WE LEFT THE CAPITAL in a small airship and arrived at an airship harbor on a
floating island not far away. Vessels moved busily to and fro everywhere we
looked. It reminded me of a train station or a bus terminal, minus the actual
buses and trains. I went to wait at the appointed area, where I had left my ship,
the Partner, docked on standby.
Luxion had built the seven-hundred-meter vessel himself. It looked as box-like
as any other ship anchored here, though its superior size made it stand out. On
the inside, the design trended plain but efficient.
"You actually have it waiting like I asked."
Luxion, hidden inside my luggage, responded, "It was a simple task for the
Partner."
He'd based its underlying design and functionality on the spaceship where his
main body resided, which was comparatively futuristic. Well, it was a spaceship,
after all. However, I couldn't let anyone on that main vessel because no way
could I lie around its obviously advanced technology. Everyone knew the story
of how I'd unearthed a Lost Item—something we couldn't replicate with
modern technology.
However, I'd had Luxion create the Partner for me to use in place of that ship.
I didn't want anyone finding out the truth of Luxion's capabilities—if they did,
someone would inevitably go to great lengths (a.k.a. kill me) in order to take
him. Hence, regular-looking ship.
Dammit. If I hadn't sailed Luxion's main ship home that first time, no one
would know about it, and I wouldn't have to go to all this trouble.
At any rate, Luxion was bragging about the Partner like an annoyingly proud
parent, or maybe like a budding artist. Apparently he'd become attached. Did AI
really feel that kind of emotional connection?
"Master, have you noticed?"
"Yeah, I see them."
Livia and Carla stood beside the Partner. Livia held the latter's luggage. The
moment they saw me approaching, Carla snatched her bags back as if to
pretend she'd been carrying them the entire time. Did she genuinely think I
wouldn't notice?
More importantly, what was Livia doing here? She seemed downright
depressed about it, too. Had her attempt to mend fences with Angie not gone
well?
"Baron, over here!" Carla called out to me in a singsong voice.
Well, that freaked me out a bit. "Girls are scary…"
"Just remember: they're more frightened of you than you are of them,"
Luxion said.
"You sure you're not confusing fear for hate?"
As I reached the two girls, another pair of familiar faces approached. Red and
Purple, i.e., Greg and Brad. Greg Fou Seberg had a toned physique—he loved to
brag about his strength—and hair that was cropped short and slicked back. He
carried a spear in one hand. Brad Fou Field just wore a disgruntled look on his
face.
"Guh."
"Why in the world is Bartfort here?"
Their malicious words pierced my fragile heart.
"Hey look, it's a couple of losers," I sneered back.
They stepped closer, glaring daggers at me.
Yup, they're awful. Hair of popstars, personalities of common thugs.
"You lookin' for a fight, huh?!" Greg snarled.
"Care to test who'll lose this time?" Brad threatened.
I retreated behind Livia. "Yeah, yeah, I'm here for these two. Got no time for
you guys, so scram."
Unfortunately, they didn't leave.
Greg scratched the top of his head, and Brad turned his gaze to Carla. "Care to
explain?"
She looked troubled as she averted her gaze—an obvious ploy to hide her
true motives, whatever they were. Not that her duplicity came as any surprise
to me.
"Um, uh, well…I figured it'd be most efficient if we all rode the baron's airship
back to my family's lands together."
"What?!" I turned on her. "You're telling me to let these scrubs on my ship?!"
Veins popped on Greg and Brad's foreheads.
Temper, temper!
"Who are you callin' a scrub?!"
"Honestly, the nerve!"
"I-I'm sorry!" Carla apologized. "I should have told you. I actually asked Lord
Brad for help as well."
Everyone's attention turned to Brad.
"Carla serves my former fiancée's house," he explained reluctantly, "so when
she came to me for help, I agreed to lend her aid. She also promised a reward
and said that those pirates have a bounty on them. I figured this could be a way
to help Marie, so I accepted."
His answer sounded perfectly reasonable—kidding. No it didn't, it was
warped as hell. Not because he, a student, thought he might as well go and
fight some air pirates. No, it was this stupid otome game's logic at work again,
the one that thought it was perfectly natural for men to put their lives on the
line solely to gain women's affection. Successfully fighting off pirates would
definitely raise a guy's appeal on campus, but only because this world was
screwed up down to the core.
Greg smacked the butt of his beloved lance against the ground. He stood with
his legs spread, making for an imposing figure. "And after he told me what he
was doing, I decided I'd come along, too."
And what the hell do you expect to accomplish with a single lance?
All the characters in this world might as well be brain-dead for how well they
thought things through.
"And the other three?" I asked. "You know, Black, Green, and Blue."
"Quit calling us that!" Brad snapped. "Our friends were summoned by their
families. Marie had an errand to attend, so she couldn't come either. Frankly,
even if she wasn't busy, I wouldn't have let her accompany us. It's too
dangerous. So it's just us two."
Greg chuckled. "Those guys're way too serious. They know they're just gonna
get an earful by going back home, but they went anyway. I was summoned, too,
but I'm afraid I'm busy taggin' along with Brad. Can't trust him on his own."
"Silence, meathead! If I'd had my say, I would have brought Chris, not you."
"What'd you say?!"
Yep, definitely brain-dead. Two idiots weren't much better than one idiot with
a sharp stick. They didn't even have any decent weapons with them. Our
enemies were called air pirates because they had airships. How were these two
going to fight against a ship? One dude's magic? Another dude's spear? Was
this some kinda joke? Talk about helpless.
In fact, given the renown these pirates had garnered, they probably all had
Armor. Greg and Brad didn't stand an ice cube's chance in hell of winning
without Armor of their own.
"A-at any rate, let's work together and defeat them, okay?" Carla ushered us
along. "Come on, Olivia, back me up."
Livia only looked at her feet. When Carla realized Olivia wasn't responding,
she clicked her tongue quietly. Bet she thought I wouldn't hear.
It did make me scratch my head. I hadn't realized things were this bad for
Livia. I needed to talk things out with her later.
"For now, get on the ship," I said. "But I'm warning you, don't try anything
funny with the Partner."
Greg bared his teeth at me. "Unlike you, we're not that immature."
I snorted. Getting riled up at an offhanded comment was precisely what made
him so immature. "I'm warning you because you're an infant."
"You wanna go?!"
"You wouldn't sound so much like a screaming infant if you didn't wail about
every little thing. Moron!" I grabbed Livia's hand and ran for the ship.
Greg and Brad followed behind, along with Carla. I didn't miss her smirk,
either—one that seemed to say: Success!
Okay, I thought, we've gone this far. What're she and her puppetmaster
hoping will happen next?
***
Back at the girl's dormitory, Angie set foot in the general class building with a
small present in hand. She nervously glanced down the corridors, searching for
the right room.
"I…I wonder if this will be enough?" she murmured to herself.
Angie had nervously looked over the gift about a dozen times by now. She'd
bought it for Livia, but she wasn't confident her friend would like it. She'd gone
to the boys' dormitory earlier that morning to consult Leon, but he'd already
left for Wayne House's territory.
"That buffoon. They're only using him, but he actually dragged his airship out
for them."
Although Angie had tried to stop him, Leon insisted on going. She worried for
him, so she had contacted her own house to alert them, but she had no airship
of her own. Unlike Leon, she couldn't just make impulsive decisions and act on
them freely. While she did plan to pursue him soon, she wanted to invite Livia
along first.
Angie puzzled over what to say to her. How should I act when I face her? Will
she even forgive me?
She flitted through the girl's dormitory, plagued by anxiety. When other girls
spotted her, they hurried out of her way, squeezing against the wall as she
passed. One of them tried to say something to her, but Angie just said, "I'm a
bit busy at the moment."
When she finally arrived at Livia's room, Angie gaped in shock. "Wh-what?
This is it?"
It was decidedly different from the living quarters the other students had
been provided. In fact, a plaque on the door read Storage. The school had
stuffed Livia in an old storeroom. Disparaging graffiti decorated her door and
the surrounding walls.
Angie steeled herself and knocked, but there was no answer. "L-Livia? It's me,
Angelica."
Even after she called out, she received no response. At least, not until
someone behind her said, "Oh, if it isn't Angelica."
When Angie turned, she came face-to-face with the Offrey girl, who was
surrounded by her pack of followers. The scratches from their previous
encounter yet marred her face.
"Am I to be subjected to your hideous visage again?" Angie asked, eyes
narrowed to slits. The Offrey girl was her senior, but Angie simply did not care
anymore.
The Offrey girl sneered back. "You must really despise me. Don't care for an
'upstart,' do you? People like you are such an eyesore. You think you're better
than everyone else just because your family's been in power longer."
"Upstart? Please, that word is too pretty for you. You'll insult actual upstarts."
On top of being from an opposing faction to Redgrave House, the Offrey
House had, to Angie's knowledge, involved themselves in some rather unsavory
affairs. On top of that, the Offrey daughter and her followers embodied every
terrible stereotype about the academy's female students—partying slave
owners, with a literal horde of freshly bought slaves to replace the ones they
had been forced to relinquish. Was it any wonder Angie loathed her so much?
New money sure does make for childish tastes. It's pathetic watching them
parade around like that.
The Offrey girl clicked her tongue. "I owe you so very much for what you did
during the school festival."
Or perhaps she'd at last learned her lesson, at least enough to use words
rather than fists to fight.
Angie smiled thinly. "I'm afraid I don't have time to waste on you."
The girl gave her an ugly grin. "Oh? You came here to see your beloved pet?
You sure do enjoy showering her with affection."
Angie glowered. "What are you trying to imply?"
The Offrey girl stepped closer, until their faces were only a few inches apart.
Angie wrinkled her nose at the girl's overpowering perfume.
"If you want to keep your precious follower and your darling little pet safe,
you need a tighter leash. It would be so tragic if they died, wouldn't it?"
Angie's eyes widened, and the Offrey girl's lips peeled back from pearly white
teeth in a dastardly smirk.
"I knew you were behind that request," Angie murmured.
"If you knew, then you should have stopped them. I guess the Redgrave
daughter really is a cold one."
Despite the taunt, Angie kept her cool. Foolish girl, do you realize who you're
messing with? If you think Leon merely a talented guard dog, you have another
think coming. He might not have realized Carla's family serves yours, but he
knows this is trouble. Oh, but then why did he agree to lend her his help? He's as
impossible to read as ever.
However, all that being said, the one Angie really pitied was this girl.
"Oh, yes," said the wicked girl, "and your beloved pet went out as well."
"'Went out'?"
"Quite. Carla took the commoner with her—said they were friends. She
certainly does have strange taste. There are pirates absolutely everywhere out
there, you know. Who would drag their friends to such a dangerous place?"
In the blink of an eye, Angie snatched the Offrey girl's collar and slammed her
against the wall. She pulled the girl's collar suffocatingly tight around her throat
and lifted her in the air with one hand.
"Tell me," Angie snarled, "what have you done to Livia?"
"I-I can't breathe…" The Offrey girl's feet dangled helplessly, kicking the air as
she clutched Angie's arm with both hands.
Her followers and servants immediately rushed to her aid, but Angie's
menacing glare froze them in place.
"Don't you dare touch me. I'll tear you apart." Angie's voice held a murderous
chill. Once she was certain they wouldn't move, she turned her gaze back to the
Offrey girl, whose face contorted in anguish. "My temper is short. Out with it.
What are you planning?"
"L-Let me go!" Suddenly, the girl's panic subsided, and she turned smug as if
she'd realized something. "M-my father won't let this slide, you realize. Your
whole family is already in deep—"
"I'm asking the questions," Angie snapped. "Lately, so, so many fools have
made light of me. You're rather perfect timing. I might just make an example of
you."
Said fools were mostly other female students. This had been a point of
anxiety for Angie for a while now. The boys were comparatively easy to deal
with.
The Offrey girl grinned, despite Angie's stranglehold. "Go see for yourself if
you're so worried."
"What do you think I'm doing?" Angie threw the girl to the ground. Then, she
turned on her heel and walked away as if nothing had happened. Only when
she rounded the corner did she break out into a run.
I have to contact Leon! Would it be faster for me to fly after him directly? No,
if he's taking the Partner, it'll be difficult to catch up.
With that, Angie headed for a certain duke's house in the capital. She would
board one of their airships immediately.
***
When Black—or rather, Julius—returned to the palace, the first thing that
awaited him was a lecture from his mother in her office.
She paused in the midst of shuffling through paperwork and said, very matterof-
fact, "You want to suppress pirates to gain fame? Julius, you don't
understand your position at all, do you? With your fall from grace, you don't
have access to a single one of our military assets. Not a ship, not an Armor. Nor
do you have the right to command the kingdom's troops. You wish to
exterminate pirates? Don't make me laugh."
He flinched, yet he protested. "But, Mother, isn't driving out such rabble our
duty as nobles?"
"It's the duty of those assigned such work. Julius, do you honestly think
yourself more capable than the knights and soldiers who deal with air pirates
every day? I realize sometimes academy boys involve themselves in matters
beyond their capability, but we receive frequent complaints from those who
view student 'help' as a hindrance. Were you not aware?"
Some of the male students went above and beyond the call of duty to try to
earn names for themselves. The older knights and soldiers couldn't exactly
refuse when the boys insisted on helping, and some even supported the male
students, aiding them in their quest for achievements. They held great
sympathy for the boys' desperate search for marriage partners.
"I understand the broader circumstances," Mylene said. "So we let the other
boys participate. Your friends may. But this baronetcy, they may go through the
proper channels and have troops dispatched if they so require. Then they may
recruit students from the academy."
To Julius, Mylene seemed like an entirely different person at work. Her
innocent persona was nowhere to be found. Urgh! At this rate, I won't be able
to help Greg and Brad at all!
Voices echoed in the hall. After receiving permission from Mylene's
bodyguards, Jilk suddenly entered the room, slightly out of breath.
Mylene scrutinized him, then turned back to her paperwork. "What is it?" Her
pen kept moving.
Jilk took a deep breath, glanced briefly at Julius, then answered. "Your
Majesty, Baron Bartfort has set off to eliminate the pirates plaguing Wayne
House. Greg and Brad seem to be with him."
Julius glanced at his mother, certain she'd lash out at Jilk for coming all this
way over something so minor.
"What? Leon's going?" Mylene blurted, sounding more like the mother Julius
knew than a queen in work mode.
No—this was different. A faint blush colored her cheeks.
Mother! Please, open your eyes! What part of Bartfort could you possibly fall
for?! No, wait a moment. This could be my chance!
"Mother," Julius said in his most persuasive tone, "we must send
reinforcements after them right away. Please, entrust the fleet to me. I will
ensure these pirates are eliminated posthaste!"
The vulnerable, nigh shy expression on Mylene's face vanished. "Julius, you
haven't any experience commanding a fleet. You'd only get in the way. Besides,
we can't have the knights and soldiers splitting their efforts by looking out for
you, can we?" She turned to Jilk. "Is this information accurate?"
"Yes. I've already confirmed it. Earl Offrey's daughter is involved, so I suspect
—"
"Speak fact, not supposition."
Jilk straightened his posture. "Duke Redgrave has sent an airship after the
Partner, which is currently headed to the troubled baronetcy. The information
comes from a reliable source."
Redgrave House was involved? Julius glanced back at his mother.
Mylene appeared to mull the matter over. "Further reinforcements are
unnecessary. This will be a good opportunity to learn the true extent of Baron
Bartfort's abilities. Is he merely a talented knight? Or is he genuinely capable of
going head-to-head with these pirates? The duke's decision to send a ship after
them means he intends to provide Leon with backup. Given his precarious
position right now, that would seem to be a dangerous choice…"
"Mother!" Julius protested. "Please, let me go as well. Why do you let Bartfort
go but not me?!"
Mylene returned to her work, sighing. "Your inability to answer that for
yourself is precisely why I can't let you."
***
The recreation room on the Partner came equipped with a pool table and
dartboard, giving it a casino-like atmosphere. It was an ideal place to kill time,
so soon, Brad, Greg, and I found ourselves there. Gambling, of course.
I wore a relaxed grin while they both scrunched their faces, studying their
cards.
"What's wrong?" I asked. "Are you gonna fight me or are you gonna fold?"
Greg growled. "Wait! Gimme a second to think!"
I'd already drained a decent amount of money from the two. They carried
quite a bit—cash they'd earned during the school festival. What a shame they'd
gone through all that work only to lose it to me.
"Why not give up now? If you back out, I'll let you go," I goaded.
Sweat poured down Brad's forehead. "No way! I'm taking this round. It's
statistically impossible for you to keep winning like this. I swear, this one is
mine!"
I'd beaten them in several consecutive rounds…by cheating, of course. Brad
was right; my win record didn't make sense statistically. I thought of it as my
right in lieu of charging them for a ride on my ship.
Such gullible babies, these two. The second they got out in the real world,
someone was going to take them to the cleaners. But before that happened, I'd
teach them a thing or two about the harsh and unforgiving fate of an adult.
They simply didn't yet realize that the lesson I was imparting was a kind one.
"Here we go!"
"I'll win this time!"
The two resolved themselves and laid down their cards.
Greg grinned triumphantly.
"How's this?!" Brad was similarly self-assured. It certainly did look like he
might have a winning hand. "This one's mine!"
Dude, how many times do you have to lose before you recognize the pattern
here? I sighed to myself and slowly revealed my cards.
Both of them went pale and collapsed on the table.
"Sorry," I said. "I win again."
Greg held his head in his hands. "There's no way! You gotta be cheating!"
You're right, I do! But it's your own fault for not figuring out how I'm doing it.
Brad raked his hands through his hair and howled. "How many rounds did we
lose?! This is inconceivable!"
I gathered the cards together. "You two really are a couple of morons."
They both glared at me, but their wallets were too empty for them to
challenge me again.
As I stowed away the cards, an exhausted Greg turned to Brad. "Hey, what
kinda person was your ex-fiancée anyhow?"
Brad gazed tearfully at his empty wallet and sighed. His nose wrinkled in
annoyance. "Miss Offrey is a rare type of woman, I suppose you could say."
Oh, he was right about that. A real poster girl, that Offrey chick—for the worst
nobility had to offer. Most girls descended from the higher houses were more
composed, so the reckless consumption of Brad's ex drew all sorts of attention.
I listened in as I prepared some tea.
"We only met a few times before our families agreed to the engagement. I
can count the number of times we've talked at school on one hand. Although, I
am glad I didn't fight with her like the prince and Jilk did with their former
partners. Our arrangement really was your run-of-the-mill political union. I
knew Miss Offrey was…indiscreet, but I know little of her personality or her
hobbies."
"I've heard rumors," said Greg. "Doesn't Offrey House have a really bad
reputation? Why'd you get engaged to a girl like that? I don't see any merit in it
for you."
"I wouldn't have if there were no merit," Brad pointed out. "Offrey House was
taken over, you see. The previous head was once a merchant. From their
perspective, an arrangement with my house guaranteed them descendants of
noble blood."
Greg frowned, dissatisfied with this explanation.
Many of Holfort's current nobles were descendants of the elite adventurers
who'd founded the kingdom. Other families had climbed the social ladder over
generations by making names for themselves, often with an adventurer such as
myself forging the way, or a scion who achieved greatness on the battlefield.
Some houses had found less valorous ways to rise up the ranks. Those people
were often labeled "upstarts," but in my opinion, the sheer fact that they'd
managed to find some kind of success in this world warranted praise.
There was, however, an exception, namely Offrey House. They'd been a mere
barony before being usurped by a merchant who'd earned further titles
through exploiting legal loopholes, resulting in their current earldom. Other
nobles resented them for it. Who could blame them? Offrey House had no
distinguishing feats or successes to its name before its rise to power. They were
nobility by dint of contractual gray zones and boatloads of cash.
Since then, the family had stained their hands with a number of unsavory
practices. People hated them, but they had their allies—never would've made it
so far if they hadn't. Specifically, they were in deep with one of the kingdom's
major political factions, but I didn't know much more than that. I wasn't
interested in all that finicky stuff.
At any rate, Offrey House's biggest current problem was all bloodline. The
previous head of the family had essentially raised the house from commoner
merchants into nobility. His son had inherited, which was all well and good, but
neither he nor his sister possessed established noble blood. The miserable
Offrey chick's engagement to Brad had been intended to secure Offrey House's
place in esteemed noble lineage. By integrating with Field House, they could
add greater legitimacy to theirs.
Honestly, I struggled to understand how anyone could be so hungry for
prestige that they would put themselves through all that.
Greg raised his head, struck by epiphany. "Oh, right, her family's been getting
all buddy-buddy with the principality!"
"Now you get it?" Brad said, exasperated. "My family reigns over the border
separating us from the principality. Earl Offrey asked my family to consider my
engagement to his daughter if and when Offrey House proved able to secure
diplomatic ties with the principality. We never imagined they would succeed, so
my father agreed."
"They kicked up a real fuss when they managed it, huh? Everyone was talking
'bout how we wouldn't have to fear the Black Knight anymore."
"And as a result, the two of us were engaged," Brad finished.
Field House's territory did indeed cover the front line—the border separating
us from the Principality of Fanoss. Fanoss had the extremely powerful warrior
(read: huge nuisance) on their side: the Black Knight. Every time the kingdom
battled the principality, we suffered enormous casualties thanks to him. Offrey
House's brokered peace had obligated Field House to concede to Earl Offrey's
request for a marriage union.
"Details aside," Greg continued, "they've actually done some good work since
attaining earldom, I take it?"
"Which is exactly what makes them troublesome. Actually, Mister Wayne
once insinuated he wanted me to break things off with Miss Offrey. A bit
cunning, don't you think? I suppose it's no surprise a vassal house to a crafty
lord would demonstrate the same tendencies."
"Well, my engagement isn't much different from yours," said Greg. "I only
met my betrothed a couple of times. Ha, as if I'd have any feelings for her."
Thinking back, I realized that neither Greg's nor Chris's fiancées ever made an
appearance in the game. Just what kind of women were they?
Luxion abruptly cut in with a report, discreetly enough that the two lounging
nearby couldn't hear him. "Master, it seems we have a welcome party."
We wouldn't get to the territory of Wayne House for some time yet, so by
welcome party, he had to mean…
"Pirate ships," he confirmed. "Two approaching."
I drained the glass of tea I'd poured for myself and turned to the other two.
"It's showtime, boys. I expect you to impress me."
They both gaped at me in surprise. They clearly had no idea what I was
referring to.
"Enemy sighted," I enunciated each syllable. "Go get ready."
Greg popped out of his chair. "Y-yeah, no problem!"
Brad got up as well, but then the two of them just stood there, paralyzed, like
a couple of lost children.
"Uh, so, what should we do?" Greg asked.
Oh, come on, you've got to be kidding me. Brad's one thing, but, Greg, my
guy, come on—aren't you supposed to be an experienced adventurer?
"Forget it. For now, just remain on standby below deck."
"And why should we do that?!" Greg snapped.
"Because I told you to get ready and you went brain-dead! Don't make me
spell it out for you!" I dashed out of the room, giving Luxion orders as I went.
***
The pirate ships flew black flags imprinted with a single skull. They called
themselves the Winged Sharks.
Their captain studied the Partner and whistled to himself. "The boss'll be real
happy if we get our hands on that."
His subordinate agreed. "It's a big catch. But are there really only four twerps
riding that thing? It's huge!"
"Yep, three fellas and one lady," said the captain. "Not sure whether I buy it
or not, but supposedly the vessel's a Lost Item. We'll know soon enough, once
we board 'em and check it out."
"Want us to get rid of the four on board?"
"Moron! The fellas are rich noble brats. We can sell 'em to those wealthy old
bats for some extra coin. As for the girl, we'll play with her a bit, then toss her
aside. She's only a commoner, so she won't make us any money otherwise."
That galvanized the crew, and their ship, as well as the one flying beside
them, began to descend. They came from straight above, planning to pin the
Partner between themselves and the ground.
The captain put a hand to his neck and cracked it back and forth. "I heard one
of them is unusually strong, but he's still just a brat. Make sure you teach 'em
what a real battle looks like."
"Aye, aye! We'll pound that lesson right into them!"
Suits of Armor launched from the ship, one after the other. Altogether, the
two pirate vessels launched about twenty in total, all headed straight toward
the Partner.
"We're gonna have a good time today, thanks to these foolish kiddies," said
the captain.
"Hear, hear!"
They just had to secure the enemy ship so it couldn't escape, and then it was
theirs for the taking. They always took ships this way. But as their Armors
approached the Partner, something flew toward them: a dark gray suit—an
Armor noticeably larger than a standard model.
"What do they expect to accomplish with only one Armor? That kid might be
kinda noteworthy, but he's still nothin' more than a brat. Surround him and—"
Before the captain could finish his order, the enemy Armor grabbed two of
the pirates' inferior suits in either hand and smashed them together. He
discarded the broken Armors on the deck of his ship. As the rest of the pirates
attempted to surround him, he effortlessly crushed them one after the other.
One of the pirates attempted to stop him with an anti-Armor rifle, but the
enemy dodged the shot, grabbed the muzzle, and used it to send the pirate's
Armor flying.
The captain now realized his crew was in legitimate danger. "What the hell is
that thing? Retreat! Turn the ship immedi—"
Too late. A violent shock wave ran through the ship, and he caught himself on
a nearby railing.
"What was that?!"
"Cannons! Our target is firing at us!"
"Don't be ridiculous. We're on top of them!"
The generally accepted pirate tactic in airborne warfare was to fly over your
enemy. Cannons had poor accuracy, so they were usually positioned on the
broadside of a ship. In honorable combat, crew would attempt to pull their ship
up alongside an enemy and fire as many cannonballs as they could to pierce the
magic barrier that protected every vessel. The only way to bypass that barrier
was to launch all cannons en masse.
To avoid such an assault, the pirates opted to descend from overhead.
"Their ship's too big to maneuver well. How are they firing at us? And who's
manning the cannons? Aren't there only four people on board?!"
A ship the size of the Partner needed a crew of at least a thousand, or it
wouldn't even launch. Four wasn't enough—neither was five, if you included
the pirates' accomplice in the enemy crew. What manner of Lost Item was this
thing?!
As the Partner continued firing, another shock wave tore through the pirates'
vessel.
"Surrender!" the captain barked. "Raise the white flag! We surrender!"
***
Greg stared as Arroganz landed back on the deck of the Partner.
Brad, on the other hand, busily tied up the pirates whose Armor Leon had
destroyed. "Get over here, meathead!" he howled at his friend.
Arroganz towered over Greg, and as he gazed up at it, he thought to himself,
We don't stand a chance.
Arroganz was larger than most modern Armor—taller, broader, you name it—
and, though covered in thick plating, it flew through the air like a dancing
feather. The pirates' crude suits had been no match for it.
Greg had never really imagined Leon's strength beyond reach. That wasn't the
problem.
I always prided myself on practical experience, but what nonsense… Now that
I'm out here on my own, I'm useless.
Greg had played an active role in battles before, yes—but only because of the
support of his house's retainers. In contrast, Leon fought completely on his
own, like always. The moment the pirates showed their faces, he'd charged out
to meet them.
This was the difference. The problem. Leon could stand alone and win. Greg
had never even tried to do so.
"I really am immature, huh? Just a pretentious brat," Greg mumbled to
himself. He felt pathetic. Worse, at the same time, he found himself unable to
deny that Leon was far more impressive than he'd given him credit for.
***
Inside Arroganz, I ran a check on my surroundings.
"Have we disabled all enemy units?"
Luxion's portable body sat inside the Armor with me, perched on a bloodred
pedestal, his single eye turned toward me.
"Yes," he said. "The two ships have already powered down their engines.
Even if they do try to resist, it won't be an issue. We need only sink them."
"Idiot, don't do that. We're gonna take them home and sell them."
Our enemies' suits were shoddy, but their airships would fetch a fair price.
And I looked forward to the bounty for their crews. I had resolved to take them
alive—which was way better than leaving them to carry on their reign of terror.
"If I'm not mistaken, would it not be more expedient to shoot them down?"
Luxion asked. "I suspect they'll be trouble if we attempt to take them back with
us."
"Look here, I'm not mentally built to find joy in mindless slaughter. And if I'm
gonna use you in battle, I've gotta be judicious."
"Master," my robot companion began, his electronic voice even colder than
usual, "are you sure you wish to employ such caution even if it means failing
your objective?"
The implication was clear: if you show enemies mercy, they will come back to
haunt you.
Yeah, but they'll literally haunt me if I kill them, jerk! I groaned. "This is exactly
why I don't like getting dragged into this kind of mess."
I disliked having to make this decision. It was one thing to fight of my own
volition, where I wholeheartedly accepted repercussions—even if I did my best
to evade them. It was another matter to fight on someone else's orders. Either
way, deciding whether or not to kill a man was not my jam.
Seriously, why is this even happening?
I just wanted to keep a suitable distance between myself and the primary
characters so I could live in peace. But I'd long since missed my chance to leave
Livia and the others to their own devices. And I knew it was my inability to
commit that kept landing me in these troublesome situations.
Even now, I opted for the lukewarm approach: take my opponents alive. How
long could I keep walking this fine line?
"Anyway," I continued, "wouldn't a warning shot have sufficed? Why'd you
have to feed them a full barrage?"
"They tried to get the drop on the Partner. I refused to allow it."
This dude really has no place judging humans. For an AI, he can really hold a
grudge.
Whether that was fantastic or terrible was up for debate, but thinking about it
wouldn't get me anywhere—this otome game didn't ever adhere to its own
logic. And besides, Luxion was my partner, so he could be inconsistent on
matters like these if he wanted. If he were more realistic, now, I'd live in
absolute terror of the day he revolted against me.
But the way he was? That was perfect.
***
Inside the Partner, Carla gazed out the window. She trembled as she gripped a
communicator in her hand.
"You must be joking! How could you lose this easily?!"
She'd guided the pirates to the Partner, and the result left her dumbfounded.
She'd never dreamed Leon could be so powerful.
The Partner had been shock enough on its own. It was fully operational with a
mere five people aboard. It even ran with startling efficiency. Unbelievable. The
pirates hadn't stood a chance.
"Lost Item? More like a cheat! At this rate, we really will reach my family's
territory."
Carla had gone to Leon at the command of Miss Offrey, all in order to sic the
pirates on him and the others. Carla was meant to be the sole survivor.
Her fingers tightened around the communicator. The connection had severed
right after her first transmission to the pirates.
"Why'd you have to break on me?!"
Whether the signal was bad or it had some other mechanical problem, the
noise on the other end terrified Carla. Although somewhat unreliable across
distance, these communicators usually worked so long as the other party was
near enough. With the pirates in such close proximity, it should definitely work.
Why didn't it work?
Frustrated and on the verge of panic, Carla flung the device at the wall. "I-I
never even contacted my house. They have no idea I'm coming. If the young
miss learns of this, I'll be done for."
After capturing the pirates, Leon would continue heading for Wayne House's
territory. Carla's family would know exactly what she'd done the second they
arrived. But more than whatever shame awaited her there, Miss Offrey's ire
frightened her beyond measure.
"Wait! The commoner!" Carla muttered to herself. "I'll blame her for this
disaster. Yes, perfect. Bartfort's soft on that girl, so I'm sure he'll forgive me for
her sake. The other two have already been disowned, so they can't even
retaliate. Them, I can ignore."
***
The Partner arrived in Baronet Wayne's territory by the fading light of
evening.
"The sun sure set quickly," I said. To make things worse, it was cold outside.
This baronetcy lacked a harbor for the Partner to dock at, so we were forced
to board a smaller vessel in order to land. That, however, became a problem.
"How can you be calm in a situation like this?!" Brad snapped at me.
Okay, so we were kind of surrounded by the baronetcy's soldiers. I lifted my
hands in the air, namely because of all the guns aimed at us.
"Don't get so worked up," I said. "I feel just as uneasy as you do."
"I'm not sure if you're amazing or an amazing idiot," Greg said irritably.
The soldiers regarded us so warily because of the two pirate-like ships we'd
brought along. Well, okay, not pirate-like, being actual pirate ships. I couldn't
blame anyone for the cautious approach.
Baronet Conrad Fou Wayne appeared from between his soldiers, having been
called on immediately. Carla's father was a middle-aged man with a large gut
protruding past his waistband. As he approached us, his face was characterized
primarily by exhaustion, but as he laid eyes on us, it soon turned to surprise.
"Put down your weapons! Immediately!"
Once I was no longer staring down the barrel(s) of (multiple) rifle(s), I dropped
my hands.
"Lord Brad?" Mister Conrad gasped, bowing to him without even
acknowledging me. "It's been so long."
"Huh? Uh, yes, of course." Brad didn't seem to remember the old man's face.
Mister Conrad gave him a self-deprecating chuckle. "We first met at a party at
your father's estate. You've grown a great deal since then."
Brad, relieved by the explanation, eased up a bit. "More importantly, why are
your soldiers so suspicious? We've come in response to your daughter's request
for aid."
"Aid?" Mister Conrad seemed baffled. "My daughter asked you for aid, Lord
Brad?"
Everyone turned to Carla, who tensed under scrutiny. Shocker. I'd instructed
Luxion to keep an eye on her, so I knew the depths of her horridness. His
camera had captured her entire plan.
"N-no!" she fumbled, "I consulted this girl about a problem I had, and she
blew it out of proportion. S-so…"
Everyone's eyes flew to Livia.
"Huh? Uh, um, Carla asked me to…" Livia struggled. It was like, up to that
moment, her mind had been somewhere else entirely.
She'd been really under the weather lately. Every time I tried to talk to her,
she avoided me. What was going on?
Partly because of that, when Mister Conrad moved to question her, I
intervened. "Your daughter wanted help, and she asked Livia to introduce us. So
we hurried out here to lend our aid."
Mister Conrad peered at me as if to say, And who the hell are you?
"This is Leon Fou Bartfort," Brad said, introducing me. "I'm sure you've at
least heard the rumors?"
Mister Conrad's eyes widened. "Baron Bartfort? Please pardon my rudeness.
Um, however, my region is, to my knowledge, in no need of any especial
assistance. Are you certain my daughter asked for your aid in this?"
Brad narrowed his eyes at Carla. "Care to explain?"
Now cornered, Carla tried to glare at Livia, but I stepped between them. Tears
welled in Carla's eyes.
Sensing something amiss, Mister Conrad tried to cover for her. "My apologies,
my lords. She seems confused. For now, allow me to invite you to my home,
and—"
I snorted. This stupid otome game. This world is especially soft on girls from
the academy. Like I'm going to let this blow over.
"Your daughter called us here with a promise of compensation in exchange
for our assistance. You realize what this means, don't you, baronet?" I boomed,
staring down the older man. "We're not playing around."
I'd never wanted the title of baron, but now that I had it, I was going to make
the best of it.
"These two are future barons themselves," I went on, tilting my head at Greg
and Brad, "and I've already received my title. I even brought out my own ship
and seized two pirate vessels. You're not going to tell me this was all a
misunderstanding, are you?"
"B-but, I'm, the situation is certainly unclear—"
"Carla's right there. Ask her to clarify. I understand you want to coddle
daddy's cute little girl, but don't think that's going to settle this. I have my own
ways of extracting the payment I was promised."
Luxion was kind enough to back me up and move the airship forward.
The baronet stared at the Partner's massive form looming overhead; he likely
assumed we had more allies inside. He seized his daughter by the shoulders.
"Carla, what in the world is going on?! Did you really request their aid?!"
Carla sobbed, and at first, she tried to pretend she didn't know what was
going on. "Pirates? What pirates? I don't know what they're talking about."
"Really?" I said. "Because I've got two ships full of 'em ready to name you as
an accomplice."
That made her crack. She confessed everything, including the original
etiquette trick she'd used to lure me out here. But the real treat was when she
named the Offrey girl as the mastermind out loud.
Once we wrung all the details from her, we opted to return to the Partner
rather than accompany the baronet back to his estate.
The second I was alone with Livia in a private room, I raised my arms and
stretched my back. "Ahh, I'm exhausted. We'll see how tomorrow goes, but I
think I'll take it easy for the time being. We still have a few days off."
Day one of our trip, and we'd already resolved the pirate problem. In fact, it'd
gone so well it was kinda anticlimactic, but this wasn't a video game. I couldn't
object to a relatively calm spot of combat. The best thing I could hope for in this
world was a future of peace and safety.
The only thing off was the absence of Livia's worried questions—you know,
like, Are you sure that's a good idea? But now, her gaze was glued to her feet.
She didn't even attempt to converse.
"You okay?" I asked.
Slowly, she lifted her face. "I don't get it."
"Huh?"
"You're amazing, aren't you? You don't need anyone. You can solve every
problem all by yourself."
Something about the way she held herself—her tone of voice—concerned
me.
"Uh, Livia?" I reached a hand toward her, but she brushed me off. She even
took a step back, putting more distance between us.
"Why are you always so nice to me?"
"Uh, well, because…"
The first thing that popped into my head was my usual excuse: Because you're
the main character. I couldn't say that to her. The words caught in my throat.
"It's strange, isn't it? I'm a worthless commoner. What reason could you have
to help me? I have nothing. Whatever you're expecting, I can't give it to you. So
why go so far to help someone like me?" When I didn't answer, her lips pulled
into a dark smile. "Is it my body?"
"N-no! That's not—"
Tears slid down her cheeks, and the smile on her face was so pained it made
my heart ache. "Of course not. I'm not cute. Angie is far more beautiful than
me, and she's a refined lady. I really don't have anything…not a single thing.
There's no reason at all for you to treat me kindly."
Had I screwed up?
She sobbed as she sank to the floor, and I could find no words to offer her. I
felt pathetic.
"Then…what is it that you want from me?" she gasped through the tears.
"Why are you so nice? It's weird. I can't be of any use, not to you—not to
Angie."
Wait a minute—had Carla and the Offrey chick said something to her?
"You don't have to be useful—that's not why—"
That's not why we do these things for you, was what I wanted to say. But then
I remembered how often I'd said things like This world is a dating sim, and
Those high lords are love interests in the game.
Her words struck my heart like little knives. My excuses fell apart even as I
tried to summon them. I'd realized something—some part of myself and my
behavior that I hated.
I hadn't just treated the love interests with flippant disregard. I'd done the
same to Livia. I'd been treating her as the protagonist—a mere 2D character
with a role to play.
Livia was destined to become the Saint, at which point I had been planning to
have her solve all the problems in the kingdom—for my sake. In other words, I
was using her. Just like Carla had. What made me any different from that
loathsome girl?
My thoughts ricocheted back and forth, rattling in my brain.
Had I ever really looked at Livia as a person? Or had I only ever seen her as a
piece on a grand board game, essential for my future win?
Livia cried and cried, her legs splayed on the floor beneath her. "I wanted…I
wanted to be friends with you—with both of you! But you treat me like an
animal. Don't condescend to me! I'm not your pet—I'm a person!"
Unable to say anything in my defense, I fled the room.