Bonus time has ended; it's back to the usual update time. We start off a new year with a slow chapter.

Chapter 27: Second Trip to Albion

Agnes: "This way. Her Majesty is waiting."

I've been here many times, so I can remember the way; Agnes is probably taking us to the same room from before.

This time, aside from Louise, there are two more people with us. Kirche walks with no hesitation whatsoever.

But the other one...

"You look tense."

Mathilda: "Of course. For someone in my line of work, every cent of this whole place is a hostile ground; and this time I came already exposed. I could be hanged anytime."

Louise: "Her Majesty is not that kind of person."

Mathilda: "I wonder about that. Ms. Vallière, I don't know what kind of relationship you have with Tristain's Queen, but don't trust her or her associates too much. Even their own flesh and blood isn't exempted from their cruelty; that's how royal families are."

Kirche: "Uh, Ms. Longueville? Are you sure you should be saying that here?" Kirche tenses up a bit; her finger points at Agnes walking just a few steps ahead of us.

There's no way she didn't hear that. At this rate, someone's really going to be thrown into jail...

Mathilda: "I don't mind. It will just confirm the royalty's true colors."

The grudge sure runs deep... This feels kinda like being in the same room as Queen Mermaid with other humans present.

Normally, Louise would be arguing with that nonstop, but I guess she's holding it in because of Mathilda-san's past.

Agnes: "I have heard about the woman's opinion from Prince Wales. Whether she should be punished for that or not, until Her Majesty had given her judgment on it, I will not give my own."

Mathilda: "Hmph."

Speaking that so clearly without turning back to look; just what I'd expect of a knight.

...Thinking about it, this is pretty bizarre in a way. One is a mage who hates royalty, another is a commoner loyal to the Queen; the complete reverse of the norm.

We've arrived. Past the door Agnes opened for us is the same view of the same room; the furniture even looks the same.

The princess and Prince are seated at sofa, looking at us.

Louise: "Louise Françoise is here at your command."

Henrietta: "Thank you. And you too, Ms. Zerbst, for coming. I take it you are Ms. South Gotha."

Mathilda: "Indeed, I am Mathilda of South Gotha, Your Majesty."

Henrietta: "Please take a seat."

Four of us sit down; even me. Kirche chooses a single chair, while the rest of us sit at the sofa opposite to the princess. Agnes goes to stand behind the sofa between two royals. Everyone is settled in their places.

Henrietta: "I have heard of what happened from Prince Wales, but I would still like you to confirm it for me, Ms. South Gotha."

Mathilda: "A word, if I may, Your Majesty. I have no present tie to that place anymore; please call me by my name or Fouquet, whichever pleases you."

You want her to call you by a thief's name?

Henrietta: "Then, Ms. Mathilda, may I confirm with you a few facts?"

Mathilda: "I will answer the best I can."

Henrietta: "First, the abduction of Prince Wales, the current government of Albion was your employer for this job, was it not?"

Mathilda: "They claimed to be so. It was while I came into the city for a business; an unnamed man approached me, and identified me as Mathilda of South Gotha. There are three things I remember about him: his tall and lean stature, long grayish hair, and a mask. He claimed to have come in the name of the Emperor Oliver Cromwell, offered me the job, and even gave me data about the security of this Royal Palace. The data was quite accurate."

Wait, that description...

Louise: "Wardes! That must have been Wardes, Princess!"

Henrietta: "Are you sure, Louise Françoise?"

Louise: "I am quite sure of it. On the mission to retrieve the letter, Wardes used a spell to create a body double to act the part of an assailant. The body double looked just like the description."

Henrietta: "Wardes would naturally know about our security. The probability is high."

Mathilda: "Excuse me for asking, but this Wardes is?"

Henrietta: "He used to be a captain of one of my royal guard squad. He defected to Reconquista at an unknown point of time before the rebellion succeeded."

Mathilda: "So even your own guard betrayed you. That shows just what people truly think of the royal family, is that not the case? Your Majesty should be careful not to get caught off guard by the second one and more."

Henrietta: "It is as you say. Wardes's betrayal came as quite a surprise. That is why I can only entrust sensitive information to a select few."

Uh, wasn't that a bit too out of line? It's like she's deliberately trying to provoke them...

Henrietta: "Next. Prince of Maud took in an elf as his mistress, and they had a daughter together, who is residing in Albion in the present. That was what you said, was it not?"

Mathilda: "That I did."

The topic changed, and their expressions are flat again. They must be very used to doing this.

Henrietta: "What can you tell us about the daughter?"

Mathilda: "You wish to ascertain whether I was lying, I see."

Maybe, but if she really thought so wouldn't it be better to not let the princess know she knows?

Mathilda: "That girl is an elf; her name is Tiffania, seventeen years old. She has golden hair and long ears; the typical features of elves. She has gentle personality, but lacks interactions with people. Right now, she lives in a village in the middle of the woods with a group of orphans. She is the oldest among them, so she usually acts as their guardian, taking care of them."

That's what she told us last time on Nerian's back too. I never thought she was lying in the first place, but Louise said she was still half in doubt about the fact that a human would willingly have a kid with an elf. Really, just how stubborn can she be; someone who has two kids with a monster is sitting here beside her.

...I guess I have to break that to her some time later, probably after things calm down some more. Hopefully she will be more receptive of the idea of relationship between human and monster by then.

Henrietta: "She acts as their guardian; does that mean there is no adult with them?"

Mathilda: "I do not exactly live in the village, so yes, Tiffania is the oldest person there."

Henrietta: "Then, would I be right to assume that you had been stealing to support their living?"

Eh? Now that the princess mentions it...I didn't think about that at all. She said they're orphans, so I thought they're living in an orphanage...

Kirche: "A thief with a just cause; just like in a play." Kirche smirks in a teasing way.

Henrietta: "The valuables you stole, did you exchange it to money and sent them to the village, or did you bought necessities with the money and sent them those instead?"

Mathilda: "I did both. Merchants occasionally pass through, so there are some uses for money."

Henrietta: "But that also means there is always a risk that their location would be revealed."

Mathilda: "That there is."

Normal merchants wouldn't be randomly questioned, but the information could always spread around by other means.

Henrietta: "Then we should bring the elf to Tristain as soon as possible."

Oh?

Mathilda: "May I ask what you intend to do to her once she is here?"

Henrietta: "They live alone without adults, do they not. The elf might not like it if we try to bring them here alone and leave the orphans there, so I intend to take in all of them. The process will be smoother if we claim we are providing for immigrants suffering from the rebellions. We can arrange for them to be taken into orphanages."

Oh, as expected of a queen.

Mathilda: "It would be greatly appreciated, but I still have to remind you one more time that Tiffania is an elf. How would Your Majesty convince all the nobles to accept this? Can you yourself accept an elf; even that much I cannot bring myself to believe."

Mathilda-san meets eyes with the princess directly, completely serious. This elf girl must be very important to her.

Henrietta: "...In the first place, I have never believed in conflicts; and many conflicts are rooted in prejudice. So, I have decided I will not judge someone I know very little of. Right now, I only know this elf as a cousin of mine and Prince Wales."

Mathilda: "Are you trying to say you hold no prejudice against Tiffania?"

Henrietta: "...I wish I can say that with certainty, but in reality I might still hold some of that where I am not aware of. But I am ready to warn myself with the words I told you when it becomes apparent."

Mathilda: "..."

They have been like this since the start; silence before answers, like they're trying to guess the questions the other was hiding and thought up answers before they were even asked.

Mathilda: "Then first of all, Your Majesty will have to change the way you call her."

...? Ah~! I completely missed that! The princess seems to have realized it herself, but Louise must still be confused.

I've stayed here for so long that I got used to it, but the people here always refer to monsters as something alien, different from humans. They always refer to monsters using 'it' or 'them', never 'she' or 'her'.

Bad. This is really bad. I should never have gotten used to this. If this sticks with me when I go back I'm gonna be in real trouble.

Henrietta: "...I have to give you, and my cousin, my deepest apology. It is truly as you say, I still hold prejudice I have learned from the society. How we refer to something does not change its nature, but my perception earlier was quite clearly affected by our differences. I am aware of that now. It was especially callous, since I already said I consider her my cousin."

Mathilda: "Then I believe you will agree with me that words can be meaningless. Please prove them with actions."

Henrietta: "I will do so. You can leave the issue of the council to me. Though it has not been long, I have learned quite a bit of how to navigate through these matters."

Probably some political maneuvers I will never understand.

Henrietta: "As per your agreement with Lord Wales, Ms. Mathilda will be the guide to Tiffania, is that correct?"

Mathilda: "It is. As for people you will sent along with me; I wish for Ms. Vallière and her familiar to accompany us."

Thought so.

Henrietta: "I have no objection. Louise Françoise, what say you? The mission to bring my cousin from Albion, can I entrust it to you?"

There it is. And Louise's answer is obvious.

Louise: "Please leave it to me!"

There it is. In this case, I agree completely though. There's no way I can leave the matter to the people in this land. Even if Louise hadn't volunteered, I would have myself.

Henrietta: "I want to send some guards along with you, but I am afraid it will be too difficult to find suitable people in time, considering the potentially religious nature of this matter. Since we will be keeping this mission a secret, it will also be impossible to have Lord Wales or Agnes go with you."

I can understand Agnes, but why is Prince brought up? I guess Prince must've volunteered himself but the princess said no.

Henrietta: "Ms. Mathilda, as for your work as the secretary of the principal at the magic academy, please do not worry. I will arrange for an official decree to give to him. He is a trustworthy man; we will likely need his cooperation in the future."

Mathilda: "That...I am grateful. ...But are you really sure of this decision? Letting me out of Tristain...I might take this chance to escape. I can sell your information to Albion, hand Ms. Vallière to Albion as a hostage, and many more. The money will be enough to fly I, Tiffania, and the children to Germania or Gallia and set up new lives for us. You are aware of that, are you not? Or does Ms. Vallière's safety not mean much to you?"

...That last question was pretty serious. Louise tensed up visibly. The princess frowns a little.

Henrietta: "I am sure, and I place important on Louise Françoise's safety, next to only Tristain's safety and very few other things. However...this is but another of my prejudice, or bias, but I have wanted to trust you ever since I heard that you distrust royal families and nobles in general."

Mathilda: "Because...I distrust nobles and royal families...?"

Mathilda-san looks very confused. I don't get it either.

Henrietta: "Indeed. As I said, it was one of my biases; there is no real valid reason, but it is what I have decided. Moreover, I wish for ours to be an equal exchange."

Mathilda: "An equal exchange?"

Henrietta: "You are willing to entrust an important person to me; I must be willing to entrust my important person to you as well."

The princess looks at Louise.

Henrietta: "If possible, I wish for all negotiation to be on the ground of mutual trust. In reality, that will not be possible, but I still want to do everything I can to make it happen."

I guess that thought must've come from having to deal with two-faced nobles all the time; she complained about that to Louise sometimes.

Mathilda-san must've been satisfied with something in that answer, since she smiles; a small one without sarcastic air to it.

Mathilda: "You have given much trust in this lowly thief; so I will perform this task as honestly as possible of me."

Mathilda-san bows. ...That's the first respectful gesture she made to the princess since we've entered the room, isn't it?

Henrietta: "I will leave it to you. And Louise, if there is something you do not agree with, do not be afraid to speak up."

Louise: "There is not. Also, I do trust Ms. Longueville, uh, Ms. Mathilda myself."

Mathilda-san glances at Louise, but doesn't show any particular expression.

Henrietta: "Then let us talk about the specifics of the mission at hand. As you are aware, the traffic between Tristain and Albion has been completely cut off ever since the battle at Tarbes. To bring orphans of an entire village across the sky, even for the Giant Avian of Tarbes, that will not be possible. Is that correct, Luka-san?"

"Ah, yes, that would be too much." The princess called me by name? She had always referred to me formally as 'familiar'. Why the sudden change?

Henrietta: "We need a ship. However, as ships from Tristain cannot anchor in Albion's port, we will need another country to be our passage. Ms. Zerbst."

Kirche: "Since who knows when, Germanians have always do as we please. Even now, the trade with Albion is going on as it always has. And then there's the alliance between Tristain and Germania that ultimately didn't progress anywhere. Albion wouldn't be too cautious of us."

Kirche seems to have guessed this before her name was called. Her answer is definitely prepared.

Kirche: "However, I am not Your Majesty's servant. If you wish to have my assistance, I will need to ask for something in return that worth my effort."

Louise: "Zerbst!? How dare you demand reward from Her Majesty!"

Even I thought that was a bit risky. As far as I know, most queens don't mind these things, but people around them do.

Henrietta: "Germanian nobles are comparably more wealthy than us, but if there is something I can give you, I will gladly do so."

Kirche: "What I am looking for is not valuables, but information."

Henrietta: "Information?"

Kirche: "Magic potions that affect a person's mind, or break it, whether unconventional or outright forbidden, and their cure."

Potion...? What is this about?

Henrietta: "Can I ask what your intention with the information is?"

Kirche: "You can, but I probably will not answer."

Louise: "Zerbst..." Louise says with a sigh. She's probably too tired to care much anymore.

Henrietta: "I will have people look in the royal library, research institute, and other sources under my authority. It will take time. Will that be all right?"

Kirche: "I will appreciate it if it does not take longer than a few months."

Henrietta: "I will arrange for it. Do you have some criteria for the search?"

Kirche: "Well...The potion wa—should be effective when drunk. That is all."

Henrietta: "I cannot promise that we will have the information you want, but I will have exhausted the entire collection before saying otherwise."

Kirche: "I do not dare hope for more."

Kirche finished her piece. Mathilda-san doesn't seem like she has more to say. There's only Louise still looking at the princess with a glum expression.

Louise: "Princess...I am truly sorry for the disrespect."

Henrietta: "It is fine, Louise Françoise. Compare to those who try to fool me with their masks, this is unquestionably preferable."

Prince who has been quiet all this discussion suddenly moves, turning to speak to us.

Wales: "As you will be traveling into Germania before getting up a ship, you cannot bring the giant avian with you, as it stands out too much. We do not know how many spies Albion has planted in Tristain and Germania."

Louise: "What should we do?"

Wales: "You will need to disguise yourselves. I had been hesitating between a few choices, but with what Lady Mathilda just told us, I have reached an answer. I believe the guise of a traveling merchant and her entourages will be the best."

Louise: "A traveling merchant?"

Wales: "Since, according to Lady Mathilda, merchants occasionally travel into the village, you can blend in as one."

That's true...but maybe it doesn't make much different; if the village is really as unimportant as Mathilda-san says, no one will probably be on the look for people going in and out of the woods.

Henrietta: "If you agree with Prince Wales's plan, I will arrange the goods for you. Outfits and other equipment needed for the disguise will also be provided. I only ask that you practice your roles."

All of us share a look; the question is clear.

'Anyone knows how to be a merchant?'

At the end, we all look at one person: Mathilda-san.

Mathilda: "Just because I have lived in struggle doesn't mean I have tried my hands on everything...Well, I have dabbled in trade somewhat."

Kirche: "Just say yes." Kirche shrugs.

Louise: "So Ms. Mathilda will take the role of the merchant, is that okay with you?"

Mathilda: "If we really want to avoid attention, having a man do it will be slightly better, but since the only male member of our group is him, that will just make us stand out. Understood, I will take that role."

I get it. It's not like I chose to be born small.

Henrietta: "I will make arrangements. Please come to the capital in three days to take the wagon. I will send you the letter detailing the time and place. Do you have more questions?"

Doesn't seem like anyone does.

Mathilda: "That will be all, Your Highness."

Henrietta: "Then I shall leave the rest to you...In this world, there are not many people left who share my blood. If there is one I have yet to meet, I would like to see them safe and sound."

[...]

[...][...]

"That's the border checkpoint, isn't it."

Louise: "That's right. Don't act suspicious."

"Rather than telling me..."

Louise: "What is it?"

"Shouldn't you change how you walk?"

Louise: "What's wrong with how I walk? It's the image of elegance."

"That's true, but we're supposed to be disguising ourselves."

What kind of common worker walks with their chin held high.

Louise: "It can't be helped. You can change my outer appearance, but the dignity in my soul will always leak through."

"Then this mission is doomed from the start..."

She's wearing a long-sleeved shirt and trousers that look the part, and has even dyed her hair blue from the magic dye the princess gave her, but if she's going to walk like that, there's no point.

Louise: "Why are you saying that to me, but not that Zerbst?"

She's probably talking about how Kirche is also walking confidently.

"You two aren't the same. You walk like a noble. Kirche...is more like..."

Louise: "More like what?"

Which word is safe to use here?

Kirche: "More like a charming woman, is what you're trying to say isn't it?"

Louise: "Zerbst! Get back!"

Arms draped over my shoulders from behind, hands placed on my stomach, soft mounds touching the back of my head; I was completely used to it back home, but since coming here this is just the second time in almost half a year, so it startled me a bit.

Kirche: "Ah, ah, you should be more careful; you can't use that name from here on. You don't want to be the one to mess up, do you, Louise?"

Louise: "Kuh...!"

Kirche: "And for that question; I and you aren't the same. I can be as flashy as I want and no one would think twice, and that's because..."

Kirche steps back, put both hands on her hips, and juts out her chests, intentionally causing her breasts to press against the fabric and show their shape.

Louise's sour reaction is exactly as expected.

Kirche: "But if a shrimp like you do it, people are gonna wonder what do you have to show, and if among them are people whose job is to catch us, we're done. Do you understand, my dear Louise?"

Louise: "I...I do have...things to show...I...I am..." Whoa...Her entire body is shaking; she must be near her limit.

Kirche: "A disguise is meant to hide both the good and the bad, do you understand that?"

Louise is still shaking, but doesn't say anything. Looks like she accepted it...or gave up.

Mathilda: "Sorry to interrupt such a pleasant conversation, but we're about to enter the checkpoint. Don't forget your roles, Louise, Kirche, Luka."

Louise: "Why are you the only one that doesn't have to change anything..."

Louise looks at me, a bit envious.

Mathilda: "He's unknown as a commoner; there's no need for him to disguise."

But I still had to take my cape off; my back feels strangely empty.

Louise: "Ms. Longueville isn't disguising either."

Mathilda: "Just the opposite. I am always in a disguise or another."

Well, yeah, even the name Longueville is a fake name.

Louise: "What about Zerbst—"

Kirche: "Kirche."

Louise: "—Kirche who only has to change how she is called, and doesn't have to dye her hair."

Kirche: "Because I don't have to hide the fact that I'm a Germanian. My skin and hair colors are plenty in Germania. But you, if the authority in Albion knows you're a Tristanian, even if they don't know who exactly you are, there will be problems. That's why the queen gave you the blue hair dye, wasn't it? So you'll look like a Gallian. Your name passes for a Gallian too."

"Gallia is another country, right? Adjacent to Tristain?"

Kirche: "To its west. It's the second largest country next to Germania, and one with the strongest military in Halkeginia. Even if my and Louise's countries join forces, they still won't even come close. Personally, I think if Gallia attacks Albion now, they'll win easily."

"They're that strong?"

Kirche: "Yep, that strong."

That's surprising. But that's not what I want to ask.

"Tabitha is a Gallian, isn't she? They say someone with blue hair is a Gallian?"

Kirche: "Yeah. It's not that all Gallians have blue hair, but it's a common perception that blue hair is a symbol of Gallian royalties, and the royal family married other noble houses throughout history. Since nobles don't marry outside of their country that often, it kind of became a notion that blue hair means Gallian nobles. And commoners with blue hair are generally accepted as being descendants of the nobles' illegitimate offspring."

"I see..." That seems like a pretty important thing to know. I feel like I'm a bit more knowledgeable about this place.

We're at the check point. Mathilda-san let go of the harness, gets down from the wagon, and let the soldiers check our wagon.

...

...They wave for us to pass. That's a relief.

Louise: "What's with that worried look; merchants aren't checked for identities. As long as they don't know we're nobles, or that we're disguise, they're not going to bother checking such a small group."

"That's kinda what I'm worried about..." That you'll botch our disguise.

Well, at least we got that out of the way without trouble. They looked at me weirdly though; maybe it's because I have a sword.

Mathilda: "Kirche, can you explain our planned route?"

Kirche: "Got it, Longueville-san. Our first stop is Port Emden in Ostfriesland region. We will board a ship to Port Dover in Kent region, then continue on foot to our destination. On the way to Emden we will rest at four medium and large-size towns which are on the main road. The first one is Münster, which we will reach by sundown."

Mathilda: "Sundown, huh. So we'll have to travel in the dark for a while."

Kirche: "Not necessarily. We will be pretty close to the town by the time the sun starts to set. Roadside lamps should start appearing along the way by then. We'll have light all the way to the city."

Louise: "Roadside lamps? You mean the magic lamps?" Louise's eyes widen. I've seen them in the capital; they really made the city bright enough to walk around without stumbling over things on the ground.

Kirche: "That's right, Louise. Münster is the first big city after crossing the border from Tristain on this road; it's an important trade center. The lord of the land cares a lot about the safety of the merchants, so he had lamps set up on the roads leading into the city. More are still being set even now. If his money doesn't run out or he dies first, he might actually set them all the way to the end of his territory."

Is she serious...?

Louise: "That's ridiculous..."

Kirche smirks, probably having predicted Louise's reaction beforehand.

Louise: "...This is why they say Germanian are boorish and boastful."

Kirche: "Try 'bold investors'. ...Well, if you ask me, I'd say this is a bit much."

Mathilda: "But with that we won't have to worry about light or petty bandits. We should thank the big spending attitude of his. By the way, do you happen to know the name of this noble and where his castle is?"

Louise: "...Miss Longueville."

Mathilda: "Ah, sorry; old habits from an old job."

[...]

[...][...]

An overwhelming, oppressive presence: the massive being stares down with a cold, deranged gaze.

Black Alice: "I will eat, devour, consume the whole world; Hero Luka, starting with you. Come be a part of my new world."

The mass of flesh squirms, expanding uncontrollably. It has to be stopped, now.

"Black Alice...!"

Ah...

...A dream. But this sweat, it's like I've really been fighting for real.

Ever since the trip to the east that I came back empty-handed, I've been dreaming about the past pretty often; once every three or four days. I must be unconsciously missing my home more and more each day. At this rate my fear might really come true; I'll be too caught up on the thought to do anything.

...For now, let's get clean and get dressed. This trip is just starting. I have to keep my mind sharp and steady. I'm expected to be the first to fight if we need to; the others risk exposing themselves if they use magic.

...

Alright, I'm good. We didn't bring much in the first place. Time to go out; others should be up and about soon too.

Outside the room, the floor is clean; no cracks or dirty spots. As expected of a trade center; even a mid-range hotel is in good shape. And the price isn't too bad; four of us taking our own room still doesn't cost much.

Mathilda: "Good morning."

"Good morning."

Mathilda: "I see the other two still aren't up."

"Probably. Let's check in with them before we go get breakfast."

Mathilda: "Alright. It's on the way anyway."

Mathilda-san who has just woken up lets her hair down and doesn't wear glasses, but she's walking down the stairs at the same pace as I do without trouble at all.

"Mathilda-san, is your eyesight actually normal?"

Mathilda: "Why the sudden question?"

"I'm just curious."

Mathilda: "Hm, it's actually a little short, but I don't really need to wear glasses except while reading texts with small letters."

"You have to read a lot working as a secretary." So she always wears it at school.

Mathilda: "That too, but the real reason was for disguise."

"People do look kind of different wearing or not wearing glasses."

Like Alice, once when she wore glasses...Yeah, Let's stop here. There's going to be problem if I continue with the thought.

Mathilda: "Let me ask you in return; how old are you actually?"

"Eh? Why 'actually'?..."

Kirche once told me not to reveal my age to Louise; if I tell Mathilda-san, it might get to Louise's ears eventually.

Now that I think about it; Kirche probably wanted Louise to think I was close to her age so she would feel like she has a friend she can interact as equal, at least in terms of age. According to Siesta and from what I saw, Louise didn't really have any friend in the beginning, and it seems she was always treated as the youngest in her own family.

But Louise has been making more friends lately, so it's probably okay now?

"I'm nineteen...No, I'm probably twenty already, though I'm not really sure."

Mathilda: "I see...A bit more than I expected. I thought you are seventeen; eighteen at most."

"You're the first to give a number that high for my age."

Mathilda: "I guess the people before me judged based on your appearances. I did so from your demeanors and outlooks."

"I act like a seventeen-year-old?"

Mathilda: "Anywhere from that age to early twenty. With how you look, I was a bit hesitant, but I couldn't put you any younger than that."

If only Alice is here to listen to this. And she told me my brain had only grown up a little from when we met: from twelve to fourteen.

Mathilda: "Why do you look happy?"

"Nothing really. Just something unimportant."

Ah, we're in front of Louise's room already. Kiche's is next door.

Mathilda: "I'll take this room."

"Alright."

*knock knock knock*

"Louise, are you up?"

...

Obviously. Well, I have a key with me.

*kachak*

As I thought. She's lying on her side on the bed; the same pose as at school.

"Louise, wake up."

Louise: "...m...mm..."

She smiles a little; probably having a good dream. I'll have to tear her from it though.

"Louise, wake up."

Louise: "Mm~..."

Now she frowns. She must be close.

"Louise. Louise."

She grabs my hand that shakes her. Now just wait a bit...There. Her eyes are opened.

Louise: "...'s just you..."

"Yeah. I come to wake you up like you told me to."

Louise: "...Fu...Hngh~..."

Let her stretch; urging will only make her grumpy.

[...]

"Alright. I'll wait outside; come out after you finish dressing. Don't go back to sleep."

Louise: "...hmm..."

I watched until Louise finished brushing her teeth and washing her face; she should have woken up enough already. I can probably wait outside with no worry.

Mathilda: "Luka..."

"Hm? What's the matter, Mathilda-san?"

Kirche's there too. She's almost fully awake; at least much more than Louise.

Mathilda: "You have a key to Louise's room?"

"Yes. She gave it to me and told me to wake her up. She's not good with morning."

For some reason, Mathilda-san is crossing her arms, looking deep in thought, but Kirche instead seems amused.

Mathilda: "...You two stay in the same room at school too, don't you. With your positions, it can't be helped, but I hope you both haven't made a mistake. You might be almost twenty already, but she's still a kid. And you're not married—"

"Wait, wait, wait! Wait a second! You're talking about..."

Mathilda: "What else."

Uwa...Don't tell me there are others who thought about us like that? We're just sleeping in the same room? There's no reason to think that far, is there? I mean, when I was traveling with Alice just the two—Ah, wait, we did...But Alice is a monster, and she did it for food; Louise has no need for that.

"Nothing. Absolutely nothing happened."

Mathilda: "Then it's fine."

Kirche: "My, my, Luka, so adamant with your denial; could you actually have been thinking about it?"

Mathilda: "Have you?"

"I have not...Haa, I don't think of Louise like that at all."

Mathilda: "That's good. Your and her standings are very different; love in your position will never work out, just like my father's liege and his lover I told you about."

"Ah...Yes..."

That...I don't even know where to begin, but...that warning is really too late in a lot of ways...

...Maybe I should just tell her I'm married? So we won't have to talk about this again? ...It feels kind of embarrassing, though, going around declaring that I'm married. Not to mention risky. Since I've been supportive of monsters this entire time, there's a chance they might suspect I'm married to one, and revealing that fact is still kind of risky...

Kirche: "By the way, how does Longueville-san know that Luka's twenty? Did Luka tell you?"

Mathilda: "That's right; just a few minutes ago. He said he's turning twenty, though. Is it a secret?"

Kirche: "Hmmm, it's not that serious. I just thought it'd be better if that girl doesn't know."

*kachak*

Louise: "I do now."

Ah, Louise, she finished dressing...

"Since when were you listening?"

Louise: "Since Kirche asked how Miss Longueville know your age."

Not too long ago. That's a relief...If Louise had heard what Mathilda-san asked and Kirche's teasing, she'd be grumbling all day: 'Me and this dog? What nonsense are you spouting, Zerbst!' and 'Don't get carried away!', or something along that line.

Louise: "And when did you plan on telling me?"

"Uh, well..." Kirche said not to tell you...isn't gonna cut it as an excuse; it's still my decision not to tell her.

"...I didn't think it was important."

Louise: "I see. Are there other unimportant things you haven't told me about? Like you're actually not human, for example?"

"O—Of course I'm human. I was born from normal human parents." They both were, at the time I was born, anyway...

Louise crosses her arms and frowns a little. Ah...She's not livid, but definitely angry...

*smack*

Wha...! Kirche slapped my shoulder all of a sudden.

Kirche: "Anyway! Since the truth is out, it can't be helped. But you'd better prepare yourself, Luka, because someone is going to want you to spoil her twice as much as before."

Louise: "S—Spoiling who, twice of what; there's nothing of the sorts."

...There was, though. Not a lot, but there definitely were that kind of interactions, going on between us, especially in the beginning. It has been the opposite recently though; it's me who has been spoiled by Louise's help.

Does Kirche mean we'll go back to be like before...? I hope not. That's going to be tiring...

Kirche: "Well, let's go get breakfast; I'm hungry."

Mathilda: "I agree. Let's eat and continue on our way, so we won't have to travel in the dark like yesterday; the road to the next town probably won't come with lamps again."

The dining area is on the first floor, like many other inns. There are twelve tables, the floor and the walls are clean and lightly decorated; all in all it looks up to the standard of an inn in a big city.

"There's an empty table over there."

A round table that can fit four people. A waiter approaches us almost immediately.

Waiter: "Can I take you orders?"

The menus are as illegible as always. I can kind of pronounce the name of the food, but I have no idea what it is.

Kirche: "Don't know what to pick, I take it."

"Ah, yeah." Whenever Kirche smirks and inches her face closer like this it always remind me of Alma Elma.

Kirche: "Very well, as the native of this land, should I recommend you a good dish, o-ni-i-sa-n~?"

Louise: "Ze—Kirche...What the heck are you trying to pull?" Louise makes a very disgusted face.

"Uh, can you not call me that; it feels weird..."

Kirche: "Okay, okay. It doesn't fit you anyway. Your size mostly." Kirche pulls back and shrugs. "Since Luka's older than I am, I just wanna try it once."

Louise: "If you want to play the part that much then do it with Miss Longueville."

Louise looks completely disinterested when saying that, but Kirche acts on it enthusiastically.

Kirche: "O-ba-sa-n~"

Mathilda: "You trying to pick a fight, huh!?"

...

This mood, joking around like this; I miss it... I wonder how everyone is right now...

Is it really the time to be doing this? I let myself get swept by the flow and forget about it for most of the time, but it has been half a year already; I should be getting closer to getting home.

Alright, once this mission is done, I'll try asking the princess for help. Once we get to meet this elf, everyone should understand that elves are not as dangerous as they think. Maybe even coexistence would be possible one day!

...I probably won't stay until then, though. I want to help it along, but finding a way back to my family and friends comes first.

Louise: "Hey, the food's here."

"Ah, okay."

I was lost in thought again. I still am; can't really savor the food.

...Hm, it's pretty good.

...But I miss...well, not Alice's food, since those aren't ever going to be edible, but Tamamo and especially Alma Elma are great cooks.

Man A: "Hey, Lady."

Oh. That's an unfamiliar voice. A man in traveler's get-up comes to stand beside our table and speaks to Mathilda-san. Nothing seems particularly out of place about him.

Man A: "Not from around here, are ya. Going somewhere? We can take you there if you want."

By 'we' he probably means him and his group at the table behind him.

Mathilda: "Thank you for your kind offer, but we are used to this road. We won't get lost."

Mathilda-san smiles back amicably, like when she was acting as the principal's secretary.

Man A: "Oh, sorry for not being clear. I'm not saying you're gonna get lost. You're a merchant, aren't you, lady? And this is your group."

Mathilda: "You can tell?"

Man A: "We've been in the business for a long time; we can tell most of the time. Well, let's get to the point; are you interested in hiring us for protection? Our price's reasonable, and we're pretty famous around here."

Mathilda: "Mercenaries?"

Man A: "Yeah."

I see. We have that back home too, even the humans, since even normal humans can put up some fight against the weaker monsters.

Mathilda: "Your offer is tempting, but we are already settled for protection."

Man A: "Well, no surprise here, I guess. No merchants come all the way here on their own without guards. By the way, who's yours? Maybe it's people I know."

Mathilda: "The leader's name is Luka."

Huh? Oh.

Man A: "Never heard of him...Well, if you're confident, then it's fine. If the guys ended up being a bad deal, we'll accept your offer anytime. Bye, Lady."

Mathilda: "Yes, thank you."

He's gone. I was afraid there's going to be a scene, but nothing. I guess I was just too paranoid.

Louise: "What 'leader'; it's just this guy alone."

Mathilda: "We need to say it like that so they wouldn't keep pestering us. These people usually avoid meddling in each other's business, but if they think the other is weaker they would sometimes try to take their job."

Kirche: "Yeah, exactly. If we had told them Luka's alone, they'd have laughed, and continued to try to get us to hire them instead. If they're the cockier type they might even challenge Luka to prove they're the better hands. That'd be nothing but trouble."

Yeah, we already have enough to worry as it is.

[...]

Kirche: "Now that I think about it, why didn't the queen given us a knight or two? She's sending us across the country on an errand; she should've lent us some people. A wagon would look much more natural with four guards rather than just Luka on his lonesome."

Louise: "This mission is only known to a handful of people; Her Majesty must have considered the options carefully before deciding on it."

Kirche: "I wonder about that~"

Our trip really is uneventful; nothing but walking. Most of the sounds are Louise and Kirche's talking, and occasionally I and Mathilda-san.

Mathilda: "Just on this topic, I have to agree with Louise, even if I don't like it."

Kirche: "Huh? Why's that?"

Mathilda: "The Queen of Tristain doesn't really trust nobles; it's only natural she hadn't sent knights along with us."

Kirche: "She did say something to that effect at the palace. I wonder why?"

Mathilda: "People have their own reasons to doubt someone."

Kirche: "The Queen's probably still shocked at being betrayed by her own guard."

Mathilda: "Probably."

Wardes, huh...The last time we fought I lost horribly. It looked like I held advantage at first, but then Wardes suddenly became much more powerful all of a sudden; he was suddenly faster, apparently without using magic to enhance himself. Can all the mages here do that if they train enough? If true that'd be worrying. I hope we won't have to meet someone like that this time.

...I still don't understand even to this day: just what happened back then when I tried to call on angel's power? It hurt like my body was going to shattered into pieces. Was the angel power even the cause? The feeling seemed to have come from my left hand, specifically the back where the rune letters are. It must be related somehow. Maybe I should find some safe place without people to try it again soon.

*thud*

"? Why are we stopping?"

Mathilda-san halted the horses and looks forward.

A group of around twenty men is obstructing the road.

Kirche: "Who's that?"

Mathilda: "Mercenaries."

From Mathilda-san's tone, there's going to be trouble.

We stopped, but the men approach us instead.

Man A: "Hey, Lady."

Kirche: "Isn't that the guy in the morning?"

Probably, if all of us recognize him.

Mathilda: "What is the meaning of this?"

Mathilda-san's tone isn't polite like in the morning.

Man A: "Hm? I don't know what you're talking about, Lady; we're just working. We happened to see a familiar face so we just stopped for a greeting."

That tone, that smirk which is much bolder than the last time; it wasn't just paranoia.

Man A: "By the way, where are the guards you're talking about?"

Mathilda: "...Over there."

Man A: "Huh? Ahahahaha! You're funny, you know, Lady!"

We are literally laughed at, like Kirche said.

Man A: "Hey, the little guy actually got a sword on him. Looks like you're for real."

Mathilda: "We're in a hurry; if there's nothing else then we'll be on our way."

Man A: "I got it, I got it; no need to be so edgy. We're just gonna persuade you to hire us again. We promise we'll take a re~ally good care of you."

The 'care' was said with very clear intent. Mathilda-san and Kirche don't even bat an eye, but Louise tenses up.

Man A: "The fee is, let's see, how about everything in that cart."

...So it's a roundabout way to say that they're robbing us.

Mathilda: "Again, a tempting offer, but I'll have to refuse."

The men raise their eyebrows, share a look, and laugh. The expected reactions.

Man A: "Lady, you're a merchant; you should know some 'offers' can't be refused. Don't make our job harder, or we might get a little bit upset. ...Well, we're pretty kind compared to others, so we'll just charge a bit more and call it even."

The speaker eyes Mathilda-san, then moves on to Kirche; his face expresses his intent very clearly.

The two don't even blink, while Louise hides behind me.

Mathilda: "Well, how about you try your hands on our guard, then I'll think about it."

...So that's how we're doing this.

Man A: "Woo~ What a daring lady, but we'll have to charge extra for the increased labor."

Ah...If Alice is here, I can picture what kind of look she will give the guy...

Man A: "Alright, since Lady is so confident in your guard, you wouldn't complain if all of us go in together, would you?"

Mathilda: "That would be better. It would save our time."

Louise: "M—Miss Longueville...!"

Louise's voice is shaking; she looks really scared, or at least anxious. Louise should know we have three mages on our side; if this really turns into a fight, there's almost no way for us to lose. Though I guess she could be worried about the slim chance it could go badly. She always tends to think negatively when things turn violent.

Louise: "Is this really okay? What if Luka..."

Mathilda: "Don't worry, Louise. Believe in our guard."

Louise: "B—But..."

Kirche: "Geez, Louise, you're such a worrywart. You know Luka the most out of us; much better than Longueville-san does. If anything, you should be the most relaxed here."

The man that seems to be the leader listens to Louise's conversation, and looks this way, his eyebrows raise a little.

Man A: "I'm really jealous you, boy; three women all over you. I hope you'll forgive us if our jealousy gets the better of us and we cut off a limb or two by accident."

For some reason both sides have been acting out some kind of play since earlier. I'm really not good at this, so I don't know what to say. Guess I'll just fight.

Half of them rush in together without waiting for me to pull my sword; they don't even bother to plan out their assault, or even seem serious about this. They must be thinking this will be easy.

Man B: "Woooo!~"

The first one comes in with an obvious and long drawn overhead swing.

No matter who the opponent is, one must not let their guard down: Alice, Granberia, Tamamo all tried to drill that into my head at least once at some point. And I agree with them.

So, I'll look out in case one or more of them are mages.

{...}

Why is everyone so calm about this?! Of course I know Luka is good, but the opponent is a group of seasoned adults, and there are twenty of them! Even a Line mage would have trouble! Ah, right, Luka is an adult too...but still!

He may have fought Wardes and almost won, but that was one on one! He's surrounded by so many people, but only has a sword to rely on, no magic that can take out multiple opponents at once; how would he deal with all—

*smack* *thump* *thud*

Bandits: "Ugh!" "Guh...!"

*smack* *wham* *smack* *crash*

Bandits: "Ogh!" "Th...This must be...a bad dream..."

...

...Hweh?

Kirche: "What's with that dumb look? The result was obvious since the beginning."

Luka: "Is this okay?"

Mathilda: "Thank you. Let's be on our way."

Kirche: "Yes, ma'am~"

Luka: "Shouldn't we hand them to the authority?"

Mathilda: "We don't have time for it, nor can we afford to stand out."

Kirche: "We already had this conversation once on the edge of La Rochelle; remember that, Luka?"

Luka: "Yeah, I remember. The guy who said it is our enemy now though."

They're already going on ahead, but I still...Wait, just let me organise my thought.

I don't know why, but those bandits got beaten so easily, even though Luka didn't do anything special. He just...moved normally.

"Hey, were those guys actually weak?"

Mathilda: "No. From the looks of it, they have been doing this for some time. Although they're not exactly skilled either; just normal."

Kirche: "Well, I can understand how you feel. Normally, even a mage would've been in a tight spot against that many people, unless they're as good as I am. But Luka made it look so easy."

Luka: "I did? I just fought normally. I don't know what else to say about it."

Mathilda: "That's what happened once someone has gained enough skill and experience in a field; they make it look simple to amateurs. Well, in Luka's case, his physical ability is clearly abnormal, and that played a big part."

I don't know anything about fighting, but it's true Luka made it look so...mundane.

Luka: "If they had some plan I'd have a harder time though."

Kirche: "Your outer appearance will make most people lower their guard, so that's not gonna happen anytime soon."

This guy, how long has he been fighting like that? He said five years, and he's twenty now, so since he was fifteen; since he was younger than I am, against devils...

"Hey."

Luka: "Yeah?"

"You said you were the Demon Lord's assistant; were you a guard too?"

Luka: "Eh? ...Well, you could say that. I will protect her if needed, but the Demon Lord is generally stronger than I am. In the Demon Lord Castle, in terms of fighting I'm about...sixth from the top."

"Demon Lord Castle, that means a place crawling with powerful devils; yet you're the sixth from the top."

Luka: "Not devils. And don't use such an awful word to describe them."

"Who cares about that. Are you really a human?"

Kirche: "Hey, what's this Demon Lord you're talking about?"

Ah...! I forgot to keep my voice down. Now they heard everything...!

Luka: "Uh...The Demon Lord is...the Queen of all monsters, something like that."

Kirche: "Monsters? You were talking about devils, so I guess they're the same thing. So, the Queen...And you're the Queen's assistant, Luka? That's amazing!"

You don't have to be so excited. Really, Zerbst and her overreaction.

Mathilda: "That's quite an interesting tale. This is the first time I've heard that devils have a queen. Where is she? Or is it a secret?"

Luka: "Uh, Miss Mathilda protested to the way the princess referred to the elf, didn't you. So, please use the word 'monster' instead of 'devil'. They're not evil by nature."

Mathilda: "Monster...I see, that sounds good. Alright, I'll use that word from now on. In the first place, I have never been satisfied by the way they called that girl. Her, a devil? What nonsense is that. The power-drunk royalty is the one that should be called by that name."

Ms. Longueville...!

Ugh...I want to protest against that so much. Devils are supposed to be enemies to humanity—that's the society's common sense; to say that devils are not evil, while the royal families, the direct descendants of Founder, are worse is just...That can't be right...

But Ms. Longueville has gone through something so awful; maybe she has the right to say that...Or at least I don't have the right to deny her...Probably...

Kirche: "Devils, ah, monsters are all female, aren't they. And Luka is the assistant of the Queen. Huh~"

That Zerbst...That tone again...She's definitely going to say something outrageous again.

Kirche: "Hey, this assistant job of yours, aside from helping with the Queen's normal work, were you also 'assisting' in nightly duties too? Tell me~"

"Z-Z-Zerbst!? What the heck are you babbling about!? T—There's no way...!"

Kirche: "You're forgetting my name again. Say 'Kirche'. By the way, I just said 'nightly duties', but you've got so red. What exactly were you imagining, my dear Louise~"

T—This wench...! She knows what it is about...!

B—But the idiot Luka once did o—obscene things with that bird; a—a feeding he said. S—So, that means...!

"F—Filthy! You're so filthy!"

Luka: "What's this again!?"

Mathilda: "Sorry for interrupting, but I'm asking where this queen of monsters is. If you can't answer then say so, so I won't have to ask again."

Luka: "Ah, well...If I go by what the principal said, it's far to the east, over the desert where the elves live."

Ms. Longueville snaps her head back; she must've thought of that name

Mathilda: "Could you be from the Holy Land?" There. I knew it.

Luka: "The principal said something like that."

Kirche: "The Holy Land!? Luka, just how many times are you going to surprise me! Hey, what kind of place is it?"

Luka: "Hm...I don't think it's too different from here, just that humans and monsters live together normally."

Mathilda: "Monsters and humans? Really? It's possible?"

Luka: "Eh? Why is Miss Mathilda of all people so surprised? The elf Miss Mathilda told us about is a daughter of a human and an elf, isn't she. And Miss Mathilda cares for her wellbeing?"

Mathilda: "That is true...Right, it's not impossible. There must be something I'm not aware of over there. Hm..."

...I've had this thought for a while now, but it's getting really clear at this point.

The reactions of people around me to the word 'Devils', 'Holy Land', or something in the same vein are all over the place. Even though the society is supposed to hold one unified notion, out of four of us I'm the only one to actually adhere to it. Are they the strange ones, or are the notion not as 'unified' as I think?

And it seems I'm the only one out of us to still refer to devils as devils. Zerbst and Ms. Longueville took to the other name from Luka so readily.

Sister Chii has become a devil, so I have to accept just having a body of a devil doesn't make one evil. But Sister Chii has been human for most of her life, so she must be an exception.

The true devils, those born as one, could still be as evil as told in the texts from Founder's time. Founder himself said so in his personal book addressed to an heir to his magic, that is me...I can't ignore that...

Holy Land... Founder's dream, and our, his descendants', destiny... Void...

Mathilda: "Luka."

Luka: "Yes?"

Mathilda: "...Well, I was going to ask you something, but I'll leave it for when it's more appropriate."

Luka: "Uh, okay...?"

...Devils. Since I was a child, they had always been an existence I only half believed in, while others thought they were fictional; beings of myth, completely removed from our lives. But I have a feeling the word will be around a lot in the road ahead.

And this power I inherited from Founder, Void, is supposed to be used to exterminate them...

...Something terrible is going to happen. I can't help but feel like that.

PBW: "A slow chapter. There's a sliver of information, some hints here and there; nothing major. The core of this Arc is approaching in the next chapter, and it will be a bold leap that sets certain limits to this story. The Author hopes this doesn't sink like lead."

Ilias: "..."

PBW: "...You sneaked a peek at the next chapter, didn't you?"

Ilias: "...What makes you think so?"

PBW: "...This prickly feeling on my skin, like a bolt of lightning is on its way..."