AN ENVOY from the principality disembarked on our deck. His attire spoke to
high status, and he introduced himself as Earl Gelatt. The slender man wore a
perpetually snide expression, and when he addressed us, he stroked his
mustache haughtily.
"Those from families bearing the baron rank or higher will be taken as
prisoners of war. We have no interest in children from knight families and the
like. Same goes for your demi-human servants. And of course, we have no use
for the crew either."
This devastated half the people on board, while the higher class students
sighed with relief. One girl among the latter group, however, stepped forward.
"W-wait! Spare my servant at least. I really like him."
Earl Gelatt sneered at her. "Well then, girl, you and your lover can swim with
the fish together. It's no skin off our backs to lose a hostage or two in the
process."
Although all the girls' expressions twisted in anguish, they turned their eyes
away from their servants and pursed their lips.
No surprise there. Of course everyone values their own life too much to worry
about someone else's.
I kept my mouth closed, too. I planned to wait till the enemy brought me into
their ranks before I launched my counterattack. At least, that was the plan.
"Urk!" I tensed as Angie stepped past me, but I was too late to stop her. She
strode right up to Earl Gelatt.
He looked down his nose at her. "What do you want, girlie?"
Angie crossed her arms and met his gaze confidently. "My name is Angelica
Rapha Redgrave. I'm sure you have heard of my house, yes?"
His eyes flew open, and soon his grin spread from ear to ear. "I never
dreamed Duke Redgrave's own daughter would be on board. The kingdom is
more foolish than I thought. They shouldn't send someone as precious as you
out this far without proper protection." He spread his arms and laughed.
"Wonderful! I respect your courage. Come with me."
At that, he moved to guide Angie away.
I stepped forward on instinct, but before I got far, something slammed into
me from behind and threw me forward onto the deck.
Several academy boys pinned me down from behind. "Release me!" I snarled,
recognizing some of Angie's followers. "Are you out of your minds?!"
"It sure is noisy back there." Earl Gelatt looked over his shoulder, frowning.
"Who is that boy?"
Angie glanced at me before closing her eyes. "He's my friend."
She avoided mentioning I'd already made baron, or that I was a knight to
boot.
"Well, your friend certainly seems concerned about you." Earl Gelatt strode
over and planted his foot on my head. He grinned maliciously.
Although I couldn't move, I still managed to glare up at him.
"My, you are a defiant one. I think it's time I give you nobles your first job.
Punish this brat here," he told the boys holding me down. "Quickly, now."
At once, the boys pummeled me with their fists and stomped on me with
their feet. I tried to fend them off, but there was little I could do.
"Bastards!" I spat.
"Lady Angelica is trying to do us a kindness! Are you going to spoil that? Be
quiet!"
A well-aimed punch cut the inside of my mouth, and the coppery taste of
blood washed over my tongue.
Seething, I hissed, "And you guys call yourselves loyal—"
"It was her decision to give herself up!"
Angie interrupted with a sharp order. "That's enough! Stop it already."
Earl Gelatt pinched his mustache between his fingers. "Oh? What an attitude
for someone requesting a favor. A duke's daughter ought know better than
that."
"Please…please stop. I'm asking you."
Earl Gelatt smiled pleasantly for a moment, but his lips soon cracked open as
he cackled. "Too bad, I'm not in the mood. Now, come with me. The rest of you,
make sure to kick the snot out of that brat there."
He grabbed Angie, making to leave.
I stretched a hand out after her, but someone stomped on my arm. All I could
do was watch helplessly, barely even conscious.
Angie desperately tried to negotiate further. "I'm more than adequate for a
hostage, don't you think? Let the rest of them go."
The earl stroked his mustache. "Ah, and now you're offering yourself up to
save everyone else, eh? That almost moves me to tears. Come along, we can
discuss the matter further on our airship."
As he dragged her off, Miss Olivia shouted after them. "Angie!"
The demi-human servants on deck restrained her as she struggled to follow.
"Angie, don't go!" Aside from me, only Miss Olivia protested.
Angie gave her a courageous smile, but her legs trembled with each step.
"Livia, thank you."
And with that, she and the envoy boarded the boat and left.
A heavy kick sent me rolling across the deck. I squeezed my arms around
myself, trying to protect my stomach.
"Leon!" Miss Olivia raced over and flung herself protectively in front of me.
The boys and the servants stared down at us in contempt.
Aw, crap. Me and my damn mouth.
"Miss Angelica's sacrifice almost went to waste because of you!"
"You scumbag."
"Hey, crew members. Drag this loser down to the brig."
Staff from the cruise liner surrounded me.
You guys are the real scumbags here. It was my last thought for a while.
***
The principality's airship rode atop the enormous monster they commanded.
Inside, a squadron of armed knights surrounded Angie and led her to a VIP
room. There to greet her was none other than Princess Hertrude herself.
"It's been so long, Angelica. Although we did little more than exchange
pleasantries when last we met, this reunion feels a bit nostalgic."
Angie smiled fearlessly. "Are you really planning all-out war? You can't pass
this little stunt off as a neighborly spat."
The gap in military might between Holfort Kingdom and the Principality of
Fanoss could only be called enormous, and Angie knew this well. Nevertheless,
Fanoss had attacked. Though Angie maintained a composed attitude, internally,
panic rose.
What in the world could they be after? What could they hope to accomplish
with such a small armada?
Hertrude flashed a smile. "I suppose you're right. It would be exceedingly
difficult to overcome your kingdom's might. But surely you already know the
answer to your question. You saw our companions."
So they are intending to use these monsters.
"You are attended by some extraordinary creatures," Angie acknowledged
with a shrug. "You think they would secure your victory against the kingdom?"
"I do. And if you're curious as to how—"
"Your Highness," a noble at the princess's side interrupted, "I think the matter
of the hostages takes precedence for now."
"Oh, yes, that's right."
Angie was sweating. She had given away her identity and entered
negotiations in order to bargain for the cruise liner's safe release. "I've
surrendered to you, haven't I? Let the others go."
"What an amusing assumption for you, Angelica." Hertrude tilted her head.
"Did Gelatt ever say he would do such a thing?"
Angie squeezed her eyes shut. The original plan it is, then. Anyone from a
baron house or higher will be taken hostage.
"Although, honestly, I think a noble girl like you will be all we need."
Angie's eyes flew open in surprise, and she stared at the princess in horror.
"Wh-what?! That's ridiculous! Those are the sons and daughters of nobility! You
would really kill them?!"
In response to Angie's rage, the surrounding knights unsheathed their swords.
Hertrude sounded entirely disinterested. "When they brought you here, only
two of the people on board protested, no? How heartless. How immoral. They
are unworthy of their titles."
"What do you think you're—"
"Angelica," the princess interrupted. "You will bear witness to it all. We're
about to destroy your kingdom."
With these words, the princess deployed another envoy to inform the
academy students of their fate.
***
The crew tossed me in a cell below deck, and I slumped against a wall, staring
up at the ceiling.
Miss Olivia crouched on the other side of the bars, sniffling. Despite her
pleading, the other students had insisted I be locked up. Predictably, my peers
were nastier than our enemy.
"Quit crying." I sighed.
"But Angelica…I couldn't save her. And I can't even get you out of here. I feel
so pathetic."
Long ago, I might have derided this kind of talk as weak-willed. In my previous
life, I had hated the protagonist. Seeing a woman cry had only annoyed me. But
now…I thought it was a pretty bold and powerful thing, being able to cry for
someone else.
"Come on, you got all beat up because you kept throwing a fit," I said. "Look
at you. Your hair is a mess, and you lost some of the buttons on your uniform.
You wouldn't have landed yourself in such hot water if you hadn't stuck your
neck out like that."
The students who threw me in here had said something about how it was
"time to put an end to me." Honestly, thank goodness Miss Olivia had stopped
them. Normally, she never got involved in physical altercations, but she had
fought for me, trying to help. She'd gone toe to toe with some girls who were
Angie's followers. They'd really ganged up on her. It had terrified me, watching
her struggle by herself against them.
But…I appreciated it. If not for her, who knows what Luxion might have done
to keep me safe.
"I'm so frustrated with myself," Miss Olivia continued. "I can never do
anything."
"You did your best. Now dry those tears." I looked back up at the ceiling.
What now, though? Should I take Miss Olivia with me, rescue Angie, and run for
it?
There were a lot of issues with that plan, though.
Before I could give it much thought, we heard the rapid approach of
footsteps. Chris appeared around the corner, his expression heavy with sorrow.
He ignored Miss Olivia as he faced me.
"Bartfort, an envoy came a moment ago. They said Angelica is the only
hostage they require, and that we had better prepare ourselves. In one hour,
they're launching an attack. 'Put up the best fight you can and die as proper
nobility,' they said."
In other words, we were useless to the principality.
"And? What do you want me to do about it?" I asked.
Chris slipped his glasses off, his face tight with determination. "Lend us your
strength. We have six Armors aboard this ship. You and I could provide a
diversion to buy the cruise liner time to escape."
I snorted. "Like hell."
Chris narrowed his eyes, but he didn't take me to task. "Please, bend on this
and help me. We can't leave everyone to die. At least be a bodyguard for the
ship. I'll stay behind and keep them occupied while you escape."
If he stayed, alone, he would die for sure—so would we, probably. Chris had
to know he didn't stand a chance of winning. The numbers just didn't stack up.
"Leon," Miss Olivia piped up. The hope in her eyes said what her mouth
hadn't: If anyone can save us, it's you.
Her eyes were so beautiful and pure it frightened me. Like they saw right
through me, or like they were a mirror that reflected my wretchedness back at
me. It shamed me to look at her.
"Don't look at me like that." I turned away. "What do you even want me to do
here? These losers abandoned Angie, and you want me to save them? Don't
make me laugh. And don't forget, they beat the crap out of me, too. They can
drown for all I care."
To my shock, Chris agreed. "You're right. The rest of us were useless. Maybe
we do deserve to drown. Nonetheless, I'm asking you for this favor. This is the
only means we have to save the people on this ship. Please, save us."
He lowered his head.
I slowly lifted myself to my feet. "No."
He hung his head, forlorn. "Very well. I'm sorry to have bothered you."
Why does everyone in this stupid game stop listening before I've finished?!
"Idiot!" I shouted. "I wasn't done. Besides, we're completely surrounded. No
way can the cruise liner escape. Even if you stay behind, they'll just circle us and
massacre everyone. You didn't learn anything from fighting me, did you?"
Chris stared at me, frozen. "So what?! Do you have a better plan? If you're
suggesting leaving everyone behind and escaping by yourself, then go ahead. I
won't stop you."
What a hardheaded goon, even more stupid and socially inept than me—and
that was saying something.
"What I mean is, you fighting by yourself isn't going to cut it. The two of us
wouldn't be enough either. In which case, the only chance we've got is for all of
us to fight together. Those morons are going to take responsibility for
abandoning Angie." I clenched my fists. "Got it? I'm not a Goody Two-Shoes
who saves people who won't do anything for themselves. You want me to save
you? Screw that. If you guys wanna live so bad, you gotta fight."
"Impossible." Chris shook his head. "The students are devastated. They can't
summon the will. Besides, I would think it should be obvious. I came here to rely
on you, of all people. You know what that means, right?"
Uh…that I'm your last resort because everyone else is useless?
While I could emphatically agree with the latter part, it didn't change my
stance. Those sleazeballs were going to help or I wasn't going to lift a finger.
I stepped up to the bars, and Chris did the same, until our noses were inches
apart.
"The only thing we can do is gather our courage and charge straight at them,"
I said. "There is no other option."
Although strategically speaking, no matter what, we would enter this battle at
an extreme disadvantage.
"Straight at them? Now you sound like the idiot."
"Yeah." I threw my hands up. "That's right, I'm the idiot. But you know what?
I think it's a lot smarter to do that than wait for death. You feel me? We're
going to storm their fortress and take their banner. We'll break right through
their stupid blockade."
Sweat trickled down Chris's cheek.
"You protect the ship," I continued. "You can show off that swordsmanship
you're so proud of right here."
His nostrils flared. "I've never bragged."
"Trust me, you don't have to say it. Your actions do all the boasting for you.
Point is, show me where that hard work has led you. Think about it, the whole
reason you've practiced was for a day like today, right? I have no intention of
dying. You don't wanna die either, do you?"
He glanced down for a moment, then looked straight at me. "You're right. I
want to see Marie again."
Goddammit. He just had to ruin everything with that one line.
Have you all been brainwashed? What do you guys even see in that girl?
Chris produced the key to my cell, unlocked the door, and released me. On
my way out, I paused, holding a hand toward Miss Olivia, who was still on the
ground.
"You're going to help, too," I said.
"O-oh, of course! I'll do my best!" She quickly thumbed her tears away and
grabbed my hand. Her face hardened with determination—she would do her
best to save Angie.
This girl is waaaay better than Marie, hands down. Chris, man, you gotta open
your eyes.
Chris put a hand to his chest and murmured, "Marie, I want to see your smile
again. Please, lend me your strength."
He was clasping a charm.
"Hey, that's…"
"This?" He glanced at me. "I bought it at the festival. It's a Battle Charm,
supposedly. Now I'm starting to think it was a good omen."
It was a small talisman decorated with a sword and shield.
I laughed. What a perfect item for someone like Chris. "It suits you. You really
do have the best luck."
"R-really? It's kind of embarrassing hearing that from you."
Come on, don't blush like that. You're making me feel awkward.
***
At Chris's behest, all the students and crew members gathered in the
reception hall. I walked in holding a shotgun I'd bought off one of the crew
members on my way.
Everyone looked downcast, their eyes on the floor.
As I checked my bullet supply, Chris stopped partway up the stairs in the
middle of the room in order to address the crowd. I plopped myself down on
one of the lower steps and surveyed their faces.
"We've determined the best course of action to save everyone is for us all to
fight," he said. "Please, lend us your strength."
They proceeded to jeer.
"You're a first-year. Don't get carried away!"
"You're not even that tough. Where do you get off, acting all high and
mighty?!"
"You're the one who lost to that scumbag over there!"
"Besides, this is all Angelica's fault! I bet she just bargained a way out for
herself."
"Some duke's daughter she is."
I scowled at the boys demeaning me and the girls mocking Angie. They
hurriedly hid, but I already knew their faces. They would pay for those words.
I'd make sure of it.
This being a school trip, students from all grades were present, and Chris
trying to take the lead made for a real mess. The upperclassmen got all fussy
about taking orders from someone younger. Nonetheless, they stood a very real
chance of dying in the next hour. This was a stupid time to quibble about
hierarchy.
A group of boys from the general class even laughed.
"Fight? Higher class students sure are arrogant. You really think anyone will
listen just because you give orders?"
"Real full of himself, demanding we fight for him."
"He doesn't even have any real authority. Mister Swordmaster's family
disinherited him."
The girls' reactions didn't impress either; some of them even got nasty with
their servants.
"Hey, you, obey my orders!"
"Shut up, brat! Like I'd listen to you after you abandoned me!"
The whole place erupted into chaos. I lifted myself off the step, rested the
shotgun on my shoulder, and waited. The crowd fell silent at the sight of my
gun—the only weapon in the room—and they stared at me with equal parts
fear and loathing.
"You sleazeballs yap like a bunch of cowardly dogs!" I snarled. "Listen up.
Unlike the rest of you, I've been officially knighted and given the title of baron.
Even better, I have a lower-fifth court ranking, which effectively puts me above
any of our teachers. You got that?"
Our professors averted their eyes. They did little more than fade into the
background most of the time, but they were technically nobles. They just lacked
particularly high ranking. The headmaster certainly outranked me, but everyone
else swam below.
What about my tea master, you ask? I afforded him such respect—was that
not a matter of rank? Of course not. That respect was respect in itself, the
truest form, and regardless of rank, I'd never presume to speak over him.
But I digress.
"Now, the hierarchy being what it is, I'm giving you an order: Fight! If you
don't want to die, fight!"
Someone immediately protested. Gasp.
"S-screw you! You fight!"
"Yeah," I barked back, "I'm gonna. After all, I'm a real noble, unlike you
fakers."
One of the third-year girls furrowed her brow. She seemed strong-willed,
almost like a queen; the curls of her blonde hair looked like drills, and she wore
bright crimson lipstick. She addressed me with a voice tightened by anger.
"Fakers, you say? An insult. You address an earl's daughter, sir."
Among this lot, she probably had the most influence after Angie. Everyone
around her fell silent. The fact that the boys here would openly oppose Chris
but get all meek in front of her just went to show their total lack of spine.
"And who are you?" I asked.
"You mean to say you don't know who I am?! My name is Deirdre Fia
Roseblade. I'm the daughter of Earl Roseblade!"
Sure, I'd heard of her. But I shoved my finger in my ear and twisted it around,
feigning ignorance. "Who again? Roseblade, Rosebutt, whatever—just what
value do you have right now, anyway?"
"Excuse me?! H-how dare you!"
This haughty princess gave me the perfect reaction! You're just the girl I was
waiting for!
"I don't care how amazing everyone else thinks your house is," I went on.
"Frankly, it doesn't matter. You're a fake."
"How dare an upstart like you call me a fake!"
"That's right." I grinned at her. "I am an upstart. But unlike you, I'm also a real
adventurer. I actually achieved things with my own two hands, which means I'm
a true noble. Fakers like you have no right to take a pompous attitude with me."
"You pretentious nitwit!" Deirdre snapped. "You're a lowly baron. The
Roseblade earldom offered an immense island to the kingdom as tribute, on top
of conquering multiple dungeons. We are the noblest of nobility! You dare to
compare us? You should be ashamed of your arrogance!"
I rested my shotgun in the crook of my arm and clapped for her. "Bravo, that's
incredible. Your ancestors were the real deal."
Deirdre stared at me in surprise, as if shocked that I was agreeing with her.
"You…would do well to remember that. Your feeble accomplishments can't
begin to measure up to—"
I cackled on the inside. You're the perfect character for this little charade, Miss
Deirdre!
"Wonderful!" I interrupted her. "Yes, your ancestors are the real thing. Too
bad their grandchild is a coward. I bet they're turning in their graves right now.
You trembling, cowering losers—you're all fakers."
"What did you say?!"
"Am I wrong? When Angie offered herself up in your place, what did you lot
do? Some of you were relieved. You thought if you kept quiet, you could hunker
down and wait for the storm to pass. Even worse, when you knew you were
gonna be killed, you cursed Angie for it. If the shoe fits, as they say—and trust
me, it fits. You're a bunch of cunning little fakers."
"You take that back!"
I moved down the steps toward Deirdre, grinning from ear to ear. "No." I
spread my arms wide and laughed. "You're all about to be killed, and you won't
even put up a fight. You only complain. Your ancestors were adventurers who
struggled to accomplish all they did, but you, their descendants, are absolutely
worthless. You don't have the courage to set forth in an airship and travel the
skies, nor do you have the knowledge to conquer dungeons, nor do you possess
the strength to vanquish monsters. All you did was inherit the hard work of
others. You're a bunch of pathetic, no-good losers."
I feel like I should mention that House Bartfort hadn't accomplished anything
notable as adventurers either. They'd achieved their status by participating in
wars and earning themselves a floating island of their own (or so I'd heard).
Honestly, I didn't place much emphasis on ancestry, honor, or bloodlines. I
didn't really think these kids' noble ancestors would be disappointed with them.
If anything, they'd probably worry about their descendants and tell them to run
for it while they could.
But not me. I would deride them all! Why? Because it was convenient!
"The principality's envoy was right. You lot don't have the willpower or the
pride of real nobles. You cling to the accomplishments of the people who came
before you. You're all a bunch of pathetic fraudsters. You huddled together in
fear the moment you heard we would be attacked. I bet your noble ancestors
are crying—no, they're laughing!"
The crowd grew increasingly irate.
That's the spirit!
"I bet they're wrapping their arms around their stomachs like this and
cackling!" I held my stomach. "'Oh, look at how pathetic my descendants are!
They call themselves nobility, but they're actually a bunch of losers who freak
out about their status because they have no abilities of their own.'" I wiped
tears of laughter from my eyes.
Berating them all to their faces was insanely refreshing—I mean, uh, no. It
was all an act to get them fired up.
"I admit, your ancestors were pretty great. They worked for what they had.
Unfortunately, none of that matters because you're the ones who inherited
their legacy. You've got no guts. You're going to lose to the principality without
even putting up a fight, and your ancestors' accomplishments will be
overwritten by your cowardice. That's what it really means to tarnish one's
family name. Here, I'm your surviving kin two days from now: 'They were a
disgrace.'"
All the nobles in this kingdom were proud to have descended from
adventurers, and the school reinforced that pride. Some students even revered
their ancestors. So I laid it on thick.
"D-don't you dare look down on me!" one boy shouted. "I…I'd never shame
my forebears! I couldn't stand to dishonor my family!"
I laughed. "You have some spunk, I'll give you that. But if you do nothing here,
you will dishonor your family. Put your hand over your heart and listen. Can you
hear it? The blood of your ancestors runs in you, and right now they're laughing
at how sad you are!"
A few people in the crowd ignored my suggestion, but most put a hand to
their chest. Some weren't even nobility—crew members and demi-human
servants did it, too.
"You can hear them cackling, can't you? Or do they sound grief-stricken? Can
you hear them sigh in exasperation as they shrug? Some of them may even be
thanking you for giving them a good laugh. If I were one of your ancestors, I'd
say, 'I want nothing to do with a coward who runs away with their tail tucked
between their legs!'"
Few could say anything in their defense. Frankly, if they tried, I'd have
laughed at them more.
My smile fell. "Is the adventurer's blood running through your veins fake as
well? Do you want to wait here for the principality to come have its fun so you
can die like worthless fools?!"
Deirdre looked me straight in the eyes. "A daughter of Roseblade House
cannot die doing nothing. It would be a disgrace. Are the rest of you content to
let this man speak to you this way? If we do nothing, we'll be too ashamed to
face our ancestors in the next world!"
The boys in the crowd started hollering.
"You scumbag, don't you dare look down on us! Someone, bring me a
weapon!"
"Do you know how much I've been training in dungeons up until now? You're
only a first-year! Prepare yourself, 'cause you're about to witness how much
stronger we are!"
"You talk big for an underhanded conniver! We don't need to hear it from
you. We're gonna fight!"
Every one of them was suddenly all motivated to join the fray. Having a
woman spur them on did wonders. You idiots, you should have been fired up
from the get-go!
Chris glanced at me. "Bartfort, you—no, never mind."
Don't stop like that and leave me curious!
"After goading us, I assume you have some kind of plan, don't you?" Deirdre
said. "You claim to be a true noble, so surely you must be capable of getting us
out of this mess."
"All right, idiots, listen up!" I bellowed. "I don't expect you'd understand if I
gave you complicated orders, and we don't have the time for long explanations.
So a frontal assault it is! We're aiming for the principality's banner—that's all
we need!"
Voices of unease washed through the crowd.
Miss Deirdre, however, chuckled. "Ah, yes. That's perfect! And why aren't you
girls raising your voices? I won't let any of you get away with cowardice either."
As an earl's daughter, Deirdre was essentially the boss here. At her words,
everyone reluctantly began to prepare themselves for what was to come.
Deidre turned back to me. "I understand we're going through the front. But
what will you be doing? You spoke so eloquently. I'm sure we can expect great
things from you, yes?"
In other words, You talked the talk, but if you can't walk the walk, I'll never let
you live it down.
"Of course!" I chuckled. "I'm going to cut through their vanguard with my
airbike."
"Airbike? Do you have a death wish?"
We were surrounded by monsters and airships. The principality would no
doubt deploy a number of Armors to intercept us as well. If anyone else started
talking about charging the enemy ranks on an airbike, I'd have laughed at them,
too.
"I have someone I want to save. I'll snatch their banner while I'm at it and
laugh in the face of their fleet."
"Do you mean Angelica? But you're not one of her followers, are you?"
Like that mattered.
"I'm a man. Every guy dreams of being the prince who saves the princess in
her time of need, right? I might be willing to abandon you guys, but I can't do
the same to Angie. She's a good woman. In fact, the rest of you girls could learn
a thing or two from her."
Deirdre bit one of her nails. "Praising another woman to my face? I've never
experienced such a thing."
"Yeah, 'cause everyone's always walking on eggshells around you. Anyway,
come on, you guys need to get ready. Time's a-wastin'!"
Passion swelled in the reception hall as people busily moved to and fro.
Standing in the center of it all, I found my thoughts circling back to the moment
Angie gave herself over to the enemy.
If only she'd told them I was an officially titled baron, she wouldn't have had
to go alone. And sacrificing herself as a hostage in place of everyone else? The
goddamn audacity—she was sixteen. Ugh. Angie's daddy terrified me, to be
sure, but more than that, I'd regret it for the rest of my life if I didn't save her
after that astounding show of courage.
In this whole rotten otome game world, Angie was my light in the darkness.
Deidre grinned at me.
What? Hurry up and go. We don't have time for this.
"You're like an undisciplined dog," she purred. "With that brazen attitude,
you'd make a perfect pet. If you weren't Angelica's favorite, I'd take you for
myself."
Oh boy, this girl was as depraved as the worst of them, albeit in a different
way. To the point, I wasn't getting any closer to her.
"I'm flattered."
***
Luxion reported his findings while I changed into an outfit suited for riding my
airbike, Schwert.
My eyes narrowed at his words. "So we have traitors in our midst."
"According to my investigation, two of Angelica's female followers leaked our
location to the principality."
Of all the people it could be, it had to be Angie's followers?
"Seriously?" I shook my head. "They have to be idiots to make an enemy of
Redgrave House."
"The Redgraves suffered a great political blow upon Julius's disinheritance.
Traitors often crop up in such circumstances."
"Politics? Yeaaah, not interested." After I finished changing, I grabbed my
shotgun with one hand and my helmet with the other.
"Would you prefer to leave those girls to their own devices?"
"Don't worry," I said. "I wanna take care of them now."
"I believe you should contact the crew. You can use the cell they threw you in
earlier."
"Roger that."
***
I stood in front of my former cell, which now held the two culprits who'd
revealed our position to the Principality of Fanoss. Their demi-human servants
were confined in a separate cell. The girls pleaded for mercy from the rest of
Angie's followers.
"Hold on! This is a misunderstanding!"
"Please, save us!"
Crew members stood around me with weapons in hand, on the alert and
ready to intervene if necessary.
One of the male students turned to me and said, "Th-this has to be a mistake,
right? I mean, these girls have been with the young miss since childhood. They
would never betray her."
I tossed a cylindrical object to the ground. The girls fidgeted restlessly the
moment they saw it.
"We searched their rooms thoroughly," I said.
The traitors scowled at me.
"You pervert!" one of them cried.
"Like I have any interest in you! Besides, the female crew searched your
rooms, not me." I nodded at the uniformed female staff.
One of them stepped forward. "We found several of these, in fact," she said,
"as well as what seemed to be a list of instructions. These girls knew exactly
what they were doing."
The traitors glowered at her. "We'll remember this. You won't get away with
it!"
The uniformed women trembled in fear.
I slammed my foot against the bars. "Shut your mouth," I barked at the
traitors. "Do you want me to blow your brains out right here?"
They quivered, but one of Angie's male followers grabbed me by the
shoulder.
"You're taking this too far! Even if they did betray the miss, we need a proper
investiga—hey, wait a minute!"
I turned the barrel of my shotgun on him. "Do you understand the position
you're in? This is exactly why Angie's trying to avoid you all. You had traitors in
your midst. Do you get what that means?"
As brainless as they were, these goons did seem to comprehend their
predicament.
I smacked the butt of my rifle against the boy, sending him crashing to the
floor. "Fight like it's your last day to live. Doesn't matter if you're a boy or a girl.
You all better prove you weren't colluding with Fanoss. Otherwise…" I pinned
the girls in the cell with a glare, "…you'll end up just like these two, and you
wouldn't want that, would you?"
Angie's daddy wouldn't be so forgiving with traitors. These idiots knew that
better than I did, hence why they quickly shook their heads.
I left the rest to the crew members and headed to the storehouse where
Schwert was held.
"They knew her since they were kids," I mumbled to myself, "and they still
betrayed her? Seriously? Politics are a hot mess. Now I really have to save
Angie."
I refused to let her be sacrificed to save these slimebuckets.
***
I wore a skintight inner suit made specifically for riding an airbike, as well as a
helmet, vest, a pair of thick cargo pants, and some boots. A camera on the
airbike sent a feed directly into the helmet to show me my surroundings.
"You're up, Schwert," said Luxion. He'd built a slot for himself on board when
he made improvements to the bike, and he nestled himself there for the ride.
I straddled the machine and reached for the handlebars, revving the engine. It
roared to life, the vibrations reverberating through the storehouse.
A crew member had been kind enough to open the hatch so I could drive right
out. Wind whipped noisily through the storehouse.
"So you're really doing this?!" the crew member shouted to be heard.
"Of course! I'll pluck that sleazy envoy's mustache right off his face and bring
it to you as a souvenir."
I'd rip so hard that Earl Gelatt would have a permanent bald patch.
"Wow, I'd love that!" the crew member yelled. "Well, no, actually, I don't
think I would."
I flashed them a thumbs-up, then I leaned low over Schwert and drove out of
the storehouse.
When we raced into the open air, the bike bobbed up and down as if coasting
over waves. I grabbed the shotgun off my back, and the monsters surrounding
the ship instantly started toward me.
"You ready for this?"
"Whenever you are," Luxion replied. He took over maneuvering the bike so I
could shoot.
"This is the best weapon for getting rid of small fries," I said, hefting the gun.
A magic circle appeared in front of the barrel and multiplied, locking onto all the
monsters in our vicinity.
"I've equipped it with an electric-type scattershot," said Luxion. "Fire away."
"Now I'll blow you to pieces!" I pulled the trigger, and one of the shells
zoomed forward, piercing the magic circle. Bullet fragments went flying. As they
did, the light from the circle transitioned from yellow to blue, and the magic
began maneuvering the trajectory of the fragments through the air.
The monsters tried to avoid being hit, but the light gave chase and pierced
every one of them in a series of violent firework explosions. This magic went
perfectly with ranged attacks, but it was so advanced that many found it
difficult to handle.
Several dozen monsters fell to that single attack, and I broke out laughing.
"See that? This is what it looks like when Luxion and I put our genius together.
We can even use complex techniques like this!"
Me trying to do this by myself? Wasn't going to happen. The spell took too
long, and trying to lock on to a moving enemy was insanely hard.
"Well," I continued, holding my nose high, "basically, one of us is doing 70
percent of the work while the other does 30 percent."
"Why do you make it sound like you're doing the bulk of it? If we're talking
percentages, I easily did 70 percent, Master."
"You always gotta rain on my parade." I sighed. "Come on, the next wave is
coming."
"You really are scum."
I aimed my shotgun and pulled the trigger, blowing another wave of monsters
to smithereens.
***
Chris boarded his Armor and watched as Leon took off. "So he really does
plan to cut through their front line."
The cruise liner changed course and sped after Leon. They headed for the
enemy's flagship, the large one on the back of that giant whale monster, where
the princess and Angie waited.
Chris stared at Leon as he reached for the controls inside his suit. "Bartfort…
You're strong, I'll admit."
Based on sword strength alone, Chris possessed far more talent. But as he
watched Leon cross the battlefield, Chris knew he didn't stand a chance. Leon
commanded such phenomenal magic, and he had guts. Charging into the
enemy ranks alone sounded appealingly courageous at first blush, but few men
would actually dare to do as much. Leon made it look simple. Chris honestly
didn't think he could convince himself to ride an airbike into a horde of
monsters.
"Will I ever be as strong as you, Bartfort?" Chris wondered aloud. Then he
turned to the others guarding the airship in Armors of their own, the charm
dangling from his neck swaying. "Our objective is to protect the ship. We keep
them safe at all costs!"
The other five cried out in unison, then closed the hatches on the front of
their Armors and took flight. Chris maneuvered outside the ship as well and cut
into his first monsters.
He dove into the enemy ranks, slashing through one creature after the other.
They disappeared behind him in puffs of smoke. Students watching from the
deck cheered him on.
Chris dropped through the air, sticking close to the side of the vessel as he
dispatched several more beasts.
"I promised you, Bartfort. I won't let anything happen to this ship!"
***
A siren blared on the principality's flagship. Hertrude lifted herself from her
seat, her long, beautiful black hair swaying against a snug black dress.
As she moved toward the window, one of her maids held out a hand. "You
mustn't, Your Highness."
"Step aside. I wish to see for myself."
Angie was curious as well, but she couldn't move far with the knights
surrounding her.
Hertrude glanced back at her captive and beckoned her over. "Come,
Angelica. It seems your friends at the academy chose to die honorable deaths.
I'll let you witness their last moments firsthand—"
Angie scowled at the princess, but Hertrude broke off as she noticed
something outside.
What Angie saw surpassed her wildest imagination. "What?!"
The cruise liner drove toward them on a collision course.
"You," Hertrude shrieked at her maid, "bring the Magic Flute at once!"
An airbike led the charge, making way for the principality's ship. Angie
gasped, tears pricking her eyes. "Idiot! You utter fool! Why…why didn't you
run?! If you're strong enough to fight, you could have run!"
Just then, the maid swooped down with the Magic Flute. Hertrude snatched it
up and put the mouthpiece to her lips.
A bizarre melody drifted through the air, and all the monsters moved in
unison. Now, Angie finally understood the reason for the principality's
confidence.
"So this is your secret weapon."
Hertrude lifted her lips from the flute. "Correct. With this, we can overcome
the difference in our power. Your kingdom will fall."
Although the princess spoke with conviction, the students on the cruise liner
resisted with everything in them. They slew the monsters charging at them one
after the other, and they erected a shield to protect themselves using magic
while returning fire with more spellwork.
Hertrude and Gelatt had made light of the students, but the kingdom's future
knights were strong. They needed to be. Many of them had delved deep into
dungeons to scrounge up as much cash as they could to court a marriage
partner and fund their marriage. By the time boys graduated, many would have
forged themselves into brawny adventurers. Now, they fought with all that
gathered strength.
Hertrude bit her lip as she watched the students struggle to repel her
creatures. "Opposing us only makes this harder on them."
Angie steeled herself and stared down at her. "Unfortunately for you, the
kingdom's nobility doesn't know when to give up. This is what you asked for.
They've come to show you their true willpower—their real pride. Do you see
the man cutting through your front line? I'm afraid I forgot to mention him. He
is Leon Fou Bartfort, and he is one of the kingdom's finest knights!"
"Bartfort?" Hertrude traced a finger down her chin.
"They certainly don't know when to give up," Gelatt agreed as he strolled
over, stroking his mustache. "But this is as far as their efforts will take them."
The principality's warships surrounded the cruise liner, staggering their
formation so none of their other ships would need to fear crossfire. Even
though the monsters would be caught in the coming blast, they aimed their
cannons at the cruise liner and Leon.
Hertrude scowled at Gelatt. "You do this without my permission."
"So we can win, Your Highness. Besides, we have plenty more monsters
where these came from." He gave an eerie grin as, simultaneously, their fleet
launched hundreds of cannonballs.
Angie shrieked. "Leon! Livia!"
The knights restrained her, and Angie could only watch in horror as black
smoke enveloped the cruise liner.