughts.

"From what I have heard, he won't hide outside Akiba. If that were the case, the only place that has not been searched and is inconspicuous will be the sewers."

According to Raynesia, the Murderer had obtained the strength of a guard.

Although Akatsuki was stunned for a moment after hearing this, she grasped several important points.

The combat prowess of the Murderer was probably over 100 and closer to Level 110. The Level 90 Adventurers wouldn't be able to match up to him.

At the same time, he couldn't leave Akiba since he was using the powers of the Moveable Armor. He would lose his power once he left the city. Considering all this, his hiding places were limited.

But capturing him would be next to impossible.

In order to suppress the criminals, the guards had the ability to teleport. It was a useful skill when punishing PK actions, but it was also the perfect escape mechanism in the hands of the Murderer.

He could escape safely even when surrounded by a raid group.

"Is that so…"

Akatsuki looked at the girl in front of her.

The highest noble in Yamato, the daughter of clan Corwen.

The legendary renowned beauty of Eastal.

The bridge between the People of the Land and Adventurers, the driving force behind the victorious Sand Leaf war.

The "Bewitching Princess of the Silver Moon."

The girl in front of her was known by so many names, but looked so normal.

She munched on her red bean bun despite her gloomy expression, a normal girl you could find anywhere. Akatsuki felt that Raynesia looked at her in the same way.

"Troubled?"

"Very troubled."

The two of them chatted casually, filled with their personal issues. Akatsuki could see herself when she looked at this beautiful silver princess.

Akatsuki's lord instructed.

Protect the People of the Land's princess, Raynesia.

Akatsuki interpreted this as an escort mission. But she could feel that was not what Shiroe meant.

(What does my lord want to protect…)

If the objective was to protect the safety of the princess, was there a need to attend the tea parties? If she just wanted to protect herself, was there any meaning behind Raynesia hosting these parties? What was she missing? Did Maryele and Henrietta already know the true meaning behind this?

Akatsuki wanted to tell Raynesia 'It can't be helped'.

Too many unfortunate things were happening. It was too much for her to handle and still realize her wishes. All this could not be helped. Akatsuki lacked the capability to create miracles with her hands. Apart from 'It can't be helped', she didn't have any words to console Raynesia.

She could add another sentence 'You tried hard' to console Raynesia.

Akatsuki had seen her in action during the conference of the lords. She also heard Shiroe's high praise for the princess. She had been protecting her on the side all this while, that's why she could say 'You tried hard'.

But did she have the right to say this? As the daughter of aristocrats, the representative of the People of the Land. This girl who was shouldering a burden heavier than any of the 11 guild masters of the Round Table Council. Akatsuki wondered if she should say that.

After thinking this far, Akatsuki bore some respect for the silver-haired girl in front of her. That's why she came here daily to protect her up close.

Even though she was searching madly for more powerful combat abilities, even if she found it hard to return to her own guild house, Akatsuki cared about Raynesia.

"I will go take a look."

Akatsuki stood up.

The opponent she was looking for was a Person of the Land. Since he had a unique teleporting device, there was another way to find him. He probably hid in the sewer during the day and watched the entire city by night… He would probably teleport to somewhere the Adventurers could not enter and observe them from the dark.

"Eh… ?"

"I will accomplish my mission. Because I have seen how hard you tried."

Raynesia did not touch anything when she reached out her hand.

Akatsuki who had obtained a hint had moved out for the streets of Akiba from the open window.

4

10 pairs of eyes stared at the flashes of silver.

The colliding blades left flashes of light like meteors, gone in the next instance.

They crossed each other's paths as if they were arranged beforehand, clashing into each other. The echoes sounded closer to crystals being cut instead of the noise of steel clashing on steel as they opposed each other.

Watched over by Nazuna and her comrades, Soujirou was dueling to the death with the Murderer.

Soujirou wielded his katana so smoothly it didn't give off any air of threat. But Nazuna knew that Soujirou's every strike brought unavoidable fear to his foes. It only looked gentle because of how gracefully he swung the blade. Soujirou could even perceive the evasion path of his opponent before swinging his katana, his every blow was deadly.

The Murderer used the strange gauntlets on his hands and feet to guard against that Soujirou's attacks.

This was not normal swordsmanship. It was akin to the instinctive actions of a feral beast as he fought with a glee that came from killing other humans.

Before the sparks even faded, the Murderer counterattacked from his off-balance position.

Unlike Soujirou, there were no techniques to his offense, just taking wild and powerful swings.

But because of his chaotic style, his attacks were fast and unpredictable.

Nazuna's comrade Kyouko fell under his blade before, while Nazuna was cradling the heavily-injured Kawara.

"The director is amazing…"

The girl in Nazuna's arms muttered, and the members on standby behind Nazuna were probably saying the same thing.

The original plan was to surround the enemy with their raid group.

Enbart Nelles.

Level 94 Samurai.

This Murderer who exceeded Soujirou by one level was not an Adventurer in Nazuna's eyes. Calling him a Samurai was ridiculous.

Nazuna had always watched over the growth of Soujirou the Samurai. The Samurai in Elder Tales could indeed learn a huge variety of skills. Although some were just upgrades of skills learned at lower levels, there were still 40 unique types to master. Although a player wouldn't be able to learn all the available skills, the techniques used by Soujirou and the Murderer were obviously different.

That was not a warrior. His fighting style was fundamentally different from an Adventurer.

It started off with a party battle.

One of the scouting parties of West Wind Brigade encountered the Murderer, but he slipped away. Soujirou's party standing by in their base moved out and cornered the Murderer in this narrow alley with a party.

But the plan to surround the Murderer failed.

In this alley situated between two abandoned buildings, there was no way to fight as a party. Except Soujirou, no other person could stand up to the unorthodox swordsmanship of the Murderer.

The off-tank Kawara took several hits and was badly hurt. Nazuna and the other Caster were also hurt. If Soujirou didn't charge in to pressure the Murderer, some of them would have been sent to the cathedral.

Nazuna was thankful.

She wasn't thankful because Soujirou saved her.

She thought it was fortunate that no woman had fallen in front of Soujirou.

If sound could hurt people, the battle would have been surrounded by piles of bodies. The winter breeze in the evening was cold enough to freeze your skin off. The Murderer's sword cut through the air towards Soujirou.

In the air that was so cold that white fog formed even if you held your breath, Soujirou parried the blow.

This was Soujirou's 'Over level' Clairvoyance.

Nazuna didn't understand it fully, but it seemed to be a defensive 'Over level'. Soujirou described it as following the route in the air. Soujirou learned a new skill and was fending off the attack of the Murderer thanks to that.

Soujirou was having a hard time.

The normal Soujirou wouldn't block attacks, but dodge them and parry them.

Since Soujirou couldn't do that, it meant the Murderer's attacks were fast and sharp.

One such unavoidable blow came, slicing off the shoulder guard of Soujirou's warring-era Samurai armor.

The other comrades didn't understand, but Nazuna was biting her lips.

That attack broke through the protective barrier Nazuna cast on Soujirou. Protective barriers could be cast before battle, a spell that absorbed damage and prevented HP from taking a hit. It was invisible bonus HP. The water-like effect of the barrier shattered. Although everyone could see this happen, only the caster Nazuna herself understood how much damage was negated.

Nazuna's Holy Barrier was equivalent to 20% of Soujirou's HP. This meant that Soujirou would have lost 1/5 of his HP without the barrier. Seeing this power that rivaled a major raid boss, Nazuna was burning with worry. Soujirou wouldn't be able to take many of these attacks.

She was already chanting in preparation of casting Holy Barrier again, but Holy Barrier was not a skill she could use consecutively. Using a combination of heals and barriers to protect her friends from harm was Nazuna the Kannagi's way of fighting.

Casting protective barriers repeatedly would drain a lot of MP which would put them at an disadvantage. But if she didn't do this, she would feel like she was treading on a wire. If she used defensive magic and was noticed by the Murderer, she might be targeted next.

But she couldn't protect or heal Soujirou if she ran away.

She could only keep watching the battle and she understood her capability. She had to keep on casting barriers even though they were as weak as paper.

(What is with this guy. This is a huge gamble.)

She could understand some things because she was a Kannagi.

Because the guild West Wind Brigade was not big in scale, but still managed to be one of the leading guilds in the server for raids. As the healer of such a guild, she understood something.

She knew the battle was not going well.

They were still hanging on because the tank was Soujirou. If not for Soujirou, Nazuna was sure they would have been massacred.

But even Soujirou could not handle all the blows.

In a major raid, it was impossible to fend off all the attacks of giant dragons or titans. For major raids they would need 1 tank supported by 3-10 healers to hold the line, leaving the attackers to deal damage.

But they were lacking in both attackers and healers right now. Most of the tactics for major raids were not applicable for such a narrow alley.

Nazuna and the others would have nothing to fear if the opponent were an Adventurer or a normal monster. But this Murderer was more powerful than they had imagined.

And also-

"Ku!!!"

Soujirou's attack was dodged.

The Murderer slipped to Soujirou's right, his figure like an insect as he slashed at Soujirou's thigh. Although Soujirou evaded with a leap, his movements were no longer graceful like a dance. He was at his limits.

Consecutive attacks, strikes that disrupted his balance, carefully-planned blows, the Murderer was able to able to evade all this with his weird movements. And he was keeping this up.

He burrowed through Soujirou's attack and got behind Soujirou.

If they could land a hit, no matter how good their foe was, he couldn't be a major raid monster. But they just couldn't hit him. If this went on, even if Soujirou could keep on tanking, the front line would still fall when Nazuna's MP was exhausted.

And also…

(If we are still here, Soujirou won't be able to withdraw.)

Nazuna concluded.

"… Sou-sama."

"Director."

"Oh no, I can't watch."

Nazuna heard the pained cries of her comrades. Nazuna's duty was to heal their wounds, but she couldn't afford to right now. Helping them would drain whatever meager MP she had left.

Her panicking heart started searching for another way to withdraw.

Asking Soujirou to go first was impossible. There was no way he would leave his friends behind. And if Soujirou who was engaging the Murderer were to run, that would invite the Murderer to cut him down from the back.

Nazuna couldn't withdraw first for the same reasons. If she left, the best scenario was her barrier lapsing after 30 seconds of effective time. Once the barrier was gone, Soujirou would take HP damage. To keep Soujirou alive so they wouldn't be hunted by the Murderer, Nazuna couldn't leave.

What about the other girls?

Karawa, Olive and the others could go first, that was the correct way.

But that required a distraction. If the girls were to take off all of the sudden, the Murderer might switch his target and ravage the girls. It was up to Soujirou to protect the girls, but it was hard to say whether he could manage. That was how good the Murderer was.

She prayed for an opportunity. Time passed as she thought and the night grew dim. The hellfire emitted by the Murderer's blade made the shadows sway as the evening went on.

Soujirou's sword seemed more hesitant. The battle was at an impasse. Even Soujirou might fall if he had any mental lapses.

And then the black swallow descended.

5

Running on the branches of the trees growing around the guild building, she leaped off at the tip of the branch.

The thinner branches were better. Although the thicker ones felt safer, they were not suitable for her to 'fly'.

Akatsuki repeated this action as she flew around Akiba.

Just like the roads on the ground, there was also a path in the sky. Convenient footholds like branches or rooftops, balconies or broken signboards. From the ruins to the ancient trees all over the city, there was a path for people to travel in the sky.

She wondered when she started using these routes subconsciously.

This was not an option in the game world.

She couldn't do this when the Round Table Council was just founded. She started doing this without much thought after returning from Sand Leaf. Although she didn't remember when she learned this, now she knew that such convenient routes in Akiba existed. Akatsuki discovered that she was subconsciously observing the air currents, positions of the buildings, walls, and trees.

Her hair swayed in the wind.

If her hair felt heavy, it meant the air was getting humid and it was going to rain.

If she felt her body being pulled, that meant the wind was picking up and some paths were inaccessible.

Akatsuki was able to grasp all these details, mastering amazing skills that set her apart from other Adventurers traveling in the sky.

She was just "moving as usual," but her limbs were more nimble and her body was warming up.

The instant when she put her weight on a branch and she calculated her next trajectory, she was not just aware of her body movements, but the wind as well. She had done this dozens of times, but now it took only half the strength as usual to travel from branch to branch, and the momentum set her up for the subsequent jumps too. When did she notice such details?

Her short conversation with Raynesia looped in her head.

She was not used to thinking about the problems of others and was unable to summarize her thoughts well. Raynesia's image, Raynesia's words, her own thoughts, her own reply. These things kept forming and disappearing like bubbles from within Akatsuki.

It disappeared before becoming words, so Akatsuki was also not sure what was motivating her.

Raynesia was working hard.

Only these words stayed in her chest.

She thought it was time to reward Raynesia's efforts.

She glanced at the setting sun to the west and perked up her ears, feeling her consciousness expand outwards. The detection skill she was always using captured the conversations spoken in the streets of Akiba.

'Let's hurry back to the guild and make onion soup. '

'Where should we hunt tomorrow?'

'Let's have dinner somewhere alright? It's… it's my treat!'

'I'm looking for a new business venture. '

'Our sub-master is really strict. '

'Would you please go on a date with me?'

'An Adventurer can eat twice my portion.

'No, 3 times. '

These were all unimportant casual chatter and forgettable conversations. But they sounded so clear to Akatsuki today.

These were probably personal secrets.

After finishing their work for the day, they would spend the evening with their loved ones. Or they would wonder what tomorrow would bring, these were the little wishes everyone thought of. Although the words she overheard were insignificant, they were still secret private affairs.

Akatsuki was not certain, but these were probably important words for the individual. Akatsuki understood its importance today.

She was not sure what it was, but Akatsuki stumbled on something important.

Because she was thinking about these things, she had already begun rushing towards the battle zone when she discovered the battle.

Her ears picked up faint sounds of swords clashing, and she changed her route, taking 2 minutes to reach the scene of battle. The moment she detected the fight from a 15 story high building, she charged into the gap between the 2 buildings immediately.

She kicked off the walls of the building to accelerate her free fall.

She gripped the hilt of the Kodachi strapped behind her waist and held her breath as she struck like an ice pick.

As she went through the thin layer of air made by magical equipment, Akatsuki finally grasped the situation.

A party was fighting with the black Murderer. The tank was a Samurai with only one healer still in the fight. The party was falling apart.

The tank was the guild master of West Wind Brigade Soujirou, one of the 11 guilds that formed the Round Table Council.

What Akatsuki was doing was known as 'kill stealing' in MMORPGs. When a party was fighting another opponent, an Adventurer outside the party joined the fray without permission. Because doing this was akin to robbing the EXP and loot of others, it was not only bad manners but shameful.

And the party in question right now was one of the top guilds in Akiba right now. If it were the usual socially awkward Akatsuki, she would definitely be troubled and find it hard to approach them.

But it was different now.

Her mind was full of things that had happened this morning.

Because all sorts of things happened in the morning, she couldn't take in any more information into her brain.

With her feverish mental state, Akatsuki could see the world dozens of times clearer than usual and jumped.

She slashed horizontally from the right, performing Accel Fang.

It didn't hit. She already knew. She kicked off the wall and did a Strach Blade in mid-air.

After being parried, she somersaulted and used Quick Assault.

Akatsuki understood from the first attack that the Murderer was very powerful, that she couldn't defeat him.

But she wouldn't stop either.

Hoping to get a tiny hint from the opponent, she used Venom Strike.

She retreated to avoid the enemy's sword, but it wasn't enough. She forcefully performed Gust Step to move behind the opponent. But it was no good. Even though the enemy's glowing green sword threatened to break through Akatsuki's defense with its freezing slashes, Akatsuki continued to advance calmly. She used Accel Fang even though she felt the fringe on her right hair being cut off.

Too shallow. Again! She deftly adjusted her movements and used Accel Fang.

Quicker, faster, swifter.

Akatsuki noticed a watery barrier around her body.

This was the protective spell of a Kannagi. She could tell it was of a higher caliber than Minori's. This should be the support of the healer she saw.

But Akatsuki understood that this was meaningless insurance. The Murderer was still waving his sword at the Samurai in front of him. That was why he was not counterattacking Akatsuki as much, that was why she was still alive. If it were one-on-one, Akatsuki would be dead by now.

It was hard to stomach, but the young man, wearing a ponytail despite being a man, was one of the top-ranked vanguards in the server. Soujirou Seta, guild master of West Wind Brigade. Akatsuki couldn't match up to him in either fame or achievement. But even the renowned Soujirou couldn't suppress this dark Murderer.

"Run!" yelled Akatsuki.

She could tell Soujirou's response from the corners of his lips rising. His strong eyes looked towards Akatsuki. He might look younger than Akatsuki, but Akatsuki instinctively knew she wouldn't want to see his intimidating side. Regardless, Akatsuki was still fighting like a mini-hurricane.

"Why?"

Soujirou asked so naturally that Akatsuki was dumbstruck.

She just yelled on reflex. Akatsuki herself didn't even know why she did that. The monstrous Person of the Land outmatched Akatsuki by far.

This was natural. Not only was his level higher than the Adventurers', his abilities were boosted by the Moveable Armor. If you looked closely, the hands and feet of the Murderer were bulking up because he put on the Moveable Armor forcibly. The light glowing from his armor proved he was drawing magic from somewhere, protecting him from harm with a barrier.

There was no way Akatsuki could win. Soujirou probably couldn't either. Defeating this monster in such a narrow alley was impossible. They would need a large number of Adventurers to subdue him. But why did she shout out loud? Was she hoping to lure the Murderer away to help Soujirou?

Behind Akatsuki's thoughts which were full of turmoil, she could see the image of Shiroe looking towards the sky with a sigh.

"Why?"

"Because defeating him and solving the problem are not the same thing."

The alien took a swing at Soujirou, and Akatsuki attacked with all her might.

Assassinate. Although it caused over 10,000 points of damage, she could only slightly deflect the dark, heavy, and huge gauntlets of the Murderer.

"That's why you should run!"

"I cannot agree to this."

Facing another warning, Soujirou deepened his smile as he slashed his sword down.

The Murderer kicked out from an uncanny angle, but Soujirou dodged and it brushed the fringe on the right of his face. After losing ground just like Akatsuki, Soujirou advanced and slashed his sword upwards, making a cross with his previous attack.

Soujirou was very strong. Probably several times more than Akatsuki.

She could tell from Soujirou's short exchange of blows.

That's why Soujirou should understand that he couldn't cut down this monster in a place like this. Why didn't he run? Akatsuki thought he was a stubborn man. Speaking of which, all the men in this world were stubborn. Tohya and Rundelhous in the junior team were very stubborn. Instead of being stubborn, Naotsugu was just too dumb to change his bad habits. Master Nyanta was more stubborn than he looked. Putting cucumbers in the salad was the best evidence. The only one not stubborn was her lord Shiroe who listened to her words patiently.

"Left!"

Akatsuki stopped abruptly as a violent piece of metal brushed before her nose.

The blow she barely avoided was dodged by Soujirou who was looking at Akatsuki calmly.

Watching all this, Akatsuki felt a sense of longing and mystery.

Soujirou smiled as he faced the Murderer and Akatsuki, which intimidated Akatsuki.

The normal Akatsuki would have sensed the overwhelming pressure that told her to run.

But she didn't feel it now.

Akatsuki felt there was something important which she didn't quite understand here. Soujirou was not intimidating Akatsuki. She felt that he was trying to convey something.

Although Akatsuki felt sorry for not understanding the things Soujirou was trying to tell her, she knew it was something very important.

"Nazuna-san. Please head back first."

"… I understand. I will wait for you in the guild hall."

Akatsuki finally understood that Soujirou was going to continue this losing fight with the Murderer to protect the young girls who were exhausted. As a last act of support, barriers were cast on Akatsuki and Soujirou, who attacked fiercely to cover Nazuna's retreat.

Both the graceful continuous attacks of Soujirou and the skills used by Akatsuki had no effect on the Murderer. Dozens of attacks fell in succession. Being able to battle the Murderer for so long with just 2 people felt different from the murder cases so far,cases so far, but Akatsuki couldn't spare any thoughts for this.

Even with the wide gap in their strengths, she still swung her blade desperately.

Akatsuki felt that even if she gave her all here, she still couldn't change the cheap life of Adventurers who could respawn in the cathedral. She had been insignificant, slow, and weak after all.

But Akatsuki felt that Raynesia was working hard.

Before she knew it, the barrier had already been exhausted. The chill she felt didn't seem to be from the winter breeze, but from the wide-area attack from the Murderer in front of her. Soujirou, who was tanking the attacks, had less than half his HP left. The time they had left was dwindling.

"Alright then, I should offer a gift to my juniors."

Soujirou spoke some unfathomable words and changed his stance.

In the eyes of the Kendo girl Akatsuki, it was a beautiful middle guard stance… in Kendo terms, this was the stance of straight eyes.

"But I don't have anything impressive to say."

In front of the stunned Akatsuki, Soujirou swung his sword smoothly. A simple, nondescript strike. This was followed by the Murderer's counter which missed.

"Look closely, listen carefully."

This time, it was a bone-breaking attack from the Murderer. It collided with the strike Soujirou made at the same time. They separated in the air filled with Soujirou's frozen blood, and clashed again.

"To become stronger, you need to keep thinking. Don't give up, keep training."

Akatsuki joined the fray, swinging her Kodachi with all she had.

Such an important thing was damaged because Akatsuki didn't understand its seriousness and crumbled.

That wouldn't do. Her heart was full of sadness.

"… This is not really an explanation, but that is the truth behind 'Over level. '"

The Murderer spun with his waist as the focal point, turning into a small-scale typhoon of destruction.

Not yet. Akatsuki began to think. She touched something, but didn't understand it.

She needed to want it more. This was the feeling of regret that Akatsuki didn't feel often.

Feeling that it was such a pity to lose something.

But the blade slashed down with a roar, threatened to break this feeling of Akatsuki's into pieces.

Her wish for this thing she could barely touch with her fingertips was shattered by this blow. Akatsuki and Soujirou 'died' bearing unimaginable pain.

6

Not every tea party turned into a dress-up exhibition.

The weather this morning was bad. Raynesia's drawing room was all quiet.

The atmosphere of the tea party was determined by the participants. When Maryele was around, the atmosphere was more lively and festive. When only Henrietta was around, it became a pure chatting session.

It was elegant and peaceful when Rieze was around.

Members from Crescent Moon Alliance and The Roderick Firm were not coming today. Rieze informed the puzzled Raynesia. She welcomed the tactician trainer and had lunch together with her, enjoying the green tea poured from a giant tea pot.

Outside the window were overcast clouds on the verge of crying.

The blonde Adventurer sitting opposite her on the small sofa set looked out the window.

Raynesia has grown familiar with the Adventurer named Rieze. This polite and gentle lady is from the same clan as that monster Krusty.

The two of them couldn't even hold a proper conversation.

Raynesia was not too concerned about this. She had been worried in the beginning and tried to make small talk. But the young girl had told Raynesia there was no need to be concerned, so Raynesia didn't try to force a conversation.

But they were not on bad terms or had nothing to talk about. If there was a topic, they could still chat about it, that was the relationship between the young girls Raynesia and Rieze.

Raynesia was not in the mood to talk today anyway.

The People of the Land guardian whose purpose was to uphold the law in Akiba was attacking Adventurers. There had been several victims. Raynesia felt hot and bothered just thinking about her petite friend who left for the streets after saying unfathomable words.

Why was the situation like this? Why me? These questions circled in her head endlessly.

Her melancholy self was like the overcast sky as she frowned.

"The Tokyo here is cold, the winter is probably going to be freezing."

"Tokyo… ?"

Rieze's sudden comment pulled Raynesia back to reality.

This should be the language of the ancient Alv, meaning 'Paradise of the East'. In the Castle Cinderella Raynesia grew up in, the words Tokyo could be seen on ancient metal signs.

"Ah, that, it's a term Adventurers use. It refers to the region around Maihama, Akiba, and Shibuya."

Raynesia nodded at this explanation.

This fit with Raynesia's shallow knowledge of the world.

"Does Rieze-sama hail from a place warmer than Tokyo?"

"Although it is warmer, it is still in Tokyo… Yeah, it is warmer. The winter is not as cold. We are afraid of the cold so we would wear thick layers of clothes and just stay indoors."

(… Afraid of the cold? Stay indoors?)

She didn't understand the words of the Adventurers.

The perplexed Raynesia met her eyes with Rieze's.

Rieze quietly placed her cup back on the saucer and looked at Raynesia for a moment. Raynesia was not sure how to face this gaze as she saw Rieze smile warmly and gently for the very first time.

"My place of birth is a small city in Tokyo."

"It's not in Akiba?"

"No. It's a city called Kiyose. Using the terms here… it's near Nobidome District. A place that seems to have things, but is actually insignificant."

"But…"

In Raynesia's memory, Nobidome District was a nest of aquatic monsters. There were no cities, not even a village there.

Raynesia was stunned at how surprised she was.

"Isn't Rieze-sama a noble?"

She asked because she had always assumed Rieze was an aristocrat or had come from a powerful clan. All Adventurers had gone through education beyond normal peasants. Among them, Rieze and Henrietta showed exceptional grace and dignity befitting a noble when conversing with others. This was not superficial courtesy. People who were raised and pampered as they grew up were all nobles in Raynesia's eyes.

It didn't really matter whether they were aristocrats. Raynesia pondered why she was stunned by this. She had never discriminated against others because they were peasants or Adventurers. She searched for an answer in her heart and got an answer.

"No, that is incorrect. I was born and raised in a small normal family, educated in a normal school."

"…"

"There should be things like a school here, right? It's a place where the children are gathered to be educated. All children have to go through compulsory education in the place I was from."

She really didn't know anything about Rieze.

She didn't know anything about Akatsuki, Henrietta, Maryele, Serara, Nazuna, Mikakage, Ranya, or Azukiko.

Krusty too.

She really didn't know anything about Adventurers.

She was reminded time and again of her lack of knowledge and she became ashamed of her ignorance.

"Now that you mentioned it… When I was little, I was really naughty. Those kids' shows… they don't have that here, so I should say children's tales. I liked the contents of fairy tales. Because of my interest, I spent a lot time with the boys. But I stopped doing that when I was 10… I wanted to be a pure maiden, but failed and was teased. I liked studying and was good at it. I was rewarded if I did well so I got even better. But when being good at studies became the norm, I didn't get praised anymore…"

"Ah…"

Raynesia knew how that felt.

She was good at behaving well and smiling and she didn't feel uncomfortable sitting properly after having grown up. She only did this because of the praises. Raynesia loved her parents, grandparents… all her family.

But it had become second nature to her now, it was as if she forgot how to behave any differently. In the beginning, she just wanted to make the people she loved smile, she wanted them to be happy.

"I was an honor student in school. Probably because I am good at handling adults and studying. It's not something I worked hard to learn, but my natural talent. My town has several large hospitals and many elderly people. So compared to the gazes of other kids, I was more concerned with the gazes of the adults. In that sense, I was happy to have joined D. D. D. Because there are people who can crush the pretentious me, and people who tell me there is no need to spend my whole life brooding over this."

"Ermm."

Raynesia interrupted with a strong voice.

This was something she shouldn't hear.

She was not qualified to hear this.

Raynesia had always thought of Rieze as a strong woman, a noble, and a natural Adventurer. Raynesia felt ashamed to have thought this way. In the end, she did not understand Rieze as an individual.

When she realized this, she truly understood how small the world she knew was.

She was not ignorant of the world because she was educated as a princess of Maihama. Her view of the world was narrow because she ignored the things right in front of her.

Raynesia had always worked hard.

She understood what this sentence meant now.

Didn't it imply 'I have been watching?'

To not even grasp this, Raynesia really was naive.

"I was born in Maihama. As a princess, I was raised by my nanny… I am not familiar with the games others play. I felt fortunate to have a happy and prosperous life. To have pretty clothes and plenty of food, my life was never in danger either."

Raynesia started the topic with a soft voice.

"Academic-wise, I had several teachers in the castle. It might be an elite education in the eyes of People of the Land, but it's nothing to be proud of compared to Rieze-san and the others."

Raynesia was not sure what to say as she rumbled on.

She was doing this ritual of sharing her story like Rieze did.

"I was probably after the compliments of my clan so I hid my true self away. Actually… I am afraid of troublesome things. I want to sleep lazily until noon and bask in the sun leisurely. I can't follow conversations that are too deep. I will even yawn with my mouth closed sometimes when I am bored."

To confess all this to the thoughtful Rieze required a lot of courage.

But Raynesia didn't plan to stop talking even after seeing Rieze's reaction. That swallow-like girl had probably flown far away.

"I came to this city because I thought I would be able to avoid all these troublesome formalities. I am not proficient in negotiations and taking responsibilities even now. I feel like crying when faced with things I don't understand. I think I'm just suitable to live my life eating rice balls and dazing away. But, that is not what I am… meaning because I am a princess… I can't do all that. Although I really don't know if this is true."

Raynesia hated herself for not being able to express herself properly.

Krusty was probably able to read her mind.

But that wouldn't do.

If she didn't do it right, Raynesia would not have any bonds linking her to this blonde lady or the swallow-like girl.

She could hear Elissa's quiet chuckle in her heart. Her temper rose for a moment and she blurted out crude words that were unlike her.

"Maybe, there are important things somewhere, because they are important, so I want to hold onto them. That's why I think I have to act like a princess… But my strength alone is not enough, that's why…"

"Yeah."

"I want to express myself properly to Rieze-san. Not only lady Rieze-san, but also Akatsuki-san and Maryele-san too. Or else, I won't have the right to be close to Rieze-san or live in Akiba… Even my arrogant thoughts of protecting everyone will be lost."

"Express yourself properly?"

Rieze laughed at these words. She calmly fulfilled Raynesia's wishes while hiding her embarrassed tones.

"Well, these things are embarrassing to say even when you are in high school. This is not something I can say so directly… This is my first advice to you. Wanting to 'express yourself' is too hard to understand. Raynesia, even though I am an Adventurer, I hope we can be friends."

The unworldly princess was gifted with an important thing in an unexpected place.

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