On the first floor of the inn, Miranda was wearing a troubled expression.
Shannon sat nearby, drinking freshly squeezed fruit juice, while her older sister Miranda fretted.
Around them, the place was busier than usual, as though the number of guests had swollen.
Novem, Aria, and Clara were busy packing up their belongings.
Monica had gone into the rental storage warehouse to make final adjustments to Porter.
I spoke to Miranda.
"Can't we get the tickets?"
Miranda nodded.
"The prices have gone up, and more than that, it's so overcrowded they're saying we should avoid traveling for a while."
Apparently, every reservation was booked solid, and securing lodging on top of that had become next to impossible.
"So we'll be stuck in Central for a while... I was hoping we could leave as soon as possible."
Miranda said.
"The timing really couldn't have been worse. Oh, and Shannon."
"What?"
"You could pitch in a little, you know. Drinking leisurely juice like that when everyone's busy."
Miranda was clearly exasperated, though Shannon had paid for the juice herself.
Since they were companions, the rewards were split evenly among the group.
And Miranda was the one managing Shannon's share.
She handed Shannon a modest allowance from that fund, giving her a bit of pocket money to spend as she pleased.
"Ugh..."
As Shannon made a displeased face, Miranda brought down her fist.
An attack that caught Shannon off guard just as she tried to dodge.
"It hurts..."
"So, Lyle, you're going shopping, right?"
"Huh? Oh, yeah."
I already had everything I needed, but I planned to shop while taking in the current state of Central.
Now that I thought about it, the residents of Central had taken the broken engagement rather positively.
And it seemed that Ceres being the next queen was important to the residents as well.
Before I knew it, the entire country seemed to have gone mad.
Not all of them, perhaps, but House Walt had repeatedly made contact with key lords and influential figures over the past few years.
While I was locked away, the outside world must have changed dramatically under Ceres's influence.
"Then take Shannon along as a pack mule. She's been lounging around lately, so put her to work."
"You couldn't possibly make a cute girl carry your bags, could you, Lyle?"
Shannon struck a cute pose, and I responded with a smile.
"If you were actually cute, sure. But you're rotten on the inside no matter how cute the outside is, so I can put you to work without a second thought."
When I said that, Shannon—
"...I told you I wouldn't let you regret it."
"Gwah! ...So you're going to pull that card?"
From within the Jewel, the Third Generation's voice rang out.
"Hahaha, that was great, wasn't it? I can't wait for the next one."
The Fourth Generation too.
"As for me, I thought the other iconic lines were interesting too."
(These... these guys.)
Thinking that, I let out a sigh.
"Just going outside for a walk is fine. Come on, get ready."
When I said that, Miranda nodded.
"Come on, Shannon, get ready."
Shannon finished her juice, then slowly dragged herself up the stairs.
"I don't want to go outside even though it's cold."
Seeing Shannon only complaining, Miranda sighed.
I gave a wry smile.
Even though it was daytime, my breath was white, and the cold seeped into my bones.
Walking through the Royal Capital, Shannon and I held hands so we wouldn't get separated.
Shannon.
"You say 'shopping,' but there's nothing I really want to buy, you know?"
She looked at me with a flat expression, so I covered my face with my right hand.
"Then just buy some small items. Aria's even out visiting market stalls."
"Don't lump me in with Aria. I'm a delicate young lady, you know?"
"Formerly. Anyway, if you spot something that catches your eye, just let me know. I'll listen to the local gossip around here."
As we walked, I listened to the voices of the townspeople chatting around us.
I was walking at a slow pace to match Shannon's stride.
"Did you hear? Apparently Lady Ceres has arrived in Central."
"She's later than expected. Is everything alright?"
"Now that you mention it, there seemed to be some commotion at the gate yesterday..."
Hearing that, I came to a stop.
Shannon tilted her head.
"What's wrong?"
"I-it's nothing... just nothing. (My parents are here... and so is Ceres.)"
Shannon then said with an exasperated tone:
"You're so weird. Hey, buy me that."
She was pointing at a stall selling accessories.
Arrayed across it were various pieces of cheap-looking plated jewelry.
Shannon scanned the merchandise, then pointed at just one item.
"This one."
"This? I mean, it's cheap so I don't mind, but... wait, you have your own spending money!"
Just as I was about to buy it for her, I realized something.
Shannon had money too.
And when she noticed that I'd caught on, she clicked her tongue.
"Tch, just buy it for me anyway."
"Fine since it's cheap, but you should really fix that personality of yours."
Reluctantly, I purchase it, and Shannon happily tucks the bought item into her pocket.
It doesn't look like anything special to me, but if Shannon's happy about it, there must be something to it.
Still, maybe—
"I'm going to show this off to my sister. Now I can get my revenge."
—maybe she hasn't thought too deeply about it.
As we leave the stall, I notice an acquaintance nearby.
Singing a song is Eva.
She had created a song about defeating the Griffon and was performing it in Central.
It seems she's just finishing up; applause can be heard, and coins are tossed into a metal canister.
"A Bard? She's the elf from before, right? Come to think of it, I've never actually heard a Bard's story or song properly."
Shannon says that, so I pull her along toward Eva.
The customers happily disperse, and Eva puts a coat over her costume.
"Already done?"
As I say that, Eva collects the money.
"Sorry~! Another Bard is coming, so I have to clear the space... Wait, Rael? Are you on a date with her today?"
I manage a wry smile under Eva's teasing gaze.
"Something like that. Shannon said she wanted to hear a song or story, so I'm helping her out."
"Oh, that's fine!"
I gather the loose change and put it into the can.
Seeing the can now filled to the brim, Eva looked delighted.
"Maybe I should go look for a bigger container too. But this kind of thing comes in waves, and the moment I switch to a big one, the customers might dry up... Hmm."
Watching Eva worry, Shannon tugged at my arm.
A prompt, no doubt.
"Hey, I'll pay you, so would you mind singing or telling a story somewhere appropriate? Shannon came along on the Griffon hunt, so ideally I'd like something different from the usual songs."
Eva thought it over for a moment.
"A different song, you say. In that case, there's the one about the Two Great War Maidens from a foreign country who locked horns until recently, or the Holy Maiden... Actually, maybe the Queen would work too. For girls, I'd guess a princess appeals more than a knight or a general?"
More grandiose titles were coming out, and I noticed Shannon growing excited.
I looked at the weary Eva and spoke up.
"How about three large copper coins for a meal and one song? That work for you?"
Eva seemed to think it was a good deal, nodding with satisfaction.
"Sure! I'll sing! Since it's come to this, I'm going to sing my heart out for you!"
Apparently the terms I'd offered were a steal from Eva's perspective.
Shannon looked happy too.
She was flapping both hands up and down, giving an impression younger than her age. She must have been really looking forward to this.
"Really! Yay!"
The chance to hear a Bard sing and tell stories had her overjoyed.
At times like this, you could tell she was still just a little kid.
"Starting this afternoon, I'll be performing for individual clients... You know what? Leaving my clan really was the right call!"
Was it, though?
While I was thinking that, the Sixth Generation—who had runaway experience of her own—spoke up.
"...In this case it's fine because she has a dream, but I wish people would remember that there are families out there worrying about them when they run off."
Then the Fifth and Seventh Generations chimed in.
"Even you saying that doesn't have a shred of credibility."
"Not at all, really."
The Sixth Generation didn't raise her voice, but it was easy to imagine her looking dejected.
I glanced around and spoke to Eva.
"Looks like the next group of bards has arrived."
At that, the other party took off her coat and was standing there in light clothing despite the cold.
She claimed it was a winter costume, but watching her made *me* feel cold.
The elf trio consisted of one bard and two instrument carriers.
Eva was glaring daggers at them.
"My, if it isn't Eva from some backwater place called Nihil or something."
A beautiful female elf pushed back her golden hair and provoked Eva.
"Oh, so you think you're better just because you grew up in the city... You're still not good enough to perform in a venue yet! Our status is the same! The same!"
Eva shot back, and the other party fired right back at her.
"People like you flooding in is why it's so hard to even secure a spot! Show a little consideration for those of us who've already settled here!"
The elves probably had it rough too.
I waited for Eva while gripping Shannon's hand as she looked thoroughly fed up.
"Consideration? You're my enemy, enemy! Besides, Nihil is the oldest clan among all the elves. Don't you dare look down on us."
"You're so condescending, that's why I hate you! Just because you have a little more songs and stories, you think you're so great!"
"What? Are you frustrated? Well, yeah, you guys have so few songs passed down, after all."
"Grrrr, I'm so frustrated!"
It seemed there was some drama even among elves. The two male elves behind them watched the bickering pair with exasperated expressions.
Noticing us, they apologized.
"Sorry about this. It's like their way of saying hello; they'll be done soon."
"Ah, okay."
"Really, I'm sorry. She's actually a pretty popular Bard, but since Eva started flowing through recently, things have been a bit... complicated..."
He seemed to be having a hard time, so I couldn't really complain.
We waited for Eva to finish her argument, and then we headed off to get a meal.
After we ate and listened to the songs and stories, we walked along the darkening streets of Central.
It was a road with few people.
When we stepped outside, it was snowing, and the snow was beginning to accumulate.
(Thought it was cold... turns out it's snow.)
We walked along, our footsteps crunching in the snow.
After the meal, we were held up for several more hours, and Shannon got to hear a great many songs and stories.
Shannon looked thoroughly satisfied, but Eva, in exchange, was exhausted.
"Ahh, today was really fun. The Two Great War Maidens glaring at each other were especially the best."
The Two Great War Maidens Shannon was referring to were the top leaders of two small nations at war with each other.
They led their armies into battle personally, and their ferocity was so great they were feared and called War Maidens or War Queens.
"No way, that's way too terrifying. Why do they fight each other multiple times every year? Are they idiots?"
They were countries that had fought each other many times at their border. It seemed that mercenaries also joined in, but after seeing the strength of those two, they judged the damage to be too great and turned back.
Eva wore a tired expression.
"I'm glad you enjoyed it. I've only heard about it myself and haven't actually seen it, but it seems like the number of battles has increased quite a bit in recent years. They've apparently had bad blood for a long time, though."
When the Fifth Generation heard that...
"Isn't that... basically what you'd call a rigged game? Rather than fighting real wars every year, they're just beating each other up under a set of rules, right?"
He started calling it a fixed match.
The one who agreed was the Fourth Generation.
"There are wars like that too. If they actually killed each other for real and weakened themselves, they'd just get invaded and wiped out by the surrounding nations. That would be foolish."
(So there's that pattern too. When it comes to wars, the image that comes to mind is usually something far more tragic, though.)
That was mainly thanks to the Third Generation's memories.
Eva glanced at me and grinned.
"Queens, saintesses — they're all like that. She seems like quite the beauty, our hero."
I cleared my throat.
I had once declared to Eva that she should carry on the tales of my heroism. My mood had been off after leveling up, and now it had become fodder for teasing.
I tried to steer the conversation elsewhere, but Shannon, whose hand I had been holding, suddenly stopped.
"What's wrong?"
"...No way. Why..."
Her eyes were wide open. Her yellow irises gleamed a golden hue, and at the end of her gaze was a knight leading four soldiers under his command.
I took in the equipment of the knight and soldiers and immediately understood who we were dealing with.
From within the Jewel, the Seventh Generation—
'Rael, move immediately! They haven't noticed us yet!'
The Third Generation didn't understand.
'What? What happened? And wait — do you know them?'
The knight questioning a Central resident had the resident point in our direction, then pulled a wallet from his pocket and handed over a silver coin.
"R-Rael, that hurts!"
Did he squeeze too hard? Shannon winced in pain, and he immediately let go.
"S-Sorry. More importantly, we need to get out of here right now—"
He turned to grab Eva and lead her away, but the knight called out to them.
"Could you wait just a moment? I'm rather interested in that bard. I hear she has a truly wonderful singing voice. I'd like to bring her before my master, Lady Ceres, to hear her perform."
The knight who addressed Eva in a very gentle voice had long, silky black hair.
He approached with a smile, but as always, there was no opening to exploit.
The knight's uniform and the soldiers' uniforms bore the crest of House Walt.
"Oh?"
The knight seemed to have noticed him.
"...You — you're Rael, aren't you?"
As Alfred Baden's voice dropped lower, the four soldiers he'd brought along grew wary and began moving to surround them.
From within the Jewel, the Seventh Generation muttered with an annoyed tone.
'Calling Rael by his first name — the brat from the Baden family has gotten rather full of himself.'
He turned around and stepped in front of Alfred, positioning himself to shield Shannon and Eva behind him.
"It's been a while — or is 'long time no see' more appropriate? I never expected to run into you somewhere like this."
In truth, I'd heard the rumor that Ceres had entered the Royal Capital. That was precisely why I'd been gathering information in places where I wouldn't run into her.
(I can't even identify individuals with Skills. To think I'd bump into her in a place like this.)
While I was thinking that, I noticed everyone around us grinning.
The soldiers probably weren't Alfred's men — they were soldiers of House Walt.
"A good-for-nothing kicked out of House Walt, bringing women along to a place like this? And an elf and a young girl at that... Wait — you're Shannon from House Cerclie, aren't you?"
Alfred seemed to know who Shannon was.
Shannon ducked behind me.
"W-What do you think you're doing?!"
Eva shouted at the soldiers who were closing in to surround us, and Alfred let out a sigh before speaking.
"So you've got Rael's woman with you. That should make things interesting. Lady Ceres will certainly be pleased. The question is, how exactly did you manage to spirited away, though."
It was arrogance — he must have seen himself as the overwhelming force here.
I was, after all, only carrying a short sword for self-defense.
Fighting against this many opponents was daunting.
The Sixth Generation's voice echoed.
'House Walt, is it? You lot certainly look down on people from a high perch.'
The Fifth Generation didn't seem pleased either.
'It's a sad thing, really. In the old days, everyone around us looked down on us, and we struggled and clawed our way up...'
The Third Generation, exasperated but unable to stay silent, said to the Fifth Generation:
'That's how it goes for anyone once they have power. But this one — he's from the Baden family, is he?'
The Fourth Generation seems to be angry.
'The Baden family, huh — the ones who parasitized House Walt for so long.'
The Seventh Generation says.
'Lyle, do it! We'll allow it!'
(It's not really a matter of allowing it or not... but they won't let this slide, huh.)
Alfred seems intent on humiliating me. And the fact that he claims it's for Ceres' sake makes it even harder for me to swallow.
I once considered him a senior colleague, but now I feel nothing but disgust toward him.
"Maybe I should incapacitate you and take them both away. Or perhaps right in front of your eyes—"
Lost in his fantasies, Alfred draws the Saber hanging at his waist.
But what I was watching wasn't the drawn Saber.
"— Hey."
"Huh?"
Alfred looked displeased, as if irritated that someone had interrupted him mid-speech.
But I couldn't care less.
What I wanted to ask about was the dagger hanging at Alfred's waist.
A dagger I had seen before — one that Alfred had no business carrying.
"Where did you get that dagger?"
"This? It was given to me by Lady Ceres as a reward. Envious? Unlike a good-for-nothing like you, she truly—"
"No. Where did Ceres get that dagger?"
Despite the way I was glaring at Alfred, the soldiers around us didn't react. But the moment I spoke Ceres' name without an honorific, they all drew their swords at once.
Being well-trained, the soldiers were clearly a cut above.
"...Add '-sama' to her name, you trash. The fact that you're even allowed to live is more mercy than you deserve! Just knowing that you share the same blood as Her Ladyship makes my blood boil with hatred!"
"—I don't care. What any of you think is irrelevant. That dagger belonged to someone I know. Where did you get it!"
The louder I shouted, the more pleased Alfred seemed to become with my fury.
"Oh, that clueless trio of adventurers? They were lucky enough to be personally disposed of by Lady Ceres after they refused her invitation. That's when the dagger became Lady Ceres's property. I'd say the dagger should feel far more honored being in Lady Ceres's hands than ever being used by a bunch of fools!"
At the sound of Alfred and the soldiers laughing, Shannon was trembling.
And Eva—
"These guys are totally nuts. We need to run, now!"
Alfred's expression turned serious as he spoke directly to Eva.
His tone was completely different from when he had first addressed her.
"You'd run away from the chance to have Lady Ceres listen to your song? An elf dares to defy Lady Ceres? ...Cut off her arms and legs. She can still sing without them."
"Yes, sir!"
As the soldiers closed in, I snapped my fingers.
A magic circle and a box materialized from the ground, the box opening on its own as a Saber flew out from within.
I caught the Saber tossed into the air, and the magic circle and box vanished.
Using my Skills against the advancing soldiers.
"...UpDown."
Activating the Fourth Generation's Skill, the sharpness drained from everyone's movements. Even so, they continued moving to carry out their orders.
From within the Jewel, the Fourth Generation issued instructions.
*'Well trained. And they aren't fazed by having a Skill used on them. The enemy is skilled — it puts me in a complicated mood. Lyle, when your opponent outranks you, Skills like these lose their effectiveness, or the target can dispel them on their own. Don't let your guard down... Though, of course—'*
I raised my left hand and cast a spell.
"Lightning!"
Purple lightning struck Alfred and the soldiers. They were electrocuted and collapsed to the ground. I had restrained the power, so their lives were not in danger.
*'Well, in terms of pure strength, Lyle outclasses you.'*
Seeing the soldiers felled by magic, screams erupted from the surroundings.
It was a street with little foot traffic, but they must have been discovered.
"Right, Eva, take Shannon and—"!
I blocked the attack with my saber.
It was Alfred who had lunged with his saber, just as I had.
"I'm a little numb, Lyle. To use magic on your senior brother—has even a coward grown cunning?"
I knocked him back and created some distance, taking my stance.
Alfred was of the same school, making him a difficult opponent to fight.
Behind me, Eva was clinging to Shannon.
I wanted to get the two of them away, but even though I had used magic, the soldiers were already back on their feet.
They glared at me, ready to charge.
Alfred spoke.
"You guys, I'll keep Lyle pinned down. Take out the other two."
The soldiers began to move, and as I moved to protect the two of them, Alfred thrust his saber at me.
I pulled back my foot, dodging the blow to the side, and he immediately swung horizontally.
I blocked it with my saber, and Alfred launched a kick.
I took the hit and flew backward, then cut down the soldier who had been closing in on Shannon and Eva.
However, the moment I blocked my attack, the opponent kept their distance.
The Third Generation spoke with a sigh.
"...Lyle, they're not opponents you can hold back against anymore. You're outnumbered too. If you keep pulling your punches like this, Shannon and Eva will die."
The Fifth Generation agreed.
"Make up your mind. And we should flee from here immediately."
(I know that.)
Gripping the Jewel tight, I took my stance once more.
Alfred and the others narrowed their eyes as they watched my movements.
"This one's got more fight in him than I expected."
At the soldier's words, Alfred gave a bored-sounding order.
"Take out Lyle first. Lady Ceres is looking forward to hearing that elf over there sing. If we waste any more time, she's going to get bored."
Watching Alfred and his men draw their swords and charge at me over something so trivial as that, I truly felt like my head was going to split open.
At the same time—.
"I believe I'll be taking that dagger back."
I thought about reclaiming Rondo's dagger.
And along with the fear, a surge of anger rose up within me toward Ceres.