ALL THE GOOD I'd thought I was doing had backfired on me spectacularly.
I stood on the Partner's deck, the wind biting into my cheeks, but I couldn't
stand being cooped up inside, stewing in my thoughts. Regardless, my mind
fixed on Livia.
"A pet, hm?" Luxion floated beside me. "True, the way you pampered her was
much like one treats a pet. Not much to say in your defense when you spent so
much time fawning over her like a favorite video game character."
"Yeah. You're right."
This A-grade AI jerk wasn't even trying to console me. If anything, his words
pushed the knives in my heart even deeper.
"However, suffering repeated acts of genuine malice at school has rendered
her emotionally weak," he went on. "She is, at present, mentally unstable. I
therefore see no reason for you to lend her words particular weight."
"Do you think I'm a robot? I get hurt. I'm sensitive, I'll have you know."
"Yes, sensitive as a rock. Her words won't leave a lasting impression. You'll be
fine."
"You think so, huh?"
Neither the experiences from my previous life nor the wisdom that came with
it had softened the blow of Livia's accusations. They'd shattered me.
I shook my head. "This is for the best. It was totally out of line for a
background character like me to involve himself with the protagonist and the
villainess in the first place. I've learned a valuable lesson."
"Yet I question the wisdom of backing out now," Luxion said.
"Are you telling me I should stick around and watch over them till the end?
Screw that. The protagonist herself just said she doesn't want to be treated like
a pet. We'll see how she fares by herself, then."
"Well, now you're throwing a tantrum."
"Oh, shut up." I already knew that, I didn't need it spelled out. After a
moment of silence, I finally asked, "What do you think I did wrong?"
"In this case, the root of the problem is that you impeded her ability to grow
and mature."
"I 'impeded her ability to grow'? What are you talking about? I've done
nothing but help her grow. I helped her at the school, in the dungeon, with
everything."
"Indeed. And originally, in the game, she solved all these problems by
herself," Luxion pointed out. "In the short-term, yes, you succeeded in helping
her. However, in the long-term, you hindered her. She was exactly correct. You
thought of her as a pet, didn't you? An adorable, beloved pet, I'm sure. Given
how unpleasant the rest of the women in this world are, Livia gave you far less
trouble, and that made her valuable."
The blood rushed to my head.
"You bastard!" I threw my fist, bashing him into the floor.
He bounced, then slowly floated back up. "Satisfied?"
"No. I'd punch you again, but my hand hurts."
The anger left me heated, and I seethed in silence as I waited for the chilly air
to cool me back down.
"I believe I'll keep going," said Luxion, "because you need to hear this. While
you may possess the memories of your previous life, you are as yet very much a
child. You require mental growth as well."
"Mental growth?" I huffed. "Don't need it. Do you know the real difference
between adults and children?"
"I assume you don't mean physically. Perhaps self-discipline?"
I had no problem controlling my impulses, thank you very much. "Wrong. The
difference is whether or not they can adapt to society's expectations. You want
proof of my maturity? I have you, and all your power—I could rebuild the whole
world order—but I haven't."
Kids heard it all the time: grow up, be an adult, conform. The people who
devised alternative value systems and tried to change the society as a whole?
They were children. Tons of people out there had tons of growing to do. But
me? I'd integrated, hence, I was an adult. A no-good excuse for one maybe, but
an adult nonetheless.
"Such words might be moving coming from someone else, but they sound
rather like a bad joke coming from you, Master."
"Well, excuse me." Sulking, I sank down on my butt.
Just then, Brad waltzed out onto the deck, sword in hand. The moment he
saw me, his face scrunched in disgust.
Luxion hid himself behind my back.
"Sword training?" I guessed.
"That's right." After a pause, Brad added, "I'll be borrowing your deck to
practice."
He promptly began swinging even as the chilly air whipped around us. His
form was so terrible that calling him bad would have been flattery. Even I was
better than him.
"Why not practice your magic?" I asked. "You're actually good at that."
Brad stopped swinging, sweat beading his forehead. He was really putting his
all into this practice. He grimaced and turned his sword toward me. "You think I
don't know that?!"
"What, now you're lashing out at me?"
Brad resumed swinging his blade, but apparently my presence bothered him.
He seemed to find it difficult to concentrate.
"You swing every day?" I asked.
"Of course. I have to in order to become a knight."
I shrugged. "It's not required."
"I-It's a martial art, of course it's required!"
Okay, but being able to swing a sword didn't automatically do you any status
favors. Granted, if you were so good at it that people called you a Sword Saint,
that was another matter, but for most people, swordplay alone wouldn't get
you knighthood.
Also, it was different for nobles—of course. Once they reached a certain age,
most of them got knighted automatically.
When I pointed this out, Brad haughtily flipped his bangs out of his face.
"Perhaps. But one day, I want to beat you. Until that day comes, I swore I would
give it my all."
Give it your all? That's hilarious. I paused. Wait, huh?
"Are you an absolute idiot?" I asked. "I'm not fighting you guys again. You lost
to me once, and there's no round two—not for us."
Brad pulled a face, but he continued swinging his sword.
"No reply for that one, eh?" I smirked.
"If I've got time to quibble with you, I should spend it on my forms. I'm the
weakest of the five of us."
I scratched my head. Brad possessed considerable talent with magic, but he
basically had no other skill besides. I'd had a hell of a time utilizing him in the
game for that very reason. Despite his weakness, he'd still rush to the front
lines and die instantly. I couldn't even remember how many times I'd begged
him through the screen: For the love of all that is holy, please don't go out in
front.
"Put all that effort into something you're good at," I advised him.
"I do! But I don't want to lose here either," Brad continued, surprisingly frank.
"I want Marie to look at me. When it's all of us together, I fear I pale in
comparison to the others. I mean, I'm obviously the most handsome. But in
every other area, the gap between us…can't help but be apparent."
This jerk just casually complimented his own good looks. Is he actually
depressed or what?
"What do you guys even like about that girl?" I asked, genuinely puzzled.
"That short stack is flat as a board."
"You dare insult her appearance?! And anyway, it's what's on the inside that
counts."
Right, and on the inside she was rotten to the core! She'd stolen Livia's role,
and her personality was a long list of red flags. Really, her mission to build
herself a reverse harem said all I needed to know about her. Although I doubted
these guys heard a word I said whenever I tried to point out Marie's true
nature.
"Honestly, I might have been more willing to believe you if you did say you
just found her irresistibly cute—no, okay, I wouldn't. You could play ping-pong
on that chest."
"What's your problem?" Brad glared at me. "Breasts are mere decoration!"
"The hell they are! You take that back! Voluptuous breasts contain a man's
hopes, dreams, and desires. I can't forgive you for—hm?"
A floating robot had wandered out onto the deck, a couple of wooden swords
in its hands. After handing one to each of us, it promptly left.
"You know, those floating tin cans infesting your ship are somewhat
terrifying." Brad stared after the robot with a tight-lipped grimace, his legs
trembling.
That's right, I forgot he was a coward. A narcissist and a wimp. What a pain…
Personally, I found the robots cute.
Brad turned the tip of his wooden sword toward me. "Duel me, Bartfort!"
"I'll pass. It's cold out here."
Frustrated, Brad stomped but resumed his practice. However, the way he
kept stealing glances at me annoyed me enough to give in and pick up my
wooden sword.
"Perfect, come at me!" Brad declared.
"Why are you so excited about this—you know you suck at sword fighting,
right? Are you stupid?"
"My grades are far better than yours, so I'd take care who you call stupid! I'm
merely delighted by this chance. I swear, victory will be mine!" He took up his
stance. At least his posture now was better than his earlier forms.
I lunged to strike at him, and he broke form all too easily. He handled himself
with the absolute absence of skill.
"Come on, what's wrong?" I taunted, striking at him again and again.
He stumbled, yet he managed a swift and brutal lunge toward me, sweeping
his sword from the left. The diagonal slash had more power than I anticipated,
and this time I staggered instead.
"Urgh!"
I'd simply let my guard down for a second, but Brad let it get to his head. He
charged. "Now I'll finish you—ah!"
I smacked him on the head with the hilt of my weapon, and he instantly
crumpled to his knees.
"I knew it," I said. "You are stupid."
"D-dammit. I thought I had you."
He'd probably be better off with a spear, honestly. His thrusts were quite
fierce.
Brad lifted himself up and started toward the ship's entrance. Apparently he
was done.
"I…I'll beat you next time," he said, cradling his head in his hands, then
disappeared inside.
I turned my gaze to the wooden sword in my hand. For the first time in a long
while, I started practicing my forms. I'd gotten rusty.
"Well, that's not entirely unexpected. I haven't touched a blade outside of
class. I just need some more training."
Before I left home, I'd practiced every day. Since coming to the academy, I'd
slacked off, mostly because of all the other things I suddenly had to do—mainly
finding a fiancée. That felt like a pretty pathetic excuse.
"You seemed to enjoy yourself," Luxion said as he slipped out from his hiding
spot.
"You went out of your way to invite more trouble. You had the robot bring
the wooden swords, right?"
"Yes."
"Seems like those guys have a lot on their minds, too," I muttered. Brad
worked harder than I'd given him credit for. That surprised me. I wasn't sure
why, but it made me kinda happy.
I pointed the tip of my weapon up at the night sky. The stars looked beautiful
as they glimmered in the dark.
***
Marie and Kyle walked right past a sign labeled No Trespassing and made
their way down the shaft of a certain dungeon beneath the capital, decked out
in full armor and carrying weapons. Kyle, shouldering heavy luggage, was
whining.
"We should go home. It's super dangerous down here, isn't it?"
Marie's load was even heavier than Kyle's. She shimmied down the rope.
"Don't you dare give up!" she snapped. "Our future lies before us. Dazzling
glory awaits!"
"If you planned this from the beginning, you should've brought the boys,"
Kyle grumbled under his breath. "The monsters here are powerful."
As they bickered, something came crawling up from the bottom of the shaft.
"Eeek!" Kyle howled. "There's one now!"
Little suction cups on the monster's feet kept its gigantic lizard body from
falling as it scurried up the wall. It cracked open its enormous jaws and headed
straight for Marie.
She yanked a grenade from their luggage and slung it into the monster's
mouth. "Don't underestimate me!"
It swallowed on instinct. When the explosion triggered, the lizard's head went
flying, and the shaft filled with black smoke.
Shock waves caused the rope to sway violently, but Marie clung to it, yelling,
"Kyle! Hang on tight!"
"I wanna go home!"
Marie and her slave continued the rest of the way down, eventually arriving
at the bottom of the hole. Kyle sank to the ground with tears in his eyes,
thankful to have something solid under him again.
Marie remained vigilant but set their heavy luggage down and took out her
tools. It's fine, she told herself, I've got this. I already knew about everything
that's happened up until now.
She had cleared the game up until the midway point. That was how she'd
known about the hidden item past the No Trespassing sign above.
All I have to do is retrieve it. Then we can get ourselves out of this mess. Marie
pictured Livia's face in her mind. That's right, I'm going to step over you and find
happiness!
It was reckless for her and Kyle to charge this deep into a dungeon by
themselves. But Julius and the others had obligations, so she hadn't mentioned
the trip to them. Another reason had driven her secrecy as well.
I didn't think Olivia capable of anything on her own, but that useless
background character made her a force to be reckoned with. I have to get this
item quickly, or my plan to surpass them will crumble.
She'd been wary of Leon for some time now. He'd seemed flippant and
carefree as recently as the festival, but her intuition told her he couldn't be
underestimated. When Olivia eventually entered the dungeon herself, he would
most definitely be at her side, which meant they might obtain the item before
Marie could. The thought terrified her.
Marie couldn't wait for anyone else. No matter how tough things got or how
hard she had to push herself, she would get her hands on this item.
Marie held up her shotgun and glanced back at her servant. "Come on, Kyle."
He slowly picked himself up off the floor, and she hauled her cumbersome
pack back over her shoulder, snatching up a lantern. She started forward,
illuminating the path ahead.
"What are we even looking for down here?" Kyle asked.
"Come with me and you'll find out. And don't worry, after this, we won't have
to worry about our finances ever again."
That made Kyle's face brighten, though he quickly shook his head. "No, but
really, how are we going to get home safely?"
Marie held her shotgun steady, ready for whatever might come, her face
determined. "I will do whatever it takes to get the treasure that lies ahead of
us. Our lives are on the line."
That item was essential to enjoying the ideal life she'd planned for herself.
With Kyle following, Marie trekked deeper into the dungeon.
***
At the palace, Julius attended a strategy meeting with Jilk. Now that he was
no longer the crown prince, people didn't seem to expect much of him. No one
visited him daily, as they once had, and personally, he preferred it that way.
"I've figured it out, Jilk!"
"I knew you had it in you, Your Highness!" Jilk readily complimented the
prince, even though Julius had not yet explained his plan.
"I say we sneak out of the palace and rush off to join Greg and Brad to offer
our support. What do you think?"
"That's a brilliant idea." Jilk smiled.
"Great, I thought so, too. The only problem is…how are we going to sneak
out?"
Jilk grew thoughtful. "The greatest obstacle is your recognizability within
palace grounds. Queen Mylene has a number of lookouts on watch, and they'll
be on their guard for you. It won't be as easy as simply slipping away."
"I see what you mean." The prince fell silent, momentarily discouraged. Then,
seconds later… "I've got it, Jilk!"
"I knew you had it in you, Your Highness!"
"Masks! If we hide our faces—wait, no, we should prepare cloaks, too. It'll be
better if we hide our clothing as well."
"I see." Jilk nodded. "We'll disguise ourselves and escape."
"Exactly!"
"One small matter, Your Highness… How are we going to procure these masks
and cloaks?"
Julius's face fell. "That certainly is an issue."
The two contemplated quietly for a few minutes before the prince again came
up with a truly innovative idea.
"I've got it!"
"I knew you had it in you, Your Highness!"
Together, the two worked out their plan to sneak out of the palace, so excited
that they momentarily forgot their motivation for doing so in the first place.
That's right! Julius thought suddenly. Once I get out of here, maybe I should
go see Marie. I'm sure she'll have a brilliant idea for us.
For a moment, he allowed himself to be distracted by lingering on the
thought of seeing her again.
For so long, these two young men had been a source of hope for so many
people. With the weight of those expectations lifted, Jilk and Julius were left
feeling strangely energetic.
"Let's get to it, Jilk!"
"Yes, Your Highness!"
***
Mylene scanned the report from her subordinate.
"What in the world is that boy doing?"
The document detailed how Julius and Jilk had submitted a budget request to
cover the costs of buying masks and cloaks. They weren't being at all forthright
about the reason, but it was clear they were up to no good.
Mylene thought she might cry from stress.
"Was my son actually an idiot this entire time? I always thought him so
capable. Is he seriously thinking about sneaking out of the palace in such a
rudimentary disguise? This is anxiety-inducing."
Even if she gave them the benefit of the doubt and pretended a mask and
cloak could abet a serious attempt to run away, their decision to submit a
budget request made her want to sit them both down for a talk.
I don't mind buying these things, she'd say, but why would you let me know
what you're planning by turning this in?
"What do they even intend to do after they get out? Have they even thought
that far? No…no, that's just silly. They're not that stupid."
Mylene wanted to be optimistic. Julius was her adorable son, and she'd
known Jilk since he was a little boy.
"I must be wrong. They're both so capable, and such serious boys. They've
never tried to sneak out of the palace before, so I'm sure that's what's tripping
them up. In fact, maybe they wanted me to notice. Or perhaps this is a trap to
lure me into a false sense of security?" She sighed. "Neither of those options
seem terribly likely. Regardless, those boys are intelligent enough. I'm sure I just
haven't realized their true aim here. If a mother can't trust her own son, who
will? No doubt this is a brilliant, strategic move!"
However…
"But it is also true they're trying to run away." She gestured to a subordinate.
"Call them in here. Tell them I wish to discuss their immediate future."
***
I still didn't have any answers when the sun came up the next day. At the
breakfast table, Greg chowed down while Brad gracefully lifted each bite to his
mouth.
"Only morning and it's already a sausage-fest in here," I grumbled.
Livia had stayed cooped up in her room, so Luxion had delivered her
breakfast.
"Not like I want to see your face this early in the mornin' either," Greg said as
he wiped his mouth. "Anyway, what are we gonna do now? The pirates' main
forces are still out there, right?"
As far as the game went, we weren't supposed to meet the rest of the pirate
group until the middle of our second year at the academy. But if we left them
alone, they'd grow more troublesome. The Winged Sharks, as they called
themselves, were an especially fiendish band. Handling them later sounded like
a pain—it would be way easier to finish them off while we were already out
here.
"We've figured out where they're hiding," I said. "We just need to wait a bit
longer before we rush in, and—"
Luxion interrupted me. "Master, it seems they've decided to launch an attack
against us first."
I jumped out of my chair and stared out the window. Greg and Brad watched
me nervously.
"Looks like they came faster than expected." I turned to leave the room. I
needed to welcome our uninvited guests.
Greg called out to me on my way out. "Bartfort, I don't care if it's half-broken,
let me take one of the Armors."
Brad wore an earnest expression as well. "I salvaged a couple from
yesterday's batch. We'd both like to use one."
What were they planning to do with busted Armor? "Absolutely not. Do you
really think you can ride a couple of defective suits? You're still nobility."
"Please!" Greg bowed his head. "I know I'll slow you down, but I can't just sit
in here and watch."
Brad bent his neck as well. "We realize it's selfish. And those Armors, broken
as they are, belong to you. But we'd still like you to lend them to us. We want to
fight."
I considered turning them down, but when they looked up at me, their
sincerity was so intense I had to avert my eyes. "Let me check them over first," I
said. "You're free to take whatever you want after that."
"I owe you one."
"I won't let you down, I promise!"
Both of them sounded so cheerful about leaping into the fray. What the hell!
Worse, Luxion didn't even wait for my command. "I will perform maintenance
and resupply two of the more intact Armors in our hangar."
You royally aggravating piece of junk.
He was so annoyingly competent that I didn't even have any ammunition with
which to retaliate. How was I supposed to harp on his faults if he didn't have
any?
"Make sure you're thorough," I muttered.
***
For some reason, it grew noisy outside.
Livia had been sitting listlessly on the floor of her room, but the clamor
coaxed her to her feet. She started toward the window, her eyes red and puffy
from all the crying, her face an utter mess. Even her legs shook, unstable from
fatigue.
"Why is the Partner moving?" she asked absently as she felt the ship jerk
forward.
She peered through the glass to see Leon aboard Arroganz, launching into
battle. "Leon?"
A pirate ship similar to the one they'd battled yesterday crept toward them.
Wait, no, five ships. The biggest easily exceeded three hundred meters—
absolutely enormous.
It lined up alongside the Partner and fired a barrage of cannonballs.
"Eek!" Livia threw her hands over her head and crouched, but a dim light
encircled the Partner and left it unscathed. "I-Incredible…"
When Livia peeked outside again, Leon was charging at the enemy's flagship,
its sails billowing in the wind. Leon shattered its mast.
The sight initially brought Livia relief, but her depression quickly returned.
I said such horrible things to him. I have to apologize. Why did I say all of that?
She couldn't even identify why she'd been so upset, not after all he had done
for her.
As Livia fidgeted and worried, an enemy Armor suddenly sent Leon spiraling
through the air.
"What…?"
Unlike the other Armors, which typically ran much smaller and lighter than
Arroganz, this one measured up to Leon's suit. And despite Arroganz's strength,
this Armor overpowered it.
Livia's heart seized painfully. Drained from lack of sleep, knowing her
judgment was impaired and keenly aware of her own helplessness, she
nonetheless flew out the door and raced down the corridor. She had to run
quite a distance to reach the deck, the Partner was so large.
On the way, robots floating through the corridors tried to impede her.
"Sorry, but let me through!" Livia cried, and for a moment, they froze. They
rebooted quickly and raced after her, but they couldn't catch her in time.
Livia stumbled out onto the deck. The battle was far louder out here, and her
ears rang painfully. Gunpowder exploded, and cannonballs smashed against the
Partner's magical barrier. Violent tremors accompanied the cacophony, and
smoke enveloped the battlefield.
Livia peeled herself away from the door to search for Leon. She wasn't
thinking about whether or how she could be useful. She simply wanted to know
he was safe.
"Leon? Leon!"
Just then, an enormous Armor landed on the deck in front of her. When she
peered up at it, she saw not the dark-gray of Arroganz but a thorny Armor with
a skull painted on it.
"Eh…?"
This was the Armor that had sent Arroganz spinning through the air. It held a
large broadsword in its right hand, and its left hand stretched out toward Livia,
large enough to swallow her whole. Fear paralyzed her, but suddenly, tiny,
cylinder-shaped robots with spindly arms and no legs swarmed between her
and the enemy.
"Tch, what's this garbage getting in my way?" a deep voice scoffed from
within the Armor. The Armor smacked the robots aside and flung them away,
then reached toward her once more.
Livia snapped her eyes shut and turned her head away. No, Leon, save me!
"Get your hands away from her!"
But this wasn't Leon either.
Piloting one of the enemy suits, Brad swept in and tackled the huge Armor.
His momentum only sent the pirate sliding back a short distance. With the
difference in their Armors, it was like a small child shoving at their parent.
The pirate seized Brad and launched him into the air. "Don't get ahead of
yourself, brat!"
Livia forgot how to breathe.
Brad went sprawling across the deck.
As he tried to struggle back to his feet, Greg came charging in with his Armor.
He spun his spear through the air, managing to destroy several enemy units as
he lunged.
"Hey, you, get outta my way!" he roared, thrusting his spear at the pirate.
However, the enemy's armor was too thick to pierce. "Guess you're a tough
one, aren't y—"
The pirate yanked the spear from his suit and slammed it against the deck,
sending Greg tumbling along with it.
Livia watched in horror, too gripped with fear to retreat.
Brad moved protectively in front of her. "What are you doing?" he snapped.
"Get out of here!"
"M-my legs won't move!"
***
Being flung through the air had me annoyed as hell, and I took out my
frustration on nearby enemy units.
"Outta the way!"
I snatched an enemy in Arroganz's hand and hurled him at the pirate ships. A
whole group had surrounded me, and my breath came out in short, uneven
gasps as I sat scrunched up in the small, cramped cockpit.
"Don't kill them!" I shouted angrily at Luxion. "Capture them all!"
"You're being ridiculous." Luxion, likewise, was disgruntled. "We wouldn't be
having such a hard time if you didn't insist on taking them alive."
Drones launched from a container on Arroganz's back, taking up a defensive
position in the air around me.
The pirates, rifles in hand, screamed.
"Monster!"
"What the hell?! What the hell is that thing?!"
"Unload all your bullets—no, don't come near me!"
The man who'd thrown me was the bandits' boss—he had a bounty on his
head and piloted an enormous Armor. Most modern suits were sleek and
lightweight, like what the other pirates piloted. Their boss, on the other hand,
used the same kind of heavy Armor as Arroganz.
"Let's hurry up and catch that bastard!" I might have been panicking.
"Master, your reaction time is slower now than when you last piloted," Luxion
warned. "And it is far from the only one of your skills suffering. Your aren't as
sharp today."
Yeah, I get it. I've been slacking off in my training here, too. "Sorry. Been a bit
busy with other stuff."
"No. I believe this to be an unresolved mental issue."
Arroganz, with its thick, charcoal plating, soared through the sky. Any bullets
the pirates fired at me ricocheted off. Arroganz's immense superiority—
strength, speed, and power, you name it—were readily apparent. Yet despite
the fact that I piloted such an elite weapon, I struggled.
I had underestimated my opponent. Their boss had left me to his underlings,
thereby avoiding direct confrontation between us. Any time I tried to seek him
out, the other pirates surrounded me and started shooting, and trying to deal
with them was proving to be a huge pain. I had to get close and crush each of
their individual heads in Arroganz's grip. When I did, through the cracks of their
Armor, I saw the pilots regarded me with abject fear.
"I can't keep messing with you idiots. We're going to finish this now!"
"Master," Luxion interjected, "the pirate boss has landed on the Partner's
deck. Also, Livia is there."
"What?!"
I choked in surprise, and numerous cannonballs came blasting at me from the
enemy ship, swallowing Arroganz in the explosion.
Despite our predicament, I laid into Luxion. "Why did you let her go
outside?!"
"My apologies. The worker robots' system suffered a temporary malfunction.
I suspect there is an underlying cause, however—"
"Forget it! We're going back to save her right now!"
One of Luxion's cameras followed the action on the Partner's deck, and he
pulled up the feed for me to see. Brad and Greg were making a valiant attempt
to fend off the enemy's leader, piloting the Armors Luxion had repaired.
"Agreeing to their aid was the right choice. For now, they have protected
Olivia."
The image of them fighting desperately to keep her safe looked so…natural. It
haunted me. In my past life, I'd seen this scene play out hundreds of times.
I dropped my gaze and laughed. "That's right. This is how things should be.
They're the love interests, and she's the protagonist! It never made any sense
for me to be beside her!"
"Master?"
"Yeah, that's right. I knew it, deep down. It's not worth getting upset over
now." I took a deep breath, adjusted my grip on the controls, and flicked off the
feed.
No use thinking about that right now. I needed to deal with the enemy in
front of me. I had my own role to play here. After all, I was a background
character, right? How presumptuous to think I could ever have stood beside the
protagonist—beside Livia. That just wasn't my place.
"Increase our output. Call up the third container," I said.
"Understood."
Luxion sensed a change in me, at least enough to stop with the unnecessary
comments.
What's wrong? Not gonna say anything? I almost feel a little lonely without
your scathing sarcasm.
Two axes popped out of the third container, and I snatched them up in either
hand. I bent my head, clenching the immense weapons in Arroganz's fists.
Slowly, I lifted my gaze back up toward my monitor.
"I'm going to crush them."
***
On the deck of the Partner, Livia still couldn't move. Her legs had given out.
Greg and Brad both lay collapsed in front of her, the pirate boss towering over
them.
"D-dammit!"
"How is he able to exert that much power in such an unwieldy Armor?"
Though they still lived, their suits were in no state to continue battle.
The pirate boss leaned his broadsword against his shoulder and reached his
left hand toward Livia. "Those two sure wasted my time. Girl, you're gonna be
my hostage."
This man means to use me against Leon. Livia staggered to her feet—she
needed to run.
The second she did, the pirate thrust his blade through the helmet of Brad's
suit.
Brad screamed in anguish.
"Mister Brad!"
"If you try to run, I'll kill him." The pirate's voice trickled out from the
behemoth of an Armor. He extended its hand toward her again. "Now hurry up.
Get over here."
Brad writhed in agony. Tears streamed down Livia's face, but she took a
hesitant step forward, her knees shaking, even as she sobbed in frustration. All I
did was hold them back. I'm nothing but a burden to everyone.
Just then, a gray blur swept in front of her, and the wind from its passage
whipped Livia's hair and ruffled her clothes. The pirate boss went flailing
through the air.
"Leon!" Livia exclaimed, but almost as quickly, fear returned. "What…?"
Leon hacked away at the enemy with a massive axe in either hand, ripping
through the pirate's protective plating.
Livia had last seen Arroganz during Leon's duel with Julius. For that, Leon had
wielded a shovel, which had made the suit look almost silly and kind of
adorable. Now, Arroganz appeared far more sinister. The suit was a weapon,
forged for battle, and its murderous aura made her mouth fall open.
"You can't do that, Leon! You can't!"
He alternated hands as he chopped into his opponent, playing with the
pirate's Armor as if it were a toy. While he slashed away, the man within
screamed in terror.
"Spare me! I surrender! I surrender, so please!"
Leon cackled. "Surrender? Pretty lame for a famous pirate like you. There's no
fun in it if you don't resist. Come on, fight back!"
He slammed his foot against the pirate over and over again, until the man
sobbed, pleading for his life.
"Please, spare me, I beg you! Please!"
"That's an awful lot to ask after the mess you caused. Shouldn't you be telling
your men to stand down and surrender first? Go on, spit it out before I kill you!"
The pirate had fought Greg and Brad with such ease only moments before,
but facing Leon reduced him to little more than a bug.
Even as he ordered his men to surrender, Leon continued to mangle the
Armor, ripping the plating right off it and tearing through the frame and internal
structures.
Livia watched in abject terror.
Arroganz jammed its hand into the Armor's stomach and wrenched
something out. Visible inside his helmet, Leon grinned. "Found it!"
"G-give that back!" the pirate boss gasped. "That component is vital to—"
"Like I care. It's not yours anymore. If you've got a complaint, come at me."
Leon slammed his foot into the man's broken Armor, sending him tumbling
across the deck. The pirate wailed, so at least he still lived.
Livia searched the skies, but it seemed Leon had already taken care of the
pirates' airships. Black smoke billowed out of each one. They still managed to
stay adrift, but the remaining pirates scurried to hop onto small lifeboats,
hoping to flee.
Leon had also defeated most of the pirates' Armors, which now floated on the
sea below. Their flotation devices had deployed, keeping them from sinking,
and the pilots slowly lifted themselves out of their suits. Each peered up at the
sky with a look of despair, as if afraid of what would come for them next.
They reminded Livia of Brad. She hurried over to where his suit lay; he was
visible in the cracked open cockpit, his injuries likewise apparent.
"L-Let me help you," Livia said.
Brad popped his head out of his helmet, a cold sweat covering his anguished
face. He tried to force a smile. "Th-thanks."
"No, it's my fault you—"
He shook his head. "No, it's not."
"What?"
"Greg and I agreed to this." He nodded in Greg's direction. "We said we'd
fight to protect you. After all, we're trying to become knights. A knight must
always serve a lady, otherwise—hey, that hurts!"
As Livia busied herself tending his wounds, she was nevertheless relieved to
hear Brad didn't resent her for being a liability. Still, she felt horribly pathetic.
She pressed her hand over one of Brad's injuries, and a faint light emanated
from her palm. The wound sealed itself, then disappeared entirely, leaving Brad
gawking.
"You're incredibly skilled at healing magic—just like Marie. Thanks!"
Only a rare few were able to wield such magic, and this information sparked
Livia's curiosity. "So Miss Marie can use it as well?"
"That's right. She's our goddess," Brad boasted, grinning. "No matter your
injury, Marie can heal you right—"
Just then, he lost consciousness. Perhaps he'd relaxed too much from the lack
of pain.
Leon emerged from Arroganz and watched as Livia cleaned the lingering
blood from Brad's healed wound with a handkerchief.
"Leon!" she said when she noticed him. "Uh, um…"
He smiled down at her, though Livia thought he looked a bit sad. "This suits
you perfectly. I guess it's normal for things to return to their original state."
What on earth was he talking about?
As Livia tried to stand, Leon moved over to Greg. He pulled the man out of his
Armor and confirmed that he hadn't sustained any significant injuries. "Nice job
out there," Leon said with a grin. "You're actually pretty tough."
"You mocking me? Ugh, sorry 'bout this. We borrowed these from you, and
then we broke 'em."
"No big deal." Leon shrugged. "You were worth it. Could you give me a hand
getting Brad inside?"
"Is he okay?" Greg furrowed his brow.
"He's fine. Miss Olivia healed him right up."
Livia pressed a fist to her chest. Her heart squeezed as painfully as if someone
were crushing it between their fingers. She opened her mouth to protest, but
no sound came out.
Leon brushed past her without even meeting her gaze. Together, he and Greg
pried Brad out of the cockpit. Some robots brought a stretcher, and they lifted
Brad onto it. Once the three of them went inside, Livia allowed herself to cry.
"Why…? Call me Livia, please…" Her legs once more gave out, and she
collapsed to the ground, a sob in her throat.
***
The pirates' treasure glistened before me, but I had no interest in any of it.
We'd stowed it all in one of the Partner's storage rooms. I'd also taken
something else from them, something far more valuable. I turned it over in my
hand but quickly shoved it in my pocket.
"Impressive that they managed to collect this much." Luxion floated through
the air beside me. "I doubt we can expect much from Wayne House in terms of
compensation, but we will earn a reward for dispatching the pirates and
apprehending their leader. Going by kingdom standards, it should be a
handsome one."
That hardly mattered to me now. What was I going to do with even more
money? It was all so pointless. "Maybe I'll buy a new tea set. Not sure what I'll
do with the rest."
The image of Brad and Greg protecting Livia—no, Miss Olivia—popped into
my mind. This was how things were supposed to be, yet something about it
made my heart uneasy.
I glanced at Luxion. "Hey, did you find proof of a connection between Earl
Offrey and those pirates?"
"Yes. I have collected correspondence between them, as well as some other
material."
"Guess we should inform the palace. I can leave the rest to Duke Redgrave. A
rival house's scandal will make for a nice gift."
"It's more than a scandal. You hold the key to their undoing," said Luxion.
"You realize Offrey House may try to intercept and retrieve the pirates?"
I shrugged. "We just have to crush them if they do, right?"
What was the purpose of everything I'd done up until now? I had all this
power at my disposal, and I'd made proper use of nearly none of it. Was I an
idiot?
Yeah. That's exactly what I was—an idiot.
"If we clean up trash like them," I mumbled, "it might make the kingdom a
slightly better place. No, that's not good enough. The kingdom itself is garbage.
In fact, this whole world is crap, isn't it?"
I started laughing.
Luxion eyed me but didn't offer any of his usual derisive comments. He simply
asked, "Are you certain this is what you desire? I would have no compunctions
about destroying this kingdom—no, the whole world. All you need do is order
me, and I will take action. After that, we would be free to construct a world that
better suits your tastes."
A world that suits my taste? That sounds wonderful!
"That'd be the life. I could have women waiting on me hand and foot, make
my own harem. Gather up all the elf girls, cat-eared girls, and beast girls. Maybe
I'll make a world that's the exact opposite of this one, one where the women
are at the bottom!"
As soon as I said that, I realized something awful. I was fantasizing about the
exact ugly situation I was already in, except with the roles reversed.
"Seriously…? So I'm no different from the girls at the academy?"
"So glad you realized that on your own," Luxion remarked. "Do you feel a little
better now, having taken your anger out on those pirates?"
Not in the least. If anything, my emotions felt like wretched worms squirming
inside my belly. I wanted to be rid of them, but I didn't know how.
"The girl," Luxion began, then clarified, "Olivia, I mean. She doesn't hate you.
She's simply emotionally volatile—"
"I know that," I snapped. "You thought I was angry with her? Thought I was
pissed she was being ungrateful despite all the effort I'd gone to just to look
after her?"
"Yes."
"You little…" I glared at him. "What kind of person do you think I am?"
But then, when he'd told me Livia had come out onto the deck, I'd definitely
thought, You idiot! What are you doing?!
However, her actions had enabled Brad and Greg to prove their bravery and
determination. This was how the protagonist and love interests were supposed
to operate in relation to each other.
Overall, the mission was a resounding success. Yeah. It was great to see how
it had all turned out. I wouldn't have to fill in for the love interests anymore. I
could go back to being a background character.
I slipped the Holy Necklace out from my pocket. "All that's left is to figure out
how to give this to her, I guess."
It would be so much easier if Brad or Greg could just open their eyes and get
with Olivia. Then they could give the necklace to her instead of me. In fact, that
would be best. I hoped they'd give it their all.
And me, I'd give it my all trying to help them return to where they belonged.
"Which means I know just what I have to do with this thing." I stuffed the
necklace back into my pocket.
"Master," Luxion announced, "it seems Earl Offrey's fleet is headed this way.
An airship from Duke Redgrave is also incoming."
Welp. Today truly was turning out to be one hell of a day.