REMEMBER HOW I TOLD YOU that the kingdom expected nobility to do labor in
equal proportion to their title and court ranking? Well, currently I was lowerfifth
court ranking and a full-fledged baron.
How the hell did this even happen again?
This was basically the kingdom's way of telling me they expected work in
proportion to the honors they'd bestowed on me. In addition to my daily
contributions, they would also expect me to assist if war broke out. It was a
suffocating position to be in. Moving your way up in the world was hardly
sunshine and roses.
If there ever were such a conflict and they requested my participation, it
would be hard to refuse them, even while I was still a student. As such, I
decided to make a few strategic moves.
First, I gathered up the other low-ranking noblemen at the school and hosted
a banquet of sorts at a pub.
"Leon, is it true you got your hands on some airships?"
"I'm so jealous. They're warships too, aren't they?"
"Who cares what type they are, I'm envious he has any airships at all. My
family has none."
All the men I'd gathered were heirs of countryside noble houses. Their voices
brimmed with longing, just as I had expected.
"I've already had them repaired," I said. "But to tell you the truth, I've got too
many. I don't know what to do with them all."
Their gazes turned sharp. Daniel even gulped.
"You guys want 'em?"
Raymond stood up. As the heir to a noble house, he wanted few things in the
world more than he wanted an airship. The difference between the nobles who
had one and the nobles that didn't could only be called huge. But airships were
expensive, and upkeep was costly. Most baronies bought cheap, used junkers.
"Wh-what do you want in exchange?" Raymond asked.
They all stared at me. Fanoss airships were of exceptional quality, and these
boys knew their value. But they also knew there was no such thing as a free
lunch—there had to be a catch. Honestly, I liked them even more because they
didn't expect me to hand them over for free.
I coolly reached for my glass and took a drink. "I've decided to start a
maintenance facility back home, mostly for my own ships. If you promise to
leave all of your tune-up and repairs to me, then I'll give you the ships for free."
Their eyes went blank with shock.
"Th-there's no way. That deal's too good to be true."
"Are they defective or something?"
I could hardly blame them for second-guessing me. "Rest assured," I
answered sincerely, "I still plan to make money. But I promise I'll take a fair fee
—I won't be squeezing every last penny out of you."
They still seemed hesitant.
I sighed. "Fine, you got me. I'll give you four Armors with each ship, how's
that? Armors from the principality. I guarantee their quality."
Raymond looked about to break, but Daniel grabbed his shoulder. "Hold it!
This is Leon we're talking about. He's the type to suck a person dry."
"Wait! You're right!"
Those cruel accusations shattered my poor, fragile heart.
With my friends so suspicious of me, everyone else turned distrustful as well.
It was a bit depressing to be treated so coldly when I'd come to them with such
a great deal.
"Too bad, then," I said. "I thought giving you those ships would be great
advertisement for my business, but if you're not interested, I won't force you.
I'll find some other guys who want them."
Daniel jumped on that. "Wait! Y-you really meant it when you said they'd be
free? You're not going to charge us afterward or give us defective ships, right?"
"Have a little faith. I don't lie."
"Yes, you do," they all responded in chorus.
Come on, you guys are going to make me cry.
I hadn't lied once today. I really did plan to make this a legit business. I
already had a facility back home prepared, and I was listed as the owner. It
would bring in money for me in the future, and I could use that to make
contributions to the kingdom. Being a high-ranking noble was rough. You had to
keep generating income.
What about all the money I'd received so far, you ask? It wasn't enough! The
kingdom required annual tribute. In less than ten years, the fortune I had now
would all but dry up. I had to make more money. The floating island I lived on
only had the potential to generate an income equivalent to a baronet's
holdings. I'd considered transforming it into a tourist attraction, but this world
had all those pirates and monsters, which made traveling for fun difficult, i.e., I
wouldn't get many guests. A maintenance facility like this one was my best bet
for the future.
"You really think I'd sell you faulty airships?" I said. "I'm running a business
here. I'd only lose people's trust. I just built this place. I don't even have any
customers yet! So I have to go out of my way to draw people in. Conveniently, I
have a number of ships I captured from the principality that I can use to do just
that."
Increasingly desperate, I appealed to them with the type of marketing I'd
learned in my previous world. "Right now, airships and Armors are absolutely
free! Get yours for zero dia! No need to worry about maintenance. We'll look
after you! We guarantee a fair price for all your repair needs!"
The boys started throwing their hands up into the air, one after the other.
"I want one!"
"M-me too!"
"And me!"
Smiling, I whipped out the contracts I'd prepared and handed them over.
"Great, just send these back home and have your parents sign where I've
indicated. Make sure you explain the situation to them, too. Oh, and if you have
any old airships, I'll be happy to buy them off of you."
They excitedly accepted the paperwork.
"We'll all be friends for life!" I crowed.
Thanks for being so easily lured in by some free airships, guys. We'll be the
best of buddies for a long time to come.
Especially since I had exclusive maintenance rights to their ships—they
wouldn't be able to betray me so easily.
I watched them all sign, grinning from ear to ear.
***
Although it was Angie's day off, she responded to a summons at her older
brother's estate in the capital.
"What is it?" she asked as soon as she arrived.
Gilbert wore a troubled expression as he set some documents on his desk,
sliding them over so Angie could see.
"What's this? A sales contract for an airship?"
"That's right," her brother said. "Leon prepared a number of these and
distributed them among the other baronies."
"Leon did?" Angie had a bad feeling about this. She worried that her house
wouldn't look favorably on such actions. "I'm terribly sorry. I'll have him stop
this immediately."
"No, that's not necessary. There's nothing wrong with selling airships."
Her shoulders sagged in relief. "Then what's the matter?"
"Apparently, he's set up a maintenance facility on his island. He's in a rush,
doing maintenance and offering ships for free to baronies he's acquainted with.
I suspect it's a marketing move, but it's a bit too hasty, don't you think? He
practically drove off the principality by himself. What in the world could he be
thinking? It's been weighing on me."
Gilbert stroked his chin, contemplating. "Now the kingdom is in danger of
underestimating the principality because they were defeated by a ship full of
students. The punishment they plan to exact is awfully lax. And yet the man
responsible for defeating them has grown even warier. How should we
interpret that?" He looked at Angie expectantly.
"I don't know anything," Angie demurred. "Except…"
"Except?"
"Except that Leon suddenly became terribly active. Ever since we returned,
he's been training and frequenting dungeons."
I lost a lot of confidence after that Black Knight kicked the crap outta me, Leon
had told her, so now I'm going to work hard.
But when Angie thought about what might happen in the future… Does he
fear the principality? Even though the palace is relatively unconcerned?
Gilbert was right; as far as Angie knew, the kingdom seemed inclined to
dismiss the rise of the principality. When they'd heard the Black Knight had lost
in battle, they'd declared that old age had caught up with him.
Gilbert drummed his fingers on the desk, looking irritated. "Should we assume
he's planning for more to come?" he wondered aloud. "I'm sure the nobles will
meet soon to hear the full report on the matter, but Redgrave House has little
sway now. I can only hope they take this as a valuable lesson—an indication
that we're falling behind and need to think ahead."
Suddenly, Angie remembered the enemy princess. "Oh, do you know how
they plan to deal with Princess Hertrude?"
"'Deal with' is a stretch. They're naive. There's talk of having her study abroad
here in the kingdom. I heard Father was opposed to the idea, but the marquess
wouldn't budge on the issue."
Angie's eyes widened. Father's influence has suffered that greatly? I heard a
marquess was gaining prominence, but this really is a troubling development.
"The marquess said Hertrude should study at the academy; that way, she'll
see the strength of the kingdom firsthand. He plans to use the opportunity to
curry favor with the princess and bring the principality back under the
kingdom's rule, I'm sure. We tried to discredit the plan by bringing up the
incident with Earl Offrey, but the earl is no longer associated with the
marquess's faction."
Due to the incident with the pirates, Offrey House had been penalized: The
government had confiscated their titles, fortune, and even their land. The
Offrey girl, who had started the whole mess by going after Leon, had lost
everything. Her family had since saddled her with a deplorable job.
I actually feel bad for her. That girl's future would be anything but easy.
"On another note," said Gilbert, "I hear you're getting along quite well with
the scholarship student?"
Angie's gaze dropped to her feet.
"There's no need to be that close to her," he went on.
Angie lifted her head, burning with resolve. "Sh-she's my friend! Our
relationship has nothing to do with you."
Gilbert stared at her quietly, but the moment he realized Angie wouldn't
budge, he relented. "Do as you like."
"Y-you mean it?"
"If you're that intent, I won't say anything. Father and I have reason to be
indebted to her after everything she did during that mess with Fanoss.
However, if she's that precious to you, you'd better protect her."
"I-I will!"
"It also seems like we'll need to pick a new entourage for you now."
Angie hesitated before asking, "What will happen to the girls who…who
betrayed us?"
Angie knew two of her followers had been confined for betraying the cruise
liner's position to the principality. She had heard nothing of them since.
Gilbert offered a grim smile. "You really know want to know?"
"No. It was a foolish question."
Angie had been close with the girls since childhood, but she knew they
couldn't weasel their way out of this. Still, her feelings on the matter were
complex. Her gratitude for new friends like Livia and Leon, who put their lives
on the line to save her, exceeded the pain she felt from betrayal by the old. The
Offrey girl had used threats and intimidation to command the people around
her—and Angie doubted those relationships would last into the girl's coming
hardships. It made Angie all the more grateful to have such loyal friends.
Maybe I really am blessed.
"Now that that's settled," Gilbert went on, "What do you think of Leon?"
"What do you mean?"
"Well, I haven't heard anything about him securing a fiancée yet. A great deal
has happened, and he's really moved up in the world. It wouldn't bode well for
us if he hooked up with the wrong sort."
Angie knew her older brother was trying to draw Leon into their faction. It
would be a great boon for them if they could cement his place among their
allies. He also seemed easy to manage; he'd handed over the principality's
latest airships and Armors without even being asked, after all.
Of course, it would have been dangerous for Leon to insist on keeping that
wealth in order to increase his own power, as it would have put the court and
Redgrave House on edge. It didn't matter that Leon was the baron of a border
region—if he had a fleet on hand, he would be a threat. In the blink of an eye,
he could use that power to take over neighboring islands and bolster his
influence. Multiple country nobles in the past had absorbed neighboring
territories before turning their sights on the kingdom itself.
Gilbert and Angie's father must have appreciated that Leon knew his place
enough to avoid such things.
I planned to caution him if he got carried away, but if he's handed all those
ships over, then even my brother shouldn't consider him a threat.
By this generosity, Leon was strengthening his ties with others of his rank, of
course, but that alone couldn't inspire concern in the upper ranks. In fact, he
had been so generous with his gifts that it almost made Angie want to grab him
by the shoulders and demand, Are you sure about this?!
Indeed, Leon seemed like a knight who had forsaken personal profit in favor
of selfless devotion. People had begun to sneer and whisper about how he was
a loyal dog of Redgrave House.
"He's been so busy lately. I haven't seen him involved with anyone, really,"
Angie answered honestly. "Also, um, the other girls hate him a bit."
Gilbert cupped his hand over his forehead. "That's what I don't understand.
Why in the world aren't they interested in him? By his own efforts, he's climbed
to upper-fifth court ranking, and he's already been knighted. What's not to
like?"
Angie furrowed her brow. "I thought he was lower-fifth rank? From what I
heard, he wouldn't be elevated further until after graduating."
Gilbert scratched his cheek, embarrassed. "Apologies. I meant to tell you. The
truth is…"
***
The end of the second term approached. The award ceremony for the
students who'd participated in the Fanoss conflict—or maybe "incident" was a
better term—would be held on the first day of winter break. The recipients at
the academy anxiously looked forward to the occasion. Awards weren't given
freely, and this would give students bragging rights and prestige. Those who'd
missed out were sour about the lost opportunity, but there was nothing to be
done.
My friends and I basked in the warmth of my bedroom, sipping tea, the
windows fogged from the wintery chill outside. Master had gifted me some new
tea leaves, and I'd also treated myself to a new tea set, so I was on cloud nine.
I'd gone first thing this morning to a famous sweets shop to fetch high-quality
hors d'oeuvres for the occasion.
"Aah. This is the life."
Livia looked guilty as she nibbled away at the snacks, but the sweet flavor
soon coaxed a smile from her. I would have expected no less from a famous
sweets store. In fact, I'd underestimated how addictive they would be.
"This is delicious," Livia declared.
In contrast, Angie took small, regal bites, seemingly accustomed to the flavor.
"You like chocolate? I should send for some samples from one of my favorite
chocolateries."
She really is a high-class noble lady! I wanna know where she shops.
Livia smiled bitterly. "I shouldn't get used to eating such expensive treats."
"Ah… All right, then…"
I lifted my hand. "Angie, would you tell me the name of this place? The really
top-quality joints have months-long waiting lists. I'd love to get an introduction
letter from your house."
As one would expect from an otome game world, it had a wide variety of
popular sweets. Painful as it was to live in this matriarchal society, at least I
could indulge in sugary goodness for a delightful reprieve.
"I think no, Mr. Tea Freak. The other clientele would grow frustrated if I let
you buy up all their stock."
I wasn't the only guy who liked tea parties, and some of the more
unscrupulous types monopolized the most popular shops for the express
purpose of inviting girls to their parties. But you know what? Angie wasn't
mistaken; those men and I were comrades in arms!
"Oh, come on, I wouldn't do that," I insisted. "I just want to taunt girls by
eating the most popular sweets right in front of them. Or, you know, passing a
chocolate to one of those haughty girls trying to diet."
There was nothing quite as satisfying as lording a win over someone you
hated. I wanted to laugh in a horrid girl's face for once.
"That's awfully cruel," Livia said, exasperated.
Things had been peaceful here lately. Ever since we returned, Luxion had
been performing maintenance on the Partner, Arroganz, and Schwert. That left
me with no means to go anywhere, so I'd been inviting Daniel and Raymond to
go dungeoning. Of course, now that I had beaten the most difficult enemies in
the game, monsters were hardly any trouble. But it was still worth gathering
what resources I could.
I couldn't shake the fear that Fanoss still meant to go to war with us, though
we had their secret weapon now. I shouldn't have had any reason to worry, yet
my heart squeezed with a strange unease. I couldn't seem to calm my nerves.
Angie changed the topic. "More importantly, Leon, I heard you gave credit to
Chris for defeating the Black Knight."
I glanced upward, which caught Livia's attention.
"Why would you do that? You're the one who beat him, Leon."
Angie had finished her tea, so I tried to butter her up by pouring her another
cup. "My lady, that decision was made based on highly complex political
ramifications."
Okay, that was a big, fat lie.
Nonetheless, Angie nodded as if she saw my point. "True, it wasn't a bad
move."
"Right?!" Not that I had actually thought it through, but I was genuinely happy
to receive a compliment from her.
"Um, okay, but why?" Livia's face clouded with confusion.
Angie began to explain, so I quietly listened—I needed this answer too. "It's
simple. Arclight House viewed Leon as an enemy. But by relinquishing credit to
Chris for this exploit—and defeating a foe they had never bested, an incredible
feat in itself—Leon gave them no choice but to cease any plans to aggress
against him. Chris may soon be reinstated as the heir to his house."
Livia smiled at me. "I knew you were a kind person!"
"Uh, yeah! O-of course I am."
I'd figured Arclight House wasn't very fond of me, but I hadn't realized they
actively viewed me as an enemy. That was the house of the Sword Saint! Even if
I were a cat with nine lives, I'd lose every one of them if he decided to come for
me.
Wait… I'm pretty sure Miss Mylene—uh, I mean, Queen Mylene said
something to that effect before. Enemies at the palace and whatever.
Luxion peered at me. He no longer needed to hide in the girls' presence, since
they'd already seen him. "It turned out well for you, didn't it, Master?"
What he meant was, Good thing they didn't realize the truth—that you only
pushed this off on him because you didn't want to get any more courtly
attention.
He was getting easier and easier to read.
"How does it feel," I asked him, "having a master who can make such
sophisticated calculations? Delights you, doesn't it?"
"The way you let such things go to your head is almost a talent in and of itself.
Most people would act more modest. If you have a guilty conscience at all,
consider humbling yourself."
I waved my hand dismissively. "I have no idea what you're talking about. My
selling point is my loyalty and my kindness. I'm just a good ol' ordinary guy."
"Shall I look up the definitions of kind and loyal for you? It seems to me that
you missed the connotation in your new language."
Angie and Livia, meanwhile, leaned forward to study Luxion. Angie reached
out tentatively to poke him. "It's amazing how this one-eyed creature can
speak."
"That's not very nice, Angie," Livia scolded. "Lux has a name. It's Luxion."
Luxion stared at Livia. "'Lux'? Do you mean to refer to me?"
I grinned at him. "Good for you, Lux. You've got a cute nickname now."
He went suddenly quiet, and Livia furrowed her brow, as if worried she'd
upset him.
"Don't you worry about him. Anyway, the real reason I gave Chris the credit
was because…well, you know. Chris and the other guys aren't all bad. Uh,
probably."
So they were a little—okay, no, very—stupid, but they weren't bad people.
Angie smiled tightly. "That's true. The person we must be wary of is the one
who threw their lives into such disarray—Marie."
The atmosphere in the room suddenly turned heavy.
"Um, so, actually, about those five boys," Livia said, trying to lighten the
mood. "I heard they've been hanging around a storehouse. It seems they're up
to something."
"Up to what?" I asked.
Livia breathed a small sigh, possibly of relief that I'd expressed interest, and
continued, "It seems like they're making something."
What in the world would the five of them be making together?
***
"Honestly, what have you boys been up to?" Marie asked.
She had come to see them at a storehouse on school campus. The five had
told her they wanted to show her something, and naturally, this excited her. It
had to be a present.
A jewel, perhaps? Maybe a dress? They've been working so hard lately. Ah,
surprises are the best!
A sheet lay draped over something enormous in the middle of the storehouse.
Marie tilted her head.
Kyle, standing beside her, mimicked the motion. "What is that thing?"
Greg rubbed a knuckle across the tip of his nose. "It's a surprise."
"We made you wait an awfully long time for this," Brad said, flipping his bangs
out of his eyes.
Their words only heightened her anticipation. "Thank you both so much!"
Embarrassed, Chris removed his glasses. "I-I worked hard, too."
"Yes, thank you, Chris."
"Miss Marie," Jilk cut in, clearing his throat, "please don't forget His Highness
and myself. Go on, Your Highness."
Julius stepped in front of her. "Marie, this is a representation of our feelings
for you."
The five boys took hold of the sheet and pulled—revealing an Armor, sitting
on its knees.
Marie's smile froze. What?
Julius gazed upon their creation, pleased. "Finally, we can challenge Bartfort
again. He ripped us apart, but now we can beat him and move forward."
"You said it, Your Highness!" Greg gave him a thumbs-up. "Uh, I mean,
Julius!"
Brad put his hands on his hips and puffed up his chest. "We won't be able to
move on until we best him. That's why we prepared this Armor, as a testament
to our determination."
Marie stood still as a statue.
Determination? Do you have any idea how much it costs to construct a suit
like this?! Not to mention you've pulled together a bunch of different-colored
parts! Did you salvage them from the Armors you used during your last duel?
You really plan to fight him in this thing?!
Chris, moved by the culmination of their efforts, wiped away the tears welling
up in his eyes. "It's a bit unshapely, but I've never seen a more stunning Armor."
Jilk smiled. "We just gathered salvageable parts, but we still poured our
hearts into it. In fact, this suit looks even more impressive than the ones we
piloted before. It's a worthy unit."
Marie shook her head before glancing awkwardly over at Julius. "H-how much
was this thing? The repair costs and stuff?"
"Marie…" His face fell, disappointed. "Money is no object here. This is the
product of our feelings."
"N-no! I mean, I'm just worried. You guys must have really pushed yourselves
to gather the funds, right?"
His shoulders relaxed. "Oh, that's what you meant? Actually, the guys
received quite a substantial reward for their recent accomplishments."
True. Brad and Greg had received remuneration for dispatching the pirates, as
had Chris for his involvement in the conflict with Fanoss.
"S-so you used all of that to finance the repairs, then."
Although Marie couldn't understand why they would waste so much of their
reward on something so silly, it gladdened her to know they hadn't dipped into
their shared funds.
A short-lived relief.
"We didn't think that would be enough, so we used some of our group
savings," Jilk went on, clearly ignorant that his words came like a blow straight
to Marie's gut. "A man who claimed to be a famous Armor designer offered to
do the work at a significant discount."
Marie's legs wobbled beneath her.
"We managed to cover it using all of our reward money and the fifty thousand
dia we shared between us. You wouldn't believe this designer—he really
pushed the Armor's performance to the limit. With this new level of technical
capability, I'm sure we can demolish Bartfort and his Arroganz."
Marie's vision spun. Kyle moved to support her so she didn't collapse on the
floor, but inside, she couldn't stop screaming. She knew spoiled noblemen had
a warped sense of monetary value, but this served as a cruel reminder that
these five were particularly dreadful.
Fifty thousand dia! In Japan, that would be like fifty million yen! They paid all
that? Out of our joint finances?! For this useless thing?!
Although the group shared a joint fund, Marie mostly managed their daily
expenses on her own. She had ensured everyone busted their butts making a
killing at the school festival, then clawed their way through multiple dungeon
runs in order to raise enough to cover their daily costs for the next year or so.
And these boys had used all of her hard-won earnings to cobble together this
piece-of-junk patchwork robot.
Marie sobbed inside her heart.
Every one of you needs a new brain! Why would you use all of our money? You
should have consulted me first! How will we pay for tuition?! For food?!
She wobbled, about to faint, and the five boys rushed over, concerned.
"Wh-why didn't you talk to me about it first?" Marie asked, trembling. She
suspected she already knew the answer.
Julius beamed. "We wanted to surprise you! Sorry, I didn't know it would be
such a shock. Just a little bit longer, Marie, and we'll beat Bartfort—with that,
we'll be rid of the last obstruction between us."
I'd rather be rid of the money problem!
***
That day, a letter of challenge arrived in my room.
"They really are idiots, aren't they?"
The sender was clearly labeled: Julius and his idiot squad. Our duel would
follow the end-of-term ceremony.
"'If we win, you will no longer interfere in our relationship with Marie,' huh?
Do these guys understand the sanctity of a duel? Do they not get that they
lost?"
"This is ridiculous," Luxion said coldly as he floated beside me. "I believe it
best you reject their demands."
I mulled it over for a moment. Were they really that desperate to be with
Marie? "No, I'll accept."
"You will?"
"If they're that desperate, I'll let them win. Their obsession with Marie just
proves they don't deserve someone like Livia. Frankly, I feel sorry for her. I
mean, Prince Julius is the biggest idiot who ever lived—he threw away Angie,
for crying out loud."
"You're just now realizing this?"
Isn't he kinda cold to his master for an AI built to serve?
"At any rate," I said, "Whatever, let them do as they please. Honestly, I don't
have the energy to get involved with Marie any more than I already have."
I had plenty else to keep me occupied. Namely, the Saint and Fanoss. If I let
the boys win, I hoped they'd leave me alone.
"There's no guarantee Marie won't interfere in the future," Luxion warned.
"Don't you think you're being a little blasé about this?"
"She reincarnated here just like me, and it's obvious she knows the game. I'm
sure she understands that the kingdom will sink if Livia doesn't become the
Saint. I doubt she'll meddle any more than she already has."
"If you're certain."
I had already defeated the Black Knight, our strongest enemy. Fanoss's
ultimate weapon was the Magic Flute, which Holfort Kingdom now possessed. I
would stay alert, sure, but I had every reason to believe we had nothing else to
worry about.
So why did I feel so on edge?
"Won't Angelica be upset?" Luxion asked.
"I'll convince her that we should leave them to their own devices. Although if
she's still mad about Julius, I guess I'll just have to beat them again."
"You really are flippant."
I shrugged. "Angie's feelings outweigh theirs. I can't help it."
With that, I stepped out to find Prince Julius and his gang to deliver my reply.
***
Enthusiasm gripped the academy in the wake of the end-of-term ceremony.
Students and teachers alike gathered in the arena. The circular stadium filled
with girls cheering for Prince Julius and the other high lords.
"Prince Julius and his friends worked hard to beat that scumbag!"
"Yeah, I heard they met up night after night to work on their Armor for this
match."
"N-night after night?" Livia turned to Angie, worried her friend might act out
in anger. "Um, Angie…"
"Hm?" Strangely, Angie seemed perfectly composed. "Oh, don't worry. Leon
already explained the circumstances to me. I understand why he plans to lose
to them. I have no complaints."
"Really?"
"I would like to give His Highness a piece of my mind, though to be honest… I
know this sounds mean, but my feelings for him have faded—perhaps
completely. In any case, Leon's far more wrapped up in their mess than he ever
needed to be, and I feel guilty for having played a part in involving him."
"Will Leon be able to attend the award ceremony tomorrow after this? I just
hope he doesn't get hurt…"
The students in the audience grew ever more heated with excitement.
Everyone loved this comeback story: even after Leon trounced the four high
lords and the prince in their last duel, the five friends had come together for the
sole purpose of fashioning an armor for a rematch. The romance of it all had
everyone on the edge of their seats.
"It's amazing they decided to challenge him again after that loss."
"Yeah, I'm sure they'll win this time!"
"I'm cheering for the prince and his friends!"
In the students' eyes, Julius and the high lords were heroes. When Leon—the
villain—appeared in the sky and dropped down into the arena, he was met by a
chorus of boos.
Angie smiled bitterly. "A bit ironic that they all hate this knight who will carve
his name into history."
"History? Really? Why do you say that?" Livia asked over the din.
Angie only laughed and shook her head. "Don't worry about it. Come on, we
should cheer for him, even if no one else will."
"Okay!"
And so, though alone, the two girls applauded and whistled for Leon.
***
Just as Arroganz landed in the ring, Greg clambered inside the cockpit of the
Armor they'd collectively constructed. He turned to his friends for a final check.
"You guys sure you want me at the helm?"
Brad nodded, his expression earnest. "I hate to admit it, but I couldn't beat
him. I have faith in your abilities."
Greg grinned.
"Sword fighting is all I've ever known, and yet I still wouldn't stand a chance,"
said Chris. "Greg, I leave this in your hands."
Jilk, hand outstretched, ghosted his fingers over the green portion of the suit.
"You carry all our emotions with you."
Julius nodded. "You have the best chance of winning, Greg. Now go out there
and beat Bartfort!"
"Roger that!"
Applause rained down from the crowd, moved by their show of friendship.
Greg closed the hatch to the cockpit. His friends' emotions welled in his chest.
In fact, those emotions seemed to reach the Armor itself—the entire thing
heated up as if fueled by the fervor of their feelings.
"You must be excited, too. We're going to show them our determination.
Come on, partner!" Greg turned to face Arroganz. "Bartfort, here we go! This is
the true power of friendship!"
***
Meanwhile, I sat inside Arroganz, stroking my chin. "How best to lose?
Hmm…"
The way I heard it, the five love interests had performed maintenance on that
Armor of theirs night after night. However, for all they'd come together to fund
its repairs and pitched in to do the work themselves… Well, to put it nicely, the
flaws in the suit were readily apparent.
Supposedly, they had hired a professional to finish the work and bring it all
together, as well as to increase its performance. All for the purpose of beating
me.
They've done well. Nothing wrong with that kind of youthful optimism. They
had really put on a show for the fangirls in the crowd.
"What a refreshing show of friendship," said Luxion. "Meanwhile, you bound
your friends to you with contractual obligation. You really are a scoundrel."
"The bozo brigade sure does like showing off. Anyway, I got Angie's approval,
so I guess it's time to lose."
The referee came out to announce the start of the match, and we were off.
Greg flew toward me, and I parried his spear with my blade. His speed and
power far surpassed the last time we'd fought. This patchwork Armor's
performance beat out any of their individual suits.
"Spear in his right hand and a rifle in the left—he really is thinking better."
The show of force impressed me, I admit.
Slowly, as we continued to clash, Greg managed to push back Arroganz.
I switched the microphone on. "You guys really pushed yourselves to the
limit."
"If it means beatin' you, this is nothing! Come at me, Bartfort! Don't hold
back!"
"Ahh, this passion. So this is true zeal, huh?" I cackled.
In truth, I envied how earnestly they'd gone about all this. I switched the
microphone off, mumbling to myself. Their fervor almost blinded me.
Suddenly, Luxion sounded the alarm. "Master, tell Greg to exit that suit
immediately. His Armor is on the brink of exploding."
"What? You're kidding me!"
"I'm afraid not. The suit's temperature is unusually high, likely due to
haphazard construction. Honestly, it's a miracle the thing moves at all. Its
performance hasn't truly improved—it's simply going berserk."
"Hey, Greg," I shouted, hurriedly flipping communications back on,
"something's wrong with your Armor! You gotta eject! Now!"
"Ha! Playing tricks again, Bartfort? Well, it won't work! As if I'd let you fool
me. You must realize you're about to lose!" Greg crowed.
His Armor moved with incredible speed and dexterity. I couldn't believe the
level of performance, but it terrified me now that I realized it was out of
control.
"You have to stop this match!" I howled at the referee. "His Armor's
malfunctioning!"
"Bartfort, shame on you." The ref shook their head. "Take their sincerity
seriously. Be a man and fight."
"Cut the crap! Who cares about sincerity? Why don't you start taking me
seriously, huh?!"
Maybe the ref thought I was blowing smoke up their ass because they'd
noticed I wasn't in it to win it. Either way, now it just looked like I'd been
backed into a corner. My own plan to lose was biting me in the butt.
But I'm not lying!
Luxion switched off the microphone so our conversation couldn't be heard
outside of the cockpit. "You dug your own grave, as they say," he said. "It seems
the role of loathsome villain has had some consequences. I finished analyzing
his suit, by the way. If we act quickly, we can destroy it before it explodes."
"You must be joking."
Demolish the culmination of all their efforts? Even I had too much conscience
to do something like that!
"I-I can't. I mean, they put so much work into that thing. I'd have to be some
kind of demon to ruin it!"
It was a labor of love—like if five friends had taken their summer break to
build a human-powered aircraft. They had stayed up late into the night to work
on it, fighting amongst themselves and making memories. It didn't matter if the
outcome was clumsy and amateur, or how little fundamental value it had. To
Julius and his friends, this Armor was a treasure. Even I, when told to trash the
thing, lacked the perversion to say, Woo-hoo, let's do it!
"Then would you prefer to watch as Greg dies in a fiery explosion?" Luxion
countered.
I'd told Greg to go die numerous times in my head. But come on, I didn't
actually want him to kick the bucket!
I latched onto Greg's Armor with Arroganz's left hand. He flailed, trying to
escape me.
"Get out of there now!" I shouted. "I'm begging you!"
"You're still going on about that?! No! I haven't lost to you yet!"
"I'm serious! It really is dangerous!"
"You aren't gonna fool me anymore! I remember you're a cheat, you know!"
Ugh—I'd told Greg and Brad that I'd cheated them at cards that time on the
Partner. Evidently that was coming back to haunt me, too. They had no reason
to trust my word.
"Grow up a little!" I barked. "You got conned!"
The "pro" they had hired to fix their Armor was obviously a scammer who'd
thrown their salvage together willy-nilly without regard for safety. This was the
problem with spoiled rich kids! They knew nothing about the world! Everyone
else had always looked out for them.
You need a healthy dose of skepticism to survive out here!
"Get away from him!" Prince Julius continued to cheer Greg on. "That arm of
his is dangerous!"
Even Jilk dropped his usual composure to raise his voice. "Shed some of your
armor plating if you have to! Either way, get out of there!"
"He can't," said Brad. "We removed the mechanism that allows you to purge
individual parts. Greg, just do whatever you can to get away!"
"Greeeeeg!" Chris cupped his hands around his mouth to shout. "Show us
what you're made of!"
Oh, come on! You're supposed to be the cool, quiet character! Cool your jets
and cheer in silence!
"Well, if Chris is being that obnoxious, I better give this all I've got. Here goes
nothin'!" Encouraged by his friends' support, Greg tried to rip himself out of
Arroganz's grip. His berserk suit was only getting stronger, but fortunately, my
Armor was powerful enough to keep him locked in place—for now.
"Master, we haven't much time left."
"Every last one of you sucks for making me do this!" I dropped my gaze,
fingers trembling as I pulled the trigger on a control.
"Impact," Luxion said—in an uncomfortably casual tone, might I add.
The plating on Arroganz's left arm expanded, and light poured out. The blast
shot through Greg's Armor, sending the pieces scattering. Greg lost
consciousness, falling to the ground amid the rubble—safe, thankfully.
Good thing Arroganz had the ability to destroy Armor. Otherwise I might have
been looking down at an oven-roasted Greg.
"I hate this," I mumbled.
"Good work, Master. Those five truly are formidable in their own way."
The arena fell silent.
I may have been the one to pull the trigger, but I definitely hadn't pulled the
crowd's heartstrings. They were all disgusted with me.
After a long pause, I heard Marie shriek.
***
"Nooo! My dia! My entire savings!" Marie screamed in despair, both hands on
her head. Kyle stood beside her, hands over his ears to block out her shrill
screech.
Marie couldn't keep quiet even if she'd wanted to. The boys' Armor was in
tiny pieces. Nothing of any discernible form remained; all possibility of salvaging
the scraps had disappeared in a puff of smoke. It really had been a ridiculously
expensive piece of junk.
"Tsk, tsk." Kyle shook his head. "Bartfort really blew that thing to
smithereens. It's probably beyond repair, right?"
Marie, pale as a sheet, slumped to the floor, her body twitching occasionally.
Panicked, Kyle dropped down beside her. "Mistress, are you all right?!"
"This is a dream," she mumbled, continuing to tremble. "That's right. In
reality, I'm surrounded by the boys, and we're celebrating for no apparent
reason. They say something corny and sweet like, 'We're commemorating your
smile today!' and shower me with presents. They don't brag about any stupid
Armor or anything of the sort. That dumb background character, Leon, doesn't
actually destroy it. Because if he did, we couldn't sell it. My fifty thousand dia—
my livelihood… I don't want to be in debt… Yes, it's a dream. It has to be. I'm
still in bed, having a nightmare."
"No, this is definitely reality," Kyle said. "Stop with the daydreams and open
your eyes, please."
Leon had effectively wiped out every last drop of Marie's savings. How could
she possibly bring herself to face reality again?
In a way, the duel emotionally destroyed both Leon and Marie.
***
Nobles from Redgrave House's rival faction gathered in a meeting room at the
palace. The nobles gossiped among themselves.
"Did you hear? The prince and the other lordlings lost to that upstart again."
"Thank goodness Julius isn't the crown prince anymore."
"That upstart is still an eyesore. I heard rumor that the queen took a liking to
him—tell me that isn't true."
The marquess—the man who led this faction—scrutinized the gathered
nobles. He alone refused to gossip about the results of the second duel. Every
last one of you underestimates that boy.
As he kept silent, someone said, "Shouldn't we just leave the upstart to his
own devices? Seems to me he's only a guard dog desperate to brownnose
Redgrave House. Or perhaps he's a mad dog that picks fights without need or
care. We should be more concerned with the principality. For all their talk, they
lost to a bunch of students—how pathetic. Perhaps we should cut them off?"
Everyone else chuckled in agreement, but the marquess slammed his fist on
the table. The nobles jumped in surprise, swiveling to face him.
"We need to get rid of that brat," the marquess announced. "I don't care
how."
The people who had laughed were inclined to disagree.
"I-I don't see why we should bother with him. The principality is far more
troubling, and the queen—"
"We must crush him—by whatever means necessary! The queen's affection
for the boy is irrelevant. Right now, that brat's threat to our kingdom outweighs
any the principality could bring to bear!"
The marquess's intensity silenced the room.
We have to deal with him, the marquess thought. He defeated the
principality's vanguard by himself—with a single ship! We can't leave a Lost
Item of such power in his hands. I cannot understand why the king and queen—
and even Duke Redgrave—don't see it. We are in danger!
"Contact the principality and bring Princess Hertrude here."
A knight quickly slipped out of the room to retrieve her.
To the marquess, there would be no rest, no peace, until Leon had been dealt
with.