.
I came to the harbor at night. The place was very noisy when I arrived.
When I reached the place where Einhorn was anchored, there were a lot of people there boarding it as they pleased.
There was a crest on the hull emitting a faint light.
Was that the sacred tree’s crest?
Marie and others who had arrived earlier approached me while I was looking up at it.
All of them were present here. They were making apologetic faces toward me.
「I-I’m sorry. Actually──」
Marie’s face was looking pale and her body was trembling. She tried to explain how things got this way but I stopped her.
「I already heard from Chris. I’m amazed that you guys were able to gamble using other person’s possession.」
「No! It was because of those guys-」
Julius objected in Marie’s place, but I turned my gaze toward the man who was walking out from Einhorn.
That man was Pierre.
He had purple color just like Brad, but compared to him this man lacked any refinement.
「So you’re this ship’s previous owner.」
「Previous?」
The men who were boarding Einhorn must be Pierre’s lackeys.
They were looking down at us from the deck while drinking alcohol and laughing.
「Is he coming to take back this ship~」
「There is no way he can」
「You guys will die if you against the sacred tree.」
It irritated me seeing those guys doing as they pleased with other person’s airship.
Pierre brought his face closer to me.
「This ship now belongs to this great Pierre-sama. You see that crest over there? That’s the proof that the sacred tree recognized this ship as mine. The sacred tree won’t just stay quiet if you try taking it back. Want to give it a try?」
I wanted to see it myself just what would happen if I tried, but I refrained for now.
「I give up already after seeing your attitude, but I guess I’ll try asking just in case. I want you to give it back.」
In respond Pierre spat at me.
Pierre’s saliva hit my cheek. It was disgusting.
「How about no.」
「Is that so?」
「At first I didn’t have any expectation for this ship. I considered destroying it right in front of you guys. But, this ship is fitting for this Pierre-sama. The armor is also quiet powerful even though it got a lame appearance. I’m going to make use of it.」
It seemed he had also investigated about Arroganz.
This guy worked fast.
Then Luxion who was floating around my right shoulder moved to Pierre’s left shoulder without saying anything. It then turned its red lens toward me.
Pierre was even more surprised than me.
「What is this thing?」
『It’s an honor to meet you. I am Luxion──the one who is managing this Einhorn. Einhorn’s ownership has changed hand, so my master has also been changed. I’m looking forward to serve you from here on.』
「──Luxion」
Luxion averted its red lens from my glare.
Marie who was watching the exchange just now fell into confusion.
「W-wait a second! Your owner is Leon isn’t it!?」
Luxion replied indifferently.
『It was until just now. But, from now this person is my new owner.』
「N-no way」
Pierre too somehow guessed what was going on after seeing Marie’s dejected look.
He placed his hand on Luxion and laughed.
「I’m surprised but, so that’s how it is. This thing is a type of familiar that is managing this airship. No wonder there isn’t any sign of crew inside even though it’s a ship this big.」
『──Yes. There won’t be any need for crew with me here.』
「Awesome! I’m liking it more and more.」
Pierre laughed at me in a good mood.
「How’s that? How does it feel to have not just your ship but even your familiar taken away? If you’ve learned your lesson then leave and never come back anymore to Alzer. Well, if you don’t like it and want to take your ship back──this Pierre-sama will take you on anytime.」
The commonwealth was undefeated in defensive battle.
Pierre too wasn’t saying that as a mere bluff. He was seriously not minding even if it became a war against the kingdom.
I’m completely fed up.
「Then how about we fight over my ship right away?」
Pierre rejected my offer.
「You think I’m going to make a bet with someone like you who have nothing? Come again when you have something as good as this ship. I’ll accept your challenge if you do that. Though it’ll be impossible for me to lose no matter what you do.」
I wiped the spit on my cheek and turned my back toward Pierre before walking out of the harbor.
「Don’t forget those words.」
「Yeah, I’ll take you on anywhere anytime if you can prepare something as good as this ship.」
‘Kehya kehya’ Pierre let out a strange laugh. This guy really was a villain to the core.
Marie and others followed behind me.
Now then, what to do now?
.
Marie sat on her knees on the floor when they arrived back home.
She couldn’t stop letting out cold sweat. She also couldn’t raise her face.
Leon was walking in circles with deliberate slowness around her.
「In other words you were unable to stop Julius from carelessly accepting the match.」
「──I’m shorry」
She fumbled her words.
But, it was a trivial matter.
What was important right now was the fact that Leon was enraged.
Marie and Leon were siblings at their past life.
Because of that Marie knew where was the line that must not be crossed to keep Leon from getting truly angry.
At the past life she was also taking advantage of him while being careful to stop right before she crossed the line.
Because as long as she didn’t cross the line Leon would spoil her.
She also knew that when Leon was seriously angry, he wouldn’t blow up. Instead he would calmly corner his opponent.
There was this incident that happened in her past life.
When he was an elementary school student, Leon once became a target for bullying by the naughty brats in his class.
Marie only learned about this incident long after it ended.
At that time she still thought 「Controlling big bro is really easy」, but the story that she heard from her mother appalled her.
There were three kids who bullied Leon, but apparently he did something that caused the three of them to transfer to another school.
Before they transferred, the leader of the three kids came to Leon’s home while crying to complain, but Leon was only smiling at the kid.
It seemed Leon said 「Do your best at your new school」 to the kid. It made the kid ran home while crying.
The man who made his bullies changed school──that was Leon.
He was still at elementary school at that time. Marie couldn’t even imagine what in the world he did that it resulted in something like that.
She remembered how she swore to absolutely never angered her big brother when she was in middle school.
Yes──Leon was a man who would be thorough when he decided to do something.
「Oath to the sacred tree is it? I never heard you mentioning it before. Perhaps it was me who simply forgot it? Isn’t this something that is really important?」
Marie couldn’t stop trembling under Leon’s interrogation.
「I forgot about it until today. It’s my fault.」
「Is that so? So you forgot to tell me. ──That’s truly unfortunate, Marie-san.」
She wanted to cry but she held it back.
(Do, don’t cry no matter what. Big bro really hate crying woman, so you will only offend him if you cry here.)
Marie desperately held back from crying while lowering her head.
She performed a kowtow.
To be honest, this was all Pierre’s fault. She wished that Leon would also hear what they had to say in their defense. But making excuse would only backfire on her when Leon was genuinely angry like this.
There was one more important thing to consider. Leon had experienced going to war.
Marie was scared by that fact.
(I once saw in TV that once someone used gun, their trigger finger will get lighter!)
The knowledge from her past life was telling her that Leon right now would even take her life if he decided to do so.
(PIERRE YOU STUPID BASTARDDDDD! WHY ARE YOU ANGERING MY BIG BROOOO! He also called me “Marie-san” just now, he’s treating me like a stranger)
「Please forgive me. I’ll do anything!」
「What a wonderful spirit. Then I shall have you display your sincerity. But before that, just go and heal Brad already.」
Brad was laid down on his bed after he had been given first aid treatment.
Marie stood up straight and saluted before running away from the room.
「I’m truly sorry! Please excuse me!」
Marie escaped out of the room and ran while wiping her tears.
(This is baddddd! At this rate my second life is going to be over with big bro killing me. Or perhaps it will be over with big bro abandoning me! I don’t want thatttttt!!)
For the first time in a while Marie’s brain was working in full capacity for a way to survive through this situation.
.
「──Perhaps I threatened her too much.」
They wagered my ship without asking and allowed Pierre to do as he pleased.
I lightly vented my displeasure from that to Marie, but it seemed to be effective enough.
Well, it like this matter was completely her fault.
Watching her made me even felt like she was too pitiful, so I’d forgive her this time with just this.
「Now then, the problem here is Pierre. But still, why was he causing trouble with us?」
It was troublesome because Pierre was a key character for a major event.
I never even considered that he would make a move on us.
I thought he would make trouble with the main character, so I only focused on Noelle and Lelia. Now it came back to bite me in the ass.
「Einhorn got taken away and Luxion is also switching side.」
It was painful that I couldn’t predict what Pierre would do now.
Would he make trouble with the main character just like in the game, or had the game scenario gone out of whack already?
Life just wouldn’t go as we wanted it.
「──Even so that Luxion, could it be that he was actually really angry?」
When he switched side from me to Pierre, I couldn’t shake the feeling that he was angry.
Was it just my imagination?
.
The next day, Noelle found the classroom’s atmosphere was strange when she came to the academy.
「Morning~」
She made her greeting but no reply came.
Far from that, her classmates were averting their gazes from her.
「Eh, what?」
Noelle was shaken, but she noticed another strange thing.
「Eh? Why is there fewer desks?」
The desks and chairs filling the classroom. Some of them were removed so now there were two empty spots inside the class.
Those spots were where Leon and Brad were sitting before.
Her gaze scanned the inside of the classroom. Most of her classmates were looking down awkwardly.
In addition she also couldn’t find Leon and Brad.
「──What’s going on?」
Noelle approached a female friend nearby, but the girl started to fidget and her gaze wandered around suspiciously.
「Did something happen?」
「E-err」
The girl looked troubled. It was a boy who Noelle was close with who gave an explanation in her place.
「The overseas students got into a quarrel with a noble. Since the morning there were rumors going around that they had been thoroughly stamped out. Noelle, you were going to be targeted too. Just what have you done?」
「W-why are you asking me!? I haven’t done anything! Forget that, are you guys going to obediently follow the words of that kind of guys!?」
Her classmates averted their gazes from her.
The six great nobles’ standing was absolute in the commonwealth.
The nobles who were chosen by the sacred tree didn’t only have influence, they could also use a part of the sacred tree’s power.
They would become unable to live in this country if they defied the nobles.
Noelle immediately ran out of the classroom.
However she bumped onto Loic who was waiting for her in the corridor.
「Good morning, Noelle.」
Loic greeted her with a smile. Noelle felt a chill seeing him in this morning.
「──Loic, you」
「Do you feel like accepting my love now?」
There was no doubt that this guy was involved with the situation inside the classroom.
(This guy, will go this far? Also, why is he carrying a collar with him?)
Loic was showing her a refreshing smile, but his hands were holding a chain and a collar for some reason.
「Isn’t this collar pretty? This will be the proof of our love. If you’re going to run away from me, then I have no choice except tying you down with this thing so you can’t run away anywhere.」
(He is lying right? What’s with this guy)
It was a scene straight from horror movie right in the morning. Noelle immediately ran away from Loic.
Loic didn’t chase after her.
「Soon you will learn the reality and come back to me. I’m looking forward to that, Noelle.」
Noelle’s brain couldn’t comprehend what was going on.
But there was only one thing that she knew. It would be bad if she didn’t run away form here. Noelle’s danger sense was blaring loudly inside her.
(This is bad. That guy right now is really a bad news. I need to do something, if not──)
Noelle went to ask for help──form his little sister Lelia.
.
Around the time such trouble was happening in the academy.
There was also a commotion occurring in the harbor.
「WOOOOHOOOO!」
Pierre was piloting Arroganz to fly around through the airships that were coming and going from the harbor.
The armor flew past with great speed right beside the airships. The shockwave from that movement shook the ships’ hulls.
The crews and passengers on the ships’ decks were panicked by the shaking. Pierre opened his mouth wide and laughed seeing that.
「This thing is awesomee! It got lame appearance, but its power and speed are the best!」
Luxion’s voice sounded inside Arroganz’s cockpit.
『It’s good to know that Pierre-sama is having fun.』
「Oi, one eye. Tell me more about this armor. Is there any more interesting thing it can do?」
He had been testing Einhorn and Arroganz’s performance since early in the morning. The result brought Pierre good mood which drove him to rampage wildly in the harbor.
『However, the guards are heading this way right now.』
「There ain’t no way those small fries are going to against this me! The great Pierre-sama of Faiviel House. I’ll tear them apart if they got any complaint.」
『I see. So a member of the six great nobles has stronger influence than even government official.』
「Don’t ask me about something so obvious. More importantly, this thing made me badly want to try it in real combat. Isn’t there a handy enemy somewhere that I can use to test this baby?」
『In that case, I believe Hohlfahrt Kingdom will be appropriate.』
「What. Do you want to kill your previous owner? You’re also a bad guy huh.」
『──Perhaps that is true.』
「But, Hohlfahrt Kingdom is quite big. It’s just the right opponent for me to rack achievements. Should I send them the head of their prince to provoke them?」
『Is Pierre-sama planning to create a situation where the kingdom will be forced to attack so it will turn into a defensive battle for the commonwealth?』
「They will come here on their own if I provoke them. This place is Alzer. There won’t be any chance for us to lose as long as the sacred tree’s divine protection is with us.」
Pierre looked like he was having fun. He continued talking boastfully without watching what he said.
『──I see. I understand. In that case, perhaps it will be better to target someone else.』
「Aa?」
『Leon Fou Bartfalt──he is a hero in Hohlfahrt Kingdom. If Pierre-sama take his head, not only it will become an achievement for Pierre-sama, the kingdom also won’t be able to stay quiet. Leon’s fiancée is a daughter of a duke in the kingdom. The royal family won’t be able to stay quiet too.』
「Hee~, that’s great. Killing that hero and taking his fiancée is going to be interesting.」
Pierre’s thinking was vulgar to the extreme.
『Yes, Leon should become a good target.』
Like that Luxion was guiding Pierre to target Leon.
.
At the embassy of Hohlfahrt Kingdom.
Marie came there in the morning to report what the commonwealth had done to them, but the reaction of the staffs there was unfavorable.
「A protest! Let’s lodge a formal protest! This act is completely unjust and oppressive!」
The reason Marie was protesting this strongly was also as an appeal to Leon.
She was also simply aiming to appeal to the country to solve this problem for them.
But, the staff who was dealing with her gave an unexpected reply.
「I’m very sorry. We will report this to back home, but I don’t think it will bring the result that Marie-dono is wishing for.」
「Why!? I just want them to return Einhorn back!」
That was the only thing she need. She would be able to somehow vindicate herself to Leon with that.
Conversely Leon would stay angry with her as long as that didn’t happen.
Leon would keep calling her ‘Marie-san’ as though she was a stranger.
「Currently the kingdom is importing magic stones in great amount from Alzer Commonwealth.」
「──Ah!」
Marie recalled her talk with Leon and Luxion before arriving in the commonwealth. Alzer was a strong country with abundant resource that could export magic stones. Even Hohlfahrt Kingdom would want to avoid getting into conflict with such country.
Furthermore the commonwealth was also a militarily powerful enemy that was undefeated in defensive battle.
「We will lodge a complaint to the commonwealth. We will also report this back to the kingdom. But I don’t think that the commonwealth will treat it seriously.
「Why~!」
Marie felt like crying.
Julius was accompanying her here. He took over the talk with the staff.
「Can’t you do something? No matter how you look at it, they have gone too far.」
「──Your highness, this is the commonwealth. Nevertheless, to think that you will be targeted by Faiviel House.」
「Is that house’s reputation really that bad?」
「They are the worst house among the six great nobles.」
Marie was anxious at the inside.
(W-what now? At this rate big bro will really abandon me for real!)
Marie immediately planned her next move after finding out that it would be pointless even if she complained to the embassy.
.
At the academy.
Lelia was in a bad mood because Noelle was calling for her right from the morning. She didn’t even try to hide it from her expression.
「Why do I have to skip the first period like this?」
「So, sorry. But, the situation is really bad so I want to ask you for help.」
They were twin sisters, but their personality was completely different.
If Noelle was a frank and lively girl, Lelia was a composed and intellectual girl.
Lelia let out a long sigh and listened to Noelle while folding her arms.
「What did you do?」
「It wasn’t me! Pierre is trying to chase out Leon and the other overseas students. What’s more it looks like Loic is also lending him a hand. He was telling me various scary things in the morning.」
Noelle was also in confusion right now. She couldn’t explain herself well.
Lelia wasn’t showing any concern in her face.
「I know about the matter with Pierre. But putting that aside, big sis just need to go out already with Loic to avoid all these troubles.」
「──I told you already before. I hate the current him. This is because you are instigating him.」
「Do you want to say that this is my fault? It was you big sis who said that you don’t dislike him, so I gave him advise how to get along with big sis. There shouldn’t be any problem. He has a nice face, what’s more he is a heir of a great noble house.」
「I won’t fall in love with someone for those kinds of things!」
In the past Loic was kinder. Noelle didn’t hate him then.
But, without her noticing it his desire to monopolize her grew stronger. He would interfere with everything that Noelle was doing.
It was Lelia who was giving Loic a push on the back.
「Those kinds of things? Do you want to talk about childish things like love or whatever? Grow up already.」
They were twins but their way of thinking was different.
Noelle was unable to accept this part of Lelia.
「──Anyway, I hate Loic.」
「Ah, is that so. Even so I wish that big sis won’t inconvenient me. I’m also busy here with my own things.」
「S-sorry. But this time the danger is really real. Help me here.」
Noelle felt that she was in danger after meeting Loic in the morning. She hugged herself in fear.
But even seeing Noelle like that, Lelia did nothing except watching her with a cold gaze.
「You only need to go out with Loic to make the trouble go away. You’ll be able to help those overseas students too by doing that.」
「Lelia, you aren’t listening to what I’m saying!」
Lelia turned around to leave. Noelle clung to her arms, but Lelia shook her off.
「Kyah!」
Lelia was looking down on Noelle who fell down on her rear.
「You’re really a bother big sis. I told you I’m busy right now. I’ll try talking with Emile about Pierre, but solve the matter of Loic by yourself.」
Noelle watched Lelia leaving and looked down.
「──Just what should I do」
.
At night.
When I returned home from shopping, I found a girl sitting in front of the house.
A situation where there was a girl in front of my residence at night──wasn’t the first time for me.
I had experienced this before with my little sister in the past life.
That Marie, in the past life she played around too much and didn’t have any money to go home, so she was waiting until I returned home by sitting in front of my apartment.
──It was damn scary.
Now then, I could guess who was waiting for me by looking at the hair color of the girl sitting there.
「It’s pretty late already, what’s wrong?」
Noelle lifted up her face.
「Sorry. I don’t want to go home today.」
There wasn’t any liveliness inside her smile. It was pretty clear that she was forcing herself to smile.
「Come inside.」
「Sorry. I’m really sorry. I came here even though you yourself must have a lot of trouble right now.」
Looks like she knew about our situation.
「How was the situation in the academy?」
Noelle scratched her head with her right hand and laughed while telling me.
「It was the worst there.」
「I see.」
I entered inside with my shopping bag in hand. Then I took care of Noelle-chan.
.
Noelle was patting Noelle-chan.
I asked her about a lot of things while she was doing that, but there were a lot of differences in her story from the story that I heard from Marie.
Loic’s attitude and words were really unthinkable for a capture target.
In addition Pierre was making trouble for us instead of the main character.
Noelle was getting cornered by Loic while on the contrary Lelia was getting protected by Emile.
──I can’t pinpoint who is the main character like this.
I tidied up the table and wrote a letter on it. Noelle was watching me.
「What are you doing?」
「I’m writing letter to back home. I’ll also have to send souvenir back soon, if not my family will become annoying. I have to report back about what happened recently too.」
I needed to report to that shitty bastard Roland that the commonwealth was picking a fight with me.
I really wanted to see just what kind of face he would make when he read my report.
I was writing several letters excitedly.
「Sorry, you’re going through something like this even though you came here for studying abroad.」
Noelle apologized to me. I told her 「It’s fine」. In the first place it was me who decided to come here. I came in order to nip a future worry in the bud.
She didn’t need to apologize to me──it wasn’t her fault.
「Are you and the others going to go back to your country?」
「There is also our honor to consider. I don’t think I’ll be able to return until I take back my airship from Pierre.」
「──It’s impossible. You won’t be able to take it back easily after the oath to sacred tree has come into play like this.」
「You know a lot.」
「W-well, just so-so.」
I looked at Noelle who hurriedly try to gloss over her knowledge while considering my plan from here on.
「Unfortunately although I look like this but I also have a standing. It will become a problem if I run home with my tail between my legs. Also, I need to collect a considerable compensation from the commonwealth that won’t apologize even after their noble went that far.」
I was planning to bear with things to some degree, but Pierre had crossed the line.
As expected even I would get a bit angry after something like that.
「Are you serious?」
Noelle asked me in surprise. I nodded to her.
「The problem is how to drag Pierre into the duel stage. Is there any treasure, one so extraordinary that guy would leap to it even if it’s in front of everyone’s eyes?」
Noelle looked slightly turned off.
「I heard that the people of Hohlfahrt is brave, but this far exceeded my imagination. To think that you still want to try challenging Pierre even after what he had done to you. He has the sacred tree’s divine protection you know?」
「That doesn’t matter.」
Alzer Commonwealth’s legend of invincibility, it was clearly related with the sacred tree. That was our hypothesis.
In fact that hypothesis was correct.
「Well, right now I will take my time forming a plan leisurely. Noelle, you can also stay here as long as you like.」
「──Eh?」
Noelle made a surprised face. I looked at her while waving my hand nonchalantly.
「No worry. I won’t do anything strange to you. You can’t return home right?」
「Y-yeah.」
It seemed she got into quarrel with her little sister Lelia, but this house got some empty rooms so there wouldn’t be any problem even if she stayed here for a while.
Because now that Luxion wasn’t at my side, it would be scarier to not know where Noelle was.
.
Several days later.
There was a facility called sacred tree temple in the former Lespinasse territory. A meeting of the six great nobles was held there.
The current heads of the six great nobles were gathered there.
The unimportant agendas were taken care of by their subordinates, but there were matters that needed their permission to be carried out. They were holding a discussion about such matters today.
One of the important agendas was the matter of Pierre from Faiviel House picking a fight with Hohlfahrt Kingdom.
The acting chairman, Albergue Sara Rault was reading a written report expressionlessly.
But at the inside he was filled with disgust.
(Again. Faiviel House never learns.)
Provoking the opponent to attack into their territory was already like the specialty of Alzer Commonwealth.
The commonwealth was powerful when it came to defensive battle, so much that they wanted to make other country came attacking.
Because of that they had a history of making provocative act toward other countries over and over.
(How long are we going to continue doing something like this?)
He was utterly disgusted inside his heart.
Albergue was a man in the middle of his forties. His body was tall and well trained. It made him looked like he was still in his thirties.
He looked like a cool middle-aged man with his short hair and his suited figure.
He questioned the father of the person in question as the acting chairman.
「Lord Lambert, do you have anything to say regarding this provocative act toward Hohlfahrt Kingdom?」
In exact opposite to Albergue, the head of the problematic Faiviel House, Lambert Io Faiviel was a small and fat man.
His hair was balding. His clothes were also covered all over with too many decorations that it lacked refinement.
「My son had done something embarrassing. But, he did that also because of his wish to raise military achievements. Recently there are few countries that would attack Alzer. Shouldn’t we let this devolve into a war with Hohlfahrt Kingdom so that the youngsters can have their moment in the spotlight?」
The one who displayed displeasure to Lambert’s remark was the current head of Druille House who possessed great influence despite his youth.
He was a handsome man with short curly blond hair and green eyes. His name was Fernand Toara Druille.
He was still in his early twenties. He was the youngest one here.
「Did he pick a fight with another country for personal reason? I don’t think he understand his position as a noble.」
Fernand’s sound argument made Lambert turned his face away.
「This greenhorn. Just say it if you’re scared of war, you don’t need to come along.」
The unbroken record of their invincibility in defensive battle made the perception of the six great nobles toward war to become something lighthearted.
Because they would undoubtedly win when it came to it. It made them arrogant.
The other heads had their own stance in regard to this matter, but none of them regarded it with the importance that it deserved.
「We have a bigger problem than that aren’t we? We still haven’t obtained any orb this year.」
「It’s a waste of time to discuss a mere third rate country like Hohlfahrt.」
「Just pay them some reparations along with apology. If they’re still complaining even after that then we can just shut them up with war.」
The other heads wanted to move to the next topic, but Albergue’s gaze caught a name that was written in the report.
「──Leon huh.」
Fernand talked to Albergue.
「Is something the matter, acting chairman?」
「No, it’s nothing. More importantly, there is a demand to return the airship that was forcefully taken. Lord Lambert, do you have any problem with that?」
There was an implicit demand in that question to return the airship seeing as it was just a single ship, but Lambert was clearly shaken up by that.
「N-no, I’m afraid I can’t do that. It was a sacred match that was done under the oath to the sacred tree. There is no need for my son to give back an airship that he won fair and square!」
Both Albergue and Fernand were curious with Lambert’s reaction, but the other heads weren’t interested at all. Because of that they couldn’t question him further.
「Acting chairman, we don’t have much time. Let’s talk about the other agendas already.」
Loic’s father, the head of Barriere House urged Albergue to move on with it already. So Albergue decided to move on to the next topic.
(I guess it’ll be pointless to talk about this further.)
「Then, the next agenda is about the orb. This year not even one orb has──」
The matter regarding Hohlfahrt Kingdom was casually brushed off in the assembly meeting.
