The Council of Lords was the first to sense the news of the goblin attack before Shiroe and the others.

　In the same way that adventurers have telepathic powers, the Daichijinshi have a magic that can only be used by the Daichijins. In the days when Elder Tail was a game, the Daichijin were non-player characters. The Elder Tail is an RPG, but it is also a story, and the Daichijin had to use a variety of magic tricks to make that aspect of the game come to life.
　For example, the magic is the secret to creating magical items and the magic to escape from the players.
　Most of them are the kinds of magic that are useless in battle, and in many cases their game-effectiveness is ambiguous, but in this other world, they seem to be used as a full-fledged part of the magic system.

　One such type of magic is remote communication magic using crystal balls. It is similar to the telephonic communication used by adventurers, but there are some weaknesses, such as the need for a crystal ball as a catalyst item, and the time and effort required to connect to it through a ritual. However, on the other hand, it also has characteristics not found in telephonic communication, such as being able to send images.

　At any rate, this kind of communication technology can be a more effective weapon than the Knights' group, depending on the time and circumstances. The lords of the Free City Alliance understood this, and they always employed personnel as resident magicians in their respective territories.

　It was the local lords who were the first to notice the presence of the goblin raiding army. From the middle of the Ou Mountains to the Zantorif region, the goblin raiding tribes (plunder tribes) have been moving through the mountains. Because they did not capture the fortified cities where the lords lived, the only casualties were really very small settlements in the mountains and unlucky travelers.
　Although this delayed their discovery, the march was still not short. In a sense, it was only natural that the adventurers who had remained in the Zantorieff region would find out about it before the others.

　This information came to us last night.
　The sorcerer who remained in the city of Tukuba, deciding that it was urgent, immediately contacted Lord Kiriva. After a moment's hesitation, Marquis Kiriva approached Duke Sergiad about calling a special meeting of the lords. He decided that Marquis Kiriva's personal pride was a small matter in the face of the incident, and asked for his help.

　The meeting started in this way and went on through the night.

　Why hadn't Krusty and the rest of the Round Table been invited to the meeting of the lords?　--There are three reasons for this.

　First, Krusty and the other Round Table members are not yet officially members of the Lords' Council of the Free Lords of Eastar.
　However, due to the lords' desire for extensive advance negotiations, the ceremony will be held later in the year.
　As long as the conferral has not taken place, it is theoretically correct that they are not full members.

　Secondly, there was a sense of unease within the Lords' Council that they were still uneasy about the Round Table. Some of them wondered, "Wasn't the invasion of the goblins itself a conspiracy by the Adventurers? It is also true that some people were of the opinion that the goblins were not the only ones who had been living in the mountains for a long time.
　The goblins of the Ohu Mountains had long been a headache for the people living nearby, but in the eighty years or so that had passed, they had never invaded outside the mountains. Although the dangerous woodland and mountainous region was an inconvenience and a source of anxiety for the locals, it wasn't a big problem for those who lived at the foot of the mountain.

　The reason why the goblins were locked up, so to speak, in the Ou Mountains was because the adventurers regularly raided them and reduced their strength.

　The lords of the Ohu Mountains, understanding the need for these adventurers to deprive the goblins of their strength, invested a sizable amount of money every year in the defeat of the goblins.
　The bounty was used to reward adventurers with quests via the city's taverns, asking them to "exterminate goblins," "attack goblin settlements," or "retrieve supplies from the goblins," and so on.

　But this year was different. The Adventurers had left the goblins in the Ohu Mountains alone. The four lords of the Alliance of Lords, especially those surrounding the Ou Mountains, began to theorize that the Goblin invasion was the work of the Adventurers.

　Of course, since the May Revolution, as the Daichijin call it, and the Catastrophe, as the Adventurers call it, the world has been unavoidably changed. The Daichijinshi knew this as well. It is fair to say that the Daichijin were the ones who were greatly affected by the incident.
　The adventurers may have been confused over the past few months, but the fact that the Daichijin were confused didn't change their minds at all.

　It is a common belief that the adventurers left the goblins behind not out of malice, but out of a desire to protect themselves. It's just a matter of time before the goblins are left behind. But they also had the urge to hate someone, even if it meant bringing up a conspiracy theory.

　And--

So, it's true.
Hmm. The Order of the Ismo is not here.
It doesn't exist?　Does that mean we've been devastated?
We don't even know if it's been wiped out. We haven't found any bodies, or even a trace of a battle. They just disappeared. The closest thing we can come to is to call it a godless hiding.

　A fact they reaffirmed.
　The information they were waiting for was about the Order of the Ismo.

　The Izumo Knights is one of the Thirteen Knights of the Whole World. They are the strongest military force created by the human race of goodness, and the guardians of the world. They are a mysterious superhuman species born from ancient magic that has now been lost to us, and that still lurks in the veins of the Earthmen, born as if by a miracle.
　The Order of the Thirteen is a group of heroes composed entirely of these "ancient species".
　They are the guardians of humanity, so they don't get involved in conflicts between lords and earthlings. They're also not seen in cases where sub-humans have attacked settlements, but they have always been the brave men and women who have defended the human world in the event of a large-scale disaster or a mass invasion by sub-humans.

　The Ismo Knights have disappeared.
　This fact was known a month after the May Revolution, but the Alliance of Free Cities Eastal had imposed a restriction on information due to the seriousness of the matter. At first, the disappearance of the Order was suspected to be a conspiracy by the Old Dynasty West Runde, but what little information we have learned from a secret agent has revealed that the West Runde is also perplexed about this matter.
　The only one the lords know about the 13 knightly orders in the entire world is the Knights of Izumo. The other 12 knightly orders are supposed to be tasked with protecting the world in a foreign land, but they have never been seen in Yamato.

　The Order of the Izumo Order has disappeared.

　The several fortresses that they used as their home have been abandoned. There is no trace of a battle or even a sign of preparations for a hurried expedition, according to the scouts.
　He just went for a walk on a clear day and never returned.
　It seems that such an impression was given that the signs of a casual, everyday life remained frozen in place.

'But, then...'
Mm-hmm.
　A few lords scratching their heads.

　The sub-humans, the green imp (goblins). That large tribe, a total of about ten thousand or so. Of course, this is not a number that can be repelled. If they could set up camp on the plains and bring the entirety of the League of Free Cities to battle, that is.
　But the goblins are currently moving southward through the mountainous region, and there is no telling where they will strike. They could attack the city of Hitach, the city of Forbridge, or maybe even the city of Urmiya, which is the home of the League of Free Cities.

　These cities, like many of the cities in the League of Free Cities Eastar, are fortified cities with high walls, defending their lordships' mansions and the entire city exactly as they are. Depending on the number of troops and citizens, if you are dedicated to defense, you will be able to protect yourself from many enemies. However, that doesn't mean that they can defend the city alone from more than 10,000 goblins, which is a difficult question to answer. There is also the problem of supply, and above all, it will break your heart.

　The city of Tukuba is currently the one that is in the most difficult situation.
　The tribe of goblin plunderers (the "Plunder Tribe") that was sighted is believed to exist in the mountains just a few dozen kilometers in a straight line from the city of Tukuba.

　Other cities of humans that are likely to be target points for goblins are the city of Hitachi, the city of Forbridge, and the castle town of Urmiya, as mentioned earlier. The town of Chowsi, an unarmed fishing village with no lords in existence.
　Or.

'Or Maihama.
　Lord Sergiad murmurs as he holds a strong, bony hand to his chin.

　Maihama hits the other side of the abandoned city of Ystal from this "Old Court of Eternal Ice" towards Zantorif. From the point of sightings of goblins, the worst-case scenario is that they can strike within two or three days.

　As it turned out, the goblins were invading the Free Cities Alliance of Eastar, gouging them from the throat. The Free Cities Alliance has allowed the goblins to invade that deep into the throat of the Alliance of Free Cities.
　The thorns are no longer in a position where they can be removed without bleeding. The poison is rotting in the heart of the alliance.

　A stifling silence passes through the meeting.
　It was too bitter a silence.
　The meeting began in the middle of the night and continued past midnight, with heavy words being exchanged. Rationally, it was no longer a time for meetings. The enemy is only a few days away from many cities.

　In this situation, all the lords of the Alliance of Free Cities Eastal had no choice but to cooperate with each other, provide their troops, and encircle and destroy the goblin army.

　But to do so, they would have to make a huge number of sacrifices. In mountainous and forested areas, where visibility is poor, mounted troops are of little use. Heavy cavalry, whose main method of combat is the assault, will be powerless.
　It is also difficult to fight in large numbers. The lords' combined forces would be split up into many pieces, and they would lose a lot of men in the battle against the goblins. Even if they went that far, there is no guarantee that the goblin tribe will be able to escape and be destroyed in a mountainous area suitable for hiding and hiding.

　So, is it enough for all the lords to return to their lands and castles? Of course, many of the cities can siege for a few months.
　However, goblins can raid suburban settlements and villages while continuing their siege on fortified cities, burning down fields and hiding in the mountains before reinforcements can arrive. Their goal was food and property, and in that sense they could be compared to a group of armed refugees rather than an army.

　The weakness of the mountainous northeastern part of the Yamato archipelago has been exposed. It is extremely difficult for a large group of people to work together organically in such a topographical environment.

　Rubbing his temples, which are heavy and throbbing, Sergiad thinks.

(Will the conclusion at the Lord's Council be a siege operation with the consent of all the lords....... There is no choice but to adopt a stabbing strategy with the resolve to lose a large number of troops. .........But in that case, it's just a question of which lord will be the first to fire the first shot.......

　It's a good idea to call it the first shot, but it's a position as close to an abandoned stone as possible.

--The first thing to do is to get some fortified city under siege. This fortified city will fortify its defenses and resist the goblins. The goblins will be exhausted in order to bring down this citadel. The goblin army will be surrounded and destroyed by a large army of the Lords United.

　From a military point of view, this strategy is correct.
　It would be almost the only feasible way to destroy the goblin army. However, there is no raw
　Not to be crushed by the silence, a half-desperate Marquis Kiriva shouted. This time, several lords seemed to show interest in his words.

(Hmm........)

　Sergiad thinks meditatively, though he also keeps a stern expression on his face.

　That's right.
　Until now, his thoughts were solely within the framework of the existing "Alliance of Free Cities". But now, the city of Akiba - the existence of the Adventurers - is a factor that has never existed before. They may be able to take some effective countermeasures.

(But...)

　Their presence is not only a powerful weapon for the Free Cities Alliance Eastar, but also a double-edged sword. No one can guarantee that they are a force that can be controlled.
　Is it right to ask for help from such an entity?　If you ask for help, they will naturally suspect you and you will have no choice but to tell them everything. This includes the absence of the Ismo Order, which is a deterrent.

　For me personally, it's not a bad idea to believe in the three young men who have come to represent us this time.

　Michitaka is a man who wears the style of a great merchant. He is a man who is prepared to take short-term losses for the sake of his cause and his business path.
　The young man who calls himself Shiroe is a scholarly man, but in his essence he is a well-trained sword. Once extracted, he has the wisdom to cut both ways, no matter what the difficulty.

　And then there's Krusty. That young man who organizes the Round Table is not a knight. He is a young man with far too many talents from heaven to be described by the word knight. But on the other hand, the depths of light and darkness in the young man Krusty are so deep that even Sergeiad, who is more than 60 years old, can't see it coming.

　However, one must make a strict distinction between Sergiad's personal goodwill and that of Sergiad Corwin, the largest eastern nobleman who governs the capital of Maihama and the first lord of the Alliance of Free Cities of Eastal.

(Not to mention, this situation must also be monitored by the Ancient Dynasty Westlande...)

　A few lords, including Marquis Kiriva, loudly advocate for the Adventurers to enter the battlefield. A few of the lords, including the Kiriva, loudly advocate the idea of the Adventurers being thrown into the battlefield, citing secrecy.
　But most of all, as for throwing the Adventurers into battle, that would be great, but how do you actually get them into the war?　The lords expressed doubt from a practical means point of view, saying that there was no such thing as a reward or compulsion.

　The meeting was as confused as a beehive.
　And it didn't quiet down until the next day when Shiroe and the others received a report from Nyanta, who had left for the summer camp.



　◆


　The next morning, as I saw it from the Council of Lords.
　The reminder from Zantorif alerted Shiroe and the others to the urgency of the situation.
　It was not clear if this was the first report from Nyanta. At about the same time, Michitaka and Krusty had also received word from the guild members accompanying the summer camp.

　The Zantorif Peninsula is under attack by a large scale sub-human tribe.
　With this information, Shiroe and the others have returned to their rooms to hold an emergency meeting. Inside the room, Shiroe, Michitaka, Krusty, and a few other members are just there. The other attendants are guarding the conference room and gathering information from the outside.

　At the same time, an emergency "round table" meeting should have been called at the top floor of the guild hall, the Round Table Room, in the city of Akiba. Although it is a little inconvenient, through telephonic relay, the "Round Table Conference" was somehow able to be held even in these remote situations.

The first thing to consider is the situation.
　At Michitaka's request, Shiroe read out the information currently known to him from his notes.

'We have confirmed an attack by a variety of sub-humans on the Zantorif Peninsula since this morning. Sixty-seven people, including new players from the city of Akiva, have been staying on the Zantorif Peninsula for a summer training camp.
　The invading force is the (Safagin) at sea. The total number is unknown, but at least a few hundred of them. A large tribe of looting tribes (plunder drives) centered on the Green Ogre (goblins) in the central hilly forest region. This one has a minimum of 10,000 troops.

"Ten thousand...
　Ten thousand in a nutshell, but that was a tremendous number. Even for the average player, this is a dizzying number.

　The basic unit of group combat in the Elder Tail is the party. This is the tactical unit in which adventurers work together to organically coordinate their efforts, with a maximum of six adventurers. The Elder Tail's Adventurers usually form a party to go on normal adventures and challenge dungeons.

　However, there will be events and quests that the party cannot handle. The Elder Tail has a system of raids to prepare for such situations.

　There are several levels of raids, the most notable of which is the full raid, a platoon of six adventurers, or a party of four to a company of 24 players. Almost all of the heroic battles in the Elder Tail took place in this form.
　It was as a result of 24-man battles that the Tea Party of the Prodigal won a griffin in the Field of the Dead.

　In addition to the 24-man battles, the Legion Raid is a battalion-wide battle in which four of these 24-man companies are bunched together. This is one of the few units in the history of the Elder Tail that is used to respond to large-scale live events, the most difficult of difficulties, and national crises.
　With a total of 96 players, coordinated action is difficult, and it is impossible for the average player to even keep track of the battle itself. Commanding a group requires a great deal of courage and a good tactical sense.

　The level of the goblins is not high by any means.
　For a 90-level player, they are just small fry (mob) monsters that can even take on ten goblins by themselves. However, that didn't mean that he had even heard of a total number group of 96 Legion raiders, a total number that was 100 times greater than the 96 Legion raiders.

''And this number is the lowest. I believe that there are more than this number, on my end.''
What do you mean?
　Krusty responds to Shiroe's words.

'It's about the cause of this invasion.
'Cause?　Do you have any idea what you're talking about?
　One of the attendants in attendance communicates via telepathic communication. It's probably the opinion of Soujirou of the West Wind Brigade. In response to that question, Shiroe begins, "This is not a confirmed fact, but rather my guess.

I believe the reason behind this invasion is the 'Return of the Goblin King'.
　At Shiroe's words, not only the room where the three guild masters were speaking, but also Akiba's Round Table, and Marielle, who was participating in the conference with telepathic communication from the center of Zantorieff, lost her voice.

　The Return of the Goblin King was a regularly scheduled game event back in the days when the Elder Tail was a game. The goblin tribe's castle, the Seventh Falls Fortress, is located in the deepest part of the Black Forest in the Ohu region.
　In this castle, the Goblin King is crowned once every two years. He is crowned by the more powerful chief of one of the six surrounding goblin tribes.
　To put it in game terms, it is an event that happens once every two months in Earth time. The entrance to the Seventh Falls Fortress (Seventh Fall) zone was only open for one week every two months, and during this time, players could enter the castle and defeat the Goblin King to obtain powerful items.

　This event was extremely popular, and there were two reasons for this. Firstly, the Goblin King's items were randomly chosen from among several, but they were very powerful. It's not the kind of magic item that major guild players want to be able to afford, but it's the kind of magic item that regular players have always dreamed of.

　More importantly, the strength of the Goblin King and the variable security of the castle are not to be overlooked.
　The position of the Goblin King is set up in the game to be held by the most powerful goblins of the surrounding tribes. In other words, by attacking the goblin strongholds scattered throughout the Ohu region, the goblins in the Seven Falls Fortress zone would be greatly reduced in power. The level and strength of the Goblin King will also be weakened.

　Because of this feature, Return of the Goblin King was reasonably popular as a gritty quest that could be challenged by people who were not part of a major combat-oriented guild. Of course, the fact that there were multiple quests asking you to 'defeat the Goblin King' was also significant.

' -- That's right. You all know 'The Return of the Goblin King'. There is an element in that event that has been forgotten because it almost never happened in real life.
　Defeating the Goblin King requires a large scale battle (raid), but if you have eliminated the Goblin forces beforehand, the level of difficulty is not so high that it can be called for a mid-level guild. This is why even Shiroe has never heard of a case where the Goblin King was not defeated in a week's time.
　However, if Shiroe's memory was correct, there should have been an additional mention in the event guide.

''I see.... If the goblin king survives the week-long conquest, he will unite the goblin tribes in the surrounding area to create an army that is dozens of times larger," is the explanation, right?
　Shiroe nodded to Michitaka's point.

　He was right.
　The crowned Goblin King should be crowned as the hero of the Goblin tribe and increase his power dramatically.

　Shiroe and the other adventurers had been working hard to create the conditions in which they could survive in this alternate world since the Great Disaster. They've even gone so far as to not think about the Return of the Goblin King, a popular event in the days when Elder Tail was a game.

''I wonder if the goblins' strength is also completely preserved.''
　One of the attendants conveys the message from the telepathic message. Shiroe thinks for a moment and nods.

The first thing that comes to mind is the fact that there were no attacks on the six surrounding tribes and no wave attacks on the Goblin King's castle - the Seventh Waterfall Fortress - this time. I think it's safe to say that the level of the Goblin King's guards and combat units is the best it's ever been. Of course, the Goblin King will be tough to beat. .... Even more than that, I'm worried about the size of the goblin tribes that have been merged,''

　There was a stifling silence in the conference room.
　It's not that everyone wanted to be silent; it's that everyone seemed to have lost the thread of their words.

　That said, it didn't turn into a massive buzz, because a certain sense of security was secured. Reports have come up that Ichinata, who was heading to the summer camp, is currently taking refuge in an abandoned school building, and Marielle of the Crescent Moon Alliance is currently attending this teleconference from that abandoned school building.

　The telephonic function can only be used one-on-one, so Marielle and Henrietta, who is in a state of communication with Marielle, are the substitutes in the conference room.
　Also, if the abandoned schoolhouse where the group is holed up is surrounded by powerful monsters, they can use a return spell to evacuate to the city of Akiva and remain unharmed.

　A large army of goblins is underway at the base of Zantorieff peninsula, which means that they are advancing eastward or southward, flattening the surrounding villages and hamlets, but they are still far enough away to reach Akiba city. And if they were to invade, the city of Akiba holds enough troops to intercept them.
　Even if the Goblin King is more powerful than ever, that level of power is to be expected. The city of Akiba has more than 500 times as many Adventurers as the 24 full raiders needed to defeat the Goblin King.



　The Order of the Izumo.
　It is a group of ancient species that resides on the Japanese server.
　These ancient species were born from the earthlings and were heroic beings. They were the trump card of a benevolent humanoid race, with abilities that surpassed those of the Adventurers. Since the adventurers first appeared on the scene, their overwhelming numbers have given them a monopoly on defeating sub-humans and executing quests, but when the fate of the world is at stake, it is always the Knights of the Old Ones who intervene.
　One of the 13 knightly orders on the world's 12 servers. The Knights of the Izumo are the guardian gods of the Japanese servers, or perhaps even the Yamato archipelago.

　When the Elder Tail was a video game, Shiroe often heard about the Order. Shiroe was not alone in hearing the lore of this mythical order more and more as the player reached higher levels. Depending on the quest, they would often fight together and follow in their footsteps.
　Because they are the guardians of the entire human-type race of good in this world, they will not get involved in political struggles between lords, for example, but they will raise their heavy hand in the event of a situation such as a sub-human invasion.

　The air in the conference room was filled with an air of "there's not much we can do about it," but Shiroe was skeptical. For example, there was no confirmation whether the were still functioning today.
　It's not only that, but also that the goblin tribe's southward march itself is a concern. According to the commentary on the official Elder Tail website, the only description of the goblin king was that the abandoned goblin king would unite the forces in the vicinity and establish a great kingdom.

(.............Are you sure?

　However, Shiroe does not have a clear-cut answer. And it is true that there is some hesitation in conducting a large scale battle now that there is the problem of the "spirit theory" (spirit spirit spirit spirit theory).


　◆



Princess! Princess! Princess Reinesia?
　At the voice of the maidservant calling out to her, Reinesia turned her head in that direction.

''What is it...?''
　Reinesia asks with a nod of her head. If you are a knight of the court, that alone is enough to make you be struck in the chest and pledge lifelong loyalty, but she is a samurai who has been used for many years by the side.

'Have you been thinking about something?　Lunch is still to come.
　Elissa casually gives a terrible response.
　At most, this is still the warmest of points to make. 'Thinking' is a rare occurrence in Raynesia's behavior. 'Dwelling' is much more common than 'thinking', and the most common is 'letting loose'.

'Huh?'　...Yeah, you see?　Elissa.
　As if it's something she's used to, Reinesia doesn't rebel in that area and asks back.

　The maidservant, called Elissa, walks around behind Reinesia as she sits in front of the dressing table and starts combing her stunning silver hair.

'Yes, it looked like it. Unusual for a princess, though.'
　The words made Raynesia sink back into thought, which was truly unusual. The trick to tell them apart is the gaze. She keeps her gaze slightly downward, and the expression of joy and anger is gone when she's thinking.

　The expression that seems to be drifting downward to the left, enduring anguish and still trying to smile is "groggy". From Elissa's point of view, it's usually like it's nothing, or why would it be?　This is the expression she wears when she is depressed and depressed.
　This is the true nature of the "Maiden Maiden Maiden Maiden Maiden Maiden Maiden Maiden Maiden Maiden Maiden Maiden Maiden Maiden Maiden Maiden Maiden Maiden Maiden Maiden Maiden Maiden Maiden Maiden Maiden Maiden Maiden Maiden Maiden Maiden Maiden Maiden Maiden Maiden Maiden Maiden Maiden Maiden Maiden Maiden Maiden Maiden Maiden Maiden Maiden Maiden Maiden Maiden Maiden Maiden Maiden Maiden Maiden Maiden Maiden Maiden Maiden Maiden Maiden Maiden Maiden Maiden Maiden Maiden Maiden Maiden Maiden Maiden Maiden Maiden Maiden Maiden Maiden Maiden Maiden Maiden Maiden Maiden Maiden Maiden Maiden Maiden Maiden Maiden Maiden Maiden Maiden Maiden Maiden Maiden Maiden Maiden Maiden Maiden Maiden Maiden Maiden Maiden Maiden Maiden Maiden Maiden Maiden Maiden Maiden Maiden Maiden Maiden Maiden Maiden Maiden Maiden Maiden Maiden Maiden What she's worried about is, "Did I eat too much food yesterday...? And so on and so forth.

　The most popular expression among knights, military officers, and other physical groups is the look of "abandonment," which is a slight tilt of the head, a dreamy, enraptured expression, and a smile that may or may not be there. As the degree of abandonment deepens, the eyes become moist and more attractive.
　In this case, it's called "abandonment," but if you ask them, they really aren't thinking about anything. At best, they say something like, "Oh, it's a nice day" or "I want to take a nap in my room", but that's about it. It sounds like an idiot to hear all this, but from what Elissa can see, the Reinesia that she serves is an idiot, so there is no factual error.
　At least in their normal lives, though.

(Totally. I can't get rid of this whole "beautiful woman" thing. I can't get rid of it.
　As for Elissa, she can only sigh.

　Even Elissa, being a maid of honor to a princess, is quite a beautiful woman compared to the average. It's a good thing that on the occasional day off, if you go out to the castle town, you are always accosted by a stranger.
　I'm not sure if it's a good idea to have a newborn baby. The real beauty of a woman is a person like Reinesia. This level of beauty is a kind of independent entity, and its effect is no longer dependent on the personality and intentions of the woman herself.

(I don't envy her too much.)

　With a small sigh, Elissa combed her hair like a gorgeous silver waterfall. The strands of hair flowing coldly through her fingers, even a tuft of it would be a treasure comparable to gold of the same weight.

''Well you're not coming today.
　Feeling like teasing a little bit, Elissa slips the words into a sly manner.

'Huh?'
It's Master Krusty.
Why?
No, sir. The two of you have been having lunch together a lot lately. I thought it would be a good time to invite you to come and visit us.

Well, I guess...
　Reinesia returns the words somewhat panicked. The faintly disconcerted Reinesia is not the 'beautiful princess' that the knight had longed for.
　I'm sure you'll be able to find out more about this as well. It's not a good idea to call her beautiful, but she looks like a bad girl. I'm sure you'll be able to find out more about this.

Yes, that's right. It's a good thing that the lords of the land are always in the dark. We are having a hard time with our traveling closet and they don't even take the time to prepare for us.
　It's a shame. ...You wore a pearl-colored dress, a wisteria stole and an amethyst necklace to the luncheon yesterday. The day before yesterday it was a pale rose-purple satin one, yes, and a two-tiered one.
Yeah.

　Reinesia stares back at Elissa in the mirror with a puzzled expression on her face. She doesn't seem to understand what Elissa is talking about.

May I?　Princess. This is not the "Ash Princess Castle" (Castle Cinderella) in Myhama. Therefore, the princess's wardrobe has its limits. With so many lunch parties being held with certain highnesses, there's a limit to the variety of dresses you can wear.
　As long as it's a lunchtime party, we can't wear evening dresses like we do at a dinner party, and there is a limit to the moderation in exposing our skin during the day. Of course, if you're having a meal in the courtyard, there's a certain shape of cuffs, and if you're indoors, there's a certain color combination with the wallpaper...
　After chewing on Elissa's words for a while, Reinesia trailed off.

'Not really, even if it's the same as yesterday.
'No. What kind of country girl eats in the same dress two days in a row?
　Elissa quickly interrupted Reinesia's words.

'Well, maybe a silk dress shirt and a kilt highland skirt...'
That's a loungewear. Isn't that a special outfit for the princess to lounge around in?
　Reinesia keeps her mouth shut at Elissa's swordsmanship with the expression of a scolded puppy. Even such an appearance looks like an appearance of enduring hardship with a hidden melancholy, so beautiful women are a terrible thing.

(But they're no good in their heads.) A kilt highland skirt is not something to be shown to lords. We are not tavern girls.

I don't think Master Krusty would mind that, sir, but...
'Eeeee. Lords say they don't care or don't care in their mouths, but in their hearts they are ruthless in their grading. Of course they do.

　Just then, a knock interrupted the swordplay of the maidservant, who was about to begin her sermon again.
It was Fennel, Reinesia's father, who had received Reinesia's signal and didn't even have time to check on Elissa before entering, dragging the household order with him.

'Oh, Reinesia. Please calm down and listen to me.
　Dismayed, Fennel gulps down the water in the glass that is handed to him and squeezes out a few words.

A swarm of goblins is approaching the capital of Miami," he says. The number of these goblins is said to be close to 10,000. The enemy continues to multiply at this time and will probably be at full force within a few days. Worst case scenario.
　For a moment, Elissa is unable to grasp the meaning of the word.

　Ten thousand is ten times a hundred, ten times a thousand.
　The capital of Maihama is the largest settlement in the Alliance of Free Cities of Eastar. Its population is about 30,000. However, that figure includes all the farmers and merchants.
　Myhama's capital has a force of 1,000 civilian guards to guard the city, 400 knights of the Maihama Order of the Castle, and other patrol knights, but the total number of troops in Maihama only reaches or falls short of 2,000.

　The moment she thinks that far, Elissa feels the blood draining from her body with a rumbling sound.

　If the enemy is a subhuman, civilian volunteer soldiers will hardly be able to stand a chance. I've heard of such terms as siege warfare, but to Elissa, who doesn't know the details, it sounds as if the odds are against ten thousand against two thousand.

The first thing that comes to mind is the fact that the ugly demons have not yet decided to attack the capital of our greatest treasure, Maihama. The city of Tukuba and several neighboring nobleman's estates are also in the danger zone. I'm not going to let my guard down. I'm going to return to Maihama with all haste.

Father. Now I'm going with you.
　Reynecia floats up on her haunches.
　Her expression is serious and sharp.

　It's true that Reinesia is not good at socializing with people, she's lazy and vague, and she's the kind of woman that you wouldn't expect to find in the daughter of a great nobleman.

　But just because she's "not considered a daughter of a great nobleman" doesn't mean she's unworthy of being a daughter of a great nobleman.

　That is decidedly not true. This lax and flamboyant princess was now the daughter of one of Yamato's only two remaining dukes, Corwin's bloodline. Elissa had never doubted only the precious bloodline of the princess she was taking care of and her potential.

'No, that is not good enough. You will remain in this court.'
Why, sir? Upon the return of the family to their lands in crisis...
No, your father-in-law will remain at the Court.
　Her father-in-law is the current head of the House of Corwin, the Duke of Sergiad. Reinesia's father is the daughter of Sergiad, the son-in-law of Reinesia's mother, Saranja.

This invasion of the sub-humans is proving to be a bit of a mystery. Nor is it likely to happen to just one of our cities, given the scale of the attack. If they attack Maihama, so much the better. In the worst case scenario, the goblins could lay waste to our land, the Alliance of Free Cities of Eastar.
　For that reason, the Council of Lords must ensure its unity. As the first lord, your father-in-law can't leave the ancient court. You have to support your father-in-law. You have to support your father-in-law, don't you?

　Perhaps that was all he had come to tell her.
　Fennel didn't even try to wait for her daughter's words, but strode out of the room as quickly as she could. Elissa could only bow her head deeply and look away.

　For her part, Fennel was her direct employer. She had far less contact with him than Reinesia and her mother, Saraliyah, who were in his care, but she had the impression that he seemed to be a pious man.

　Speaking of the capital of Maihama, the lord of the city is Lord Sergiad.
　He was highly respected by the people and deeply admired by the people. His daughter, Saraliya, and her granddaughter, Reinesia, are also greatly loved in the city.
　It's a good idea to have a good idea of what to do with your own daughter-in-law, or so to speak.
　It's not that the people of Maihama were not disappointed when it was decided that a young man with a civilian background and who had come up through the ranks of the civil service was going to join the royal family, but Elissa had heard from her parents that the people of Maihama city were not disappointed, but they were somewhat disappointed with the way they felt.

　However, in the back of Fennel's figure, who didn't show an ounce of hesitation in rushing to the territory like this, there was no trace of the pampering of a rising civil servant. If he is that pliant, there is no way that he would be able to match Sergiad's glasses. Elissa was convinced of that.

''Father........''
Your Highness?
　A mumbling voice brought Elissa's attention back to Raynesia.

　There was Reinesia, who was thinking.
　No, the expression on her face is completely different from the one that Elissa had described as "a thinking Reinesia" just a few moments ago.

　It's not just a matter of time before you get to the point where you'll be able to get your hands on a new one.

"Princess..........?
　Reinesia continued to bite her lip, not even hearing Elissa's question.