We're approaching from the east ridge, Platoon One. Platoon size one, another one in the back 40 and two more to the northeast.

　The forest at night, where the moonlight makes the shadows of the trees appear jet black.
　From the treetops, Minori calls down. What she is seriously looking into are the binoculars she borrowed from Naotsugu.

''It's done.''
Okay. Let the chanting begin.

　Minori and the others were entering a still shallow, hilly forest ridge not far from the great Zantorif River. The time was probably not yet midnight. Minori and her companions were waiting in a grove of trees on a hilltop about the size of a gymnasium, off a decaying leafy soil road that was neither a forest road nor a farm road.

　Climbing a large, solid zelkova-like tree, Minori looked out in all directions and sent updates to the others waiting below. A wide-area patrol "Long-Ranged Monitor" with binoculars, that was Minori's current role.
　Touya, who had been given the Damage Blocking Spell beforehand, relied on the barrier spell with its mirror-like effects and flew out into the darkness.
　He went to draw (Pull) the goblin troops on the eastern ridge. Soon after, a sharp sound of bowstrings rang out from the darkness, followed by the goblins' cries and the sound of rushing bushes.

　Touya is receiving all-sided combat training in the Log Horizon. The dungeons are no exception, even when it comes to the less useful flying tools. Samurai by nature are not ill-suited to the bow. They can also be equipped with bows and bows. With that big bow, Touya and the others are trying to attract the attention of goblins from a distance and lure them to Minori and the others.

''........Approaching. I knew it, two squads have noticed us.
　At Minori's call for vigilance, each of the companions readied their weapons and took up a battle stance. In the open, the distance to start an engagement is naturally wider. When this happens, the method of battle changes from that of a dungeon. Once the monsters and the adventurer become aware of each other's presence at a distance, it's only natural that the first stage of a hand-to-hand combat will be a firefight.
　However, long-distance combat has the disadvantage of drawing attention to the surroundings. A bow attack would have alerted the goblins and resulted in attracting two platoons, perhaps ten or so. The exact number was impossible to ascertain in the darkness, but Minori judged that from the sound of swaying torches and raking bushes.

'Countdown, please.'
　Serara's nervous voice comes on.

　Minori stared into the darkness with her binoculars. A faint phosphorescence began to emerge in the darkness illuminated by the moonlight. The Moonlight Fairy Drop, or Moon Fey Drop, is an intermediate level eye drop that a dispenser can produce. Although the price is moderate, just by sticking these in the eyes, one can become night-sighted like a cat, even in the dark, for 24 hours. Prior to this strategy, this was also given to me by Naotsugu.

''Five........four.......three......two.......''
　Minori focuses her nerves and begins to count down.
　Serara loads the waiting spell into the rod and activates it with Minori's signal of zero.

　About 30 meters away from Minori and the others, the trees suddenly rustled and the weeds began to wriggle and thrive.

　One of the three positions in the recovery class, the Forest Curse Master (Druid).
　Each of the three recovery classes has its own unique recovery spell, but they are not simply divided by those characteristics. As the name implies, forest spellcasters are those who use forest magic. The magic they use is derived from the mysteries of nature.
　They may not be as prominent in dungeons and dungeons, but in the open air, nature's hidden magic is a force to be reckoned with. The forest spellcaster is not a magical attacker, so their ability to cast spells that deal direct damage is inferior, but they are able to use a wide variety of unusual magic.

　Serara's spell, the Friendly Willow (Willow Spirit), affects the surrounding plants, causing ivy and its leaves to grow. They should wrap around the enemy and stop them from moving.

Here they come.
　Touya tossed his Azusa bow into the shade of a tree and drew his sword to keep his eyes on the road ahead. The stalling spell that Serara had set up beforehand should have been activated by Minori to measure the distance and activate it so that it would only entangle the following troops. I'm not going to be the only one who has been in the same situation.

I can see it. It's up to you to start the show. You'll be in charge of opening the show.
　I'm sure that Rundell House has changed its mind a bit after the recent coordination training.
　I'm sure you'll be able to see that even if you let Touya take the lead, you're still in the right place. It's not as if he or she was in a hurry to choose an attack spell, or that he or she was too intrusive. I'm still chanting the Icicle Blade spell, a grant that increases attack power, on Touya's sword.
　When the chanting of Rundelhaus is over, Touya's sword is covered with an icy cold air and shines brightly in the darkness.

''That of mine is different from that of the Grantor (Enchanter). The additional damage only occurs a few times, so go with the big move from the start.
　Touya nodded at Rundelhaus' words.

(Indeed. I'll have to clean up quickly.

　This is a goblin that's tougher than a moving skeleton. Besides, if you take your time, a second unit will probably come along that has escaped the restraints. Serara's stalling spell will cover a wide area of terrain, preventing the monster from moving, but it's not a guarantee.
What's more, there must still be many more goblins lurking in the surrounding mountains and forests, not just the one platoon that was following them.

　Two hundred at the most," Nyantas said. That's what Nyantas had said, but that was no longer in doubt. In the darkened shadows of the forest at night, there are so many signs of life in the forest that it is hard to imagine how many enemies there are in the darkness.

"Rudy, save your big move and push it with your hands, I'll only cover you for 30 seconds.......Maestro Echo!
　Touya and Rudy charge at the goblins under the cover spell of Isuzu, who is ready to take charge.

　Swords and sorcery dancing wildly.
　Understanding Isuzu's instructions, Rundelhaus discards the power of a single shot and unleashes a flurry of light spells. These light-weight spells have a short chanting time and reuse restriction time instead of little damage. They are what's known as 'continuous fire' spells.
　Rundel House's continuous magic attacks, which discarded huge spells with chanting times in the 5-second range, were cast an average of once every 1.5 seconds. Each one of those wild dances of fire and ice, Isuzu chanted in perfect tremolo technique.
　A crimson note for the flames to land. The notes of the blue sea are used for the landing of the ice.

　As a bard, Isuzu herself has a fairly low attack power.
　It was the fate of the support staff, and it could be said that it was an inevitable characteristic.
　However, that is why there are things that can be done. Based on the information that comes in from the five senses, Isuzu improvises and duplicates (ad-libs and copies) the spell of Rundel House, delaying it slightly and "singing" it.
　The sorcerer is a sorcerer with an explosive offensive power. What happens when all that magic is doubled?　Even with Isuzu's throat, the multiple bullets, which only lasted 30 seconds, destroyed the goblins in the blink of an eye.

　The second wave of goblin attacks that came next attacked Touya and inflicted numerous hand wounds, but Minori's 'damage blocking spell' nullified those wounds, and the damage that slipped through was made up for by the recovery spells that could be cast in succession. The two recovery workers who switched roles and Rundelhaus, who had finished preparing for the big move, arrived, and the group succeeded in eradicating the 10 goblins.



　◆



Yeah. I don't know if he can do it, but he can't. I don't see why not.
　At Touya's words, Serara, who had been tending to her, calls out to her, "It's not a good idea to let your guard down.

　Isuzu takes a sip of tea from her water bottle and hands it to Rundelhaus, who is retying the laces on her boots. Rundelhaus takes it and chides her, "Be careful, but be careful, but be careful not to be brave, and your victory will flee, Miss Serara.

　In the center of the room, where each of the four men was taking a break, Minori was struggling with a folded map. Shiroe had given me that map at the start of this summer camp, saying, "Well, I don't think we'll need it. It was a highly accurate one, with the Zantorieff Peninsula at its center, as well as the abandoned city of Ystal and the city of Tukuba.
　Although it is effective for night vision, it is difficult to discern the contents of the map in the dark, so I hid in the bushes where the light does not leak into the surroundings and called up a magical light with the 'Bugs Light'.

Yes. Yes...... It's okay. We're taking a short break now. We're moving north-northwest, right?　Yes, uh... about 3 kilometers. I understand. The kitten guys, take care of yourselves.
　Serara's voice would be a cautionary tale.

　The strategy Minori and the others had chosen was extremely simple.
　It was an infiltration attack on the goblin raiding companies in the hilly forest area.

　If it was impossible to defend the city, then they would have to strike first. They will use the forests where the goblins hide to their advantage and fight at night. There is no need to destroy everything. Unlike skeletons, goblins are still sub-humans, even though they are evil. If you give them a certain amount of blows, their will to fight will be diminished, and some of them will probably flee.

　Also, even if you were to defend the town, it would be a lot easier to defend it if you reduced their numbers by prior surprise. It was a savage ploy that almost seemed like desperation, but so far that strategy was working much better than he thought it would.

　What Minori had come up with was the outline of the plan, and it wouldn't have worked so well if Nyanta and Naotsugu hadn't been able to fix some of the details and lend him the items. And those nyantas would also be fighting deep in the forest separately from Minori.

　Nyanta, Naotatsu, Kouryu, and Rezarik were in a much more fierce battle zone than Minori and the others. After all, they had ridden into the center of almost the entire goblin raiding force at once.

　Nyanta and the rest of the high-level infiltration strike force charged into the center of the goblins. They repeat the eradication process while gathering attention. Minori and the others took up positions to the south, destroying each of the leaking goblin troops, fearful troops, and confused and isolated platoons, two hours have already passed since the battle began.
　Minori and her team had killed about twenty goblins in those two hours, and while five or six platooned goblins were still good, the scouting goblins acting alone were even more troublesome. It is often hard to tell what kind of intentions they have.

　When you think about it, this strategy is a dogmatic one against the Marielle of the Crescent Moon Alliance, the person in charge of the summer camp, but Minori tried not to think too much about that. Of course, that couldn't be enough, and when I gave him a reminder earlier, he was livid, but that's just the way it is.
　This operation would work by leaving a large number of troops as a defensive force in the town of Chowsi. The smaller the number of striking troops, and the more disruption and damage the striking troops inflict on the goblin raiding force, the smaller the strength ratio between the town's defensive personnel and the goblin attacking force would be, and the more likely the goblins would give up.

　Marielle probably didn't agree with Minori's words, but still, in the end, she said, "Be careful or I won't forgive you, already! I think he pardoned me (maybe, but I think he did).

'It looks like the enemies in this vicinity have been eradicated. I guess we'd better move.
　It was Isuzu who had changed to Minori and was looking through the binoculars.
''In the northwest direction. .........Ah. Great, it's moving unobtrusively.
　Isuzu, who let out an impressed voice, continues to report.

　Nyantas' impromptu party consisted of Naotsugu (Guardian) and Rezaric (Cleric) as the vertical axis, with Koryu and Nyantas as the attackers. The two swashbucklers are the two swashbucklers.
　These swashbuckling swordsmen use their attack speed to earn damage.
　He regularly receives communications from Nyanta, and even sends them to Marielle. Is Marielle talking to the Daichijin of Chowsi town?　Have the other members of the summer camp already returned to Akiba's city with the Return Spell?　No, they should have at least a little left for the town of Chooshi.

　As they walked in the darkness, an inexplicable feeling of anxiety and drudgery seemed to rush through Minori's chest.
　The story goes that what we are fighting now is only part of a large army of goblins. Minori hasn't heard the details, but from what Nyanta has leaked to me, the goblin tribe has been growing in large numbers in the north, and as a result, even the abandoned city of Eastal has been flooded with them, which is the origin of this incident.

　In other words, the raiding units that are fighting now are only a small part of the main body of these goblins. It's also possible to think of it as an irregular unit that is out of control.
　When you start thinking like that, a sense of emptiness begins to set in.
　I'm sure that even if we beat back this raiding force, it would be all for naught. Isn't this just a way to buy time?　I can't stop the doubts that rise up like a black cloud.

It's a scary thought. I can't fight at night.
　Touya, walking in front of me, let out a few words like that.

The silver glow that my blade draws on my eyes. I'm afraid that even if my eyes work at night, the soft soil and roots will take over my footing and I'll lose my balance. Only my breathing sounds deafeningly loud. .........and the redness of the blood from the flash of light will remain behind your eyelids forever. --But...
　Touya didn't look back.
　Without losing focus, she is at the front of the line, climbing through the trees to the bottom of the valley, where she can't even call it an animal trail.

But it's okay if you try your best. But it's okay to try your best and help.
　Touya's voice was like a light turned on in the darkness.

　Minori raises her gaze.
　She looks at her brother's back, which she still felt somewhere in her heart that she had to protect and help him. What he sees there is a strength that Minori does not have. Simple, straightforward, and even if there is hesitation, Touya's will with the speed of arrival to shake it off.

'Yeah. And that's good, isn't it?
　The one who nodded first was Isuzu.

(I knew it........)

　Minori's guess that she nodded like that because she was so fast-paced, but Minori's guess was still on target. Isuzu was hesitant until the battle began. Isuzu was worried about Rundelhaus, and if that was the case, then this battle was unbeatable.
　Because Rundelhaus was also Minori's companion.

　In order to protect the pride and secrecy of Rundel House and help its friends, Minori and the others had to "come here".

'What are you talking about? Touya and Miss Isuzu. That's natural. How can I be an adventurer when I can't see anyone else fall in front of me? I'll do what I want to do, how I want to do it. I became an adventurer in order to become a cool person.
　Rundelhaus continues to speak in exasperation.

　Touya also responds to it emphatically.
　It is Minori's role to protect everyone like that.

　The damage blocking spell is not a recovery spell.
　On the contrary, in Minori's opinion, it's not even magic.

　It's an oath to protect and defend your friends. If Minori's companions stand on the battlefield, it's the ability (readiness) of the Divinity Officer (Minori) to shoulder all the dangers that befall them and protect them without making the companions aware that such an invasion has occurred.

(I'm still inexperienced right now... and I'm not sure how much I'm capable of...)

　But, I think.
　But, I think.

　I'm not going to wake up and say, "When? Tomorrow. Today, I will have the power to do so. And in order to do so, we can't afford to be afraid of the darkness in front of us.

Warning!
　Minori's thoughts are pulled back by Isuzu's hushed voice.
　Isuzu looks ahead to the ridge with a narrowed gaze. There is nothing but a dark forest of trees without a single light, but the bard's keen senses seem to have caught something in the pitch black.
　She leaves a small hand sign and goes to the front of the line to begin scouting.

''It's a monster beast........ I don't know what kind, but I see a goblin with what looks like a big dog.
　Isuzu reports in a small voice. The wind across the valley won't let our scent or our voices reach the ridge. That's an advantage, but on the other hand, it hurts to have the high ground taken out of our opponent's hands.

''The numbers are three beasts and three goblins.
The Direwolf - a powerful enemy.
　Minori mutters.
　I've only absorbed the basic knowledge in Shiroe's class. I'm not going to be able to tell the difference. However, although it is a wolf, it is not a wild species. It's a full-blown monster, crazy about mana and the magic of the moon, and its fighting ability is more than twice that of a normal wolf.

"What are its weaknesses?
'Not many. The only things that could be used in this situation are........ I think it's only a flash of light and a roaring sound. But it's only for the first time.
　Minori answered Rundelhaus' question with a few words.
　The group, however, did not hesitate. Even if they did hesitate, there is no place to escape.

I'm going to go. Brother Rudy will be the mainstay of the attack. We'll protect Brother Rudy and win. Minori is going to protect Brother Rudy from damage as well. Sister Isuzu, go with Brother Rudy.
　After Touya gathered everyone's opinions, the group headed up the ridge, keeping an eye on the wind direction.

　The moon was in the middle of the sky and the long night had just begun.



　◆


　That night, "The Old Court of Eternal Ice".
　The meeting of volunteers that began in the middle of the night continued in a gloomy and repressed atmosphere. It had been mentioned that it was by those who wished to attend, but almost all of the lords and chiefs of the Free City Alliance Eastal had gathered for the meeting. Three legatees and deputy delegates from the Roundtable were also in attendance, so a total of nearly sixty people were present in the main conference room.

　Normally, with that many people present, even if they were quiet at a meeting, there would be a lot of fidgeting and coughing, but this time there wasn't even a single noise, as if they were afraid of triggering something.

　The topic of discussion was "The recent security situation in the northern Yamato Islands".

　The person who had called this meeting was Baron Clendit, Lord of Utsurugi Shinzenmachi, but it was obvious to all that he had been forced into this important role by the flow and pressure of the meeting, rather than by his own initiative.
　It's a good thing that you're able to get a good deal more out of this.

'However,'
Hmm....
Phew.
　The meeting was going in circles around what appeared to be an agenda item, yet there was no sign of progress at all.

A large force of goblins in the northeastern part of the Yamato Archipelago has sent out a Seventh Falls Fortress, which........ Our territory has been overrun by these goblins... yes.
　Still, since Baron Clendit, who had eaten the prodding from those around him, spoke a few minutes ago in a trembling and cracked voice, there had been no progress in anything that looked like an agenda.

(The lords must be thinking that they want to get us to start the conversation and somehow extract information or concessions from us. Or they may be thinking that they are responsible for "not capturing" the Nanatsu-Taki Citadel, or perhaps they want to take advantage of their guilt...)

　Observing the numerous lords that were present, Shiroe thought about it. Various things such as fear, resignation, anger, and pity floated in and out of the lords' expressions.
　His appearance was far from the word "relaxed". While adopting a fidgety and restless attitude, the one who sometimes turns his resentful gaze towards the Round Table is the Lord of the City of Tukuba, Marquis Kiriva.

The city of Tukuba, along with the city of Maihama, is the closest to the goblin forces at the moment. It's also the closest to the front lines of the goblin army, along with Maihama. And compared to the capital of Maihama, the largest city in the east, the city's strength is not as strong as that of Maihama, and its walls are by no means as strong as they could be. ........and I've heard it's a city of scholars and wizards centered around the Wise Men's Schoolhouse.

Oh. Oh, wow. This is why.... This is why we, the Free City Alliance Eastar, are currently in the midst of an unprecedented disaster. As a matter of urgency, we are experiencing an attack by these sub-humans, a disaster of unprecedented proportions. Regarding this matter...
　The meeting is resumed by Baron Clendit's verbose presiding, but this time the buzzing and private conversation does not stop. Both the lords and the civilian officials, who stand behind the hearing, are discussing with their colleagues in the vicinity in hushed voices. Each voice is so low that the words are inaudible, but as the whole group huddles together, it's hard to deny the noisy atmosphere.

　Looking to the side, Michitaka also shrugged widely.
　This isn't the best way to conduct a meeting.
　I'm sure you'll be able to find a way to make the most out of your time at the conference.

If you have any information on the behavior of the Knights of the Ismo, please tell us.
　Shiroe's statement, which he had no choice but to utter, had the effect of suddenly pouring cold water on the meeting, which was about to become noisy. Some of the lords were staring at Shiroe with their eyes wide into a perfect circle and their mouths open.

(What's this reaction? Do the Daichijin think that we are monkeys without the ability to think?　What can I do? It wasn't too long ago that we, too, were underestimating the status of the Daichijin as non-player characters. We're even, aren't we?
　Anyway, I'm pretty sure the Ismo Knights are now stuck in a situation where they can't move. And this isn't just a reaction to the fact that they can't move for other reasons?　(Even for more profound reasons?)

The Izumo Knights are the guardians of our Yamato. We can't call them out to fight a war like this. I would rather ask the Lord of the Round Table in Akiba. Why don't you stand up for the danger of the Yamato?　I hear that the Knights of the Round Table, led by Sir Krusty, are quite powerful. Do you mean to tell me that the Round Table will not be sending troops to deal with this incident?

''I thought this was a meeting to hear the opinions of each of the lords about it, but was it a meeting to hear the opinions of our Akiva city?　The decisions made at the roundtable are for further information, don't you think?
　Michitaka replies, scratching his head in a blunt tone of voice.

　As long as you are participating in the meeting, you don't mind being asked to speak, but it's unpleasant to be used as a diversionary material. That was my attitude.

''I hear that the Knights of Akiba's town are undefeated, east and west.
　A skinny nobleman, whose name I don't know, adds his words as if to shout: "I don't know what kind of rumors you are referring to, but I don't know what kind of rumors you are referring to.

"I don't know what kind of rumors you are aware of, but neither the Round Table nor the city of Akiba has any resident troops or knights, in the sense that the lords say.
　I'm not going to be able to get it right.
　It's a very good idea to have a good idea of what you're looking for. It's a good idea to have a group of knights in this case, not just a bunch of elite soldiers on horseback, but professional soldiers. I think it's not too much of a mistake to understand the word 'Order' as 'a unique force that is always ready for battle'.

　In a world where adventurers exist, one rarely hears of a "mercenary army," and militias, armed by ordinary citizens, are only ever seen in rural areas for self-defense. The reason behind this is that the lords of the land did not like the existence of armed peasants.
　It seems that "knights" is almost the only way for the aristocracy to understand the nature of the war effort.
　I'm sure you'll be able to find a lot of good reasons for this.

It's not a good idea to be an adventurer.
　The Marquis of Kiriva's bloodshot eyes, the words of the Marquis of Kiriva, are met with a response from Michitaka.

What are the 'adventurers' for?　...What does that mean?
It's obvious, isn't it? The power of the Adventurer was given to you by the gods. It is our duty to save the earth.
I don't think I've ever heard of that.

What the hell are you talking about? Immortal, immortal!　You have these abilities and yet you renounce your duty to this world. Shame on you. Why are you so arrogant with such abilities?

You're kidding me!
　Michitaka's loud voice echoed through the air chattering and shaking.

　-- Prior to this meeting, Shiroe and the others had thought deeply about the memory loss during the information gathering and discussion from noon. And about the possibility of this expedition.

　Indeed, the lack of memory is terrifying. Losing one's memories of the original world is as heartbreaking as losing one's home and getting lost in this other world. I'm not sure I'm going to be able to avoid the "life" in this world.
　Even death no longer means the end for Shiroe and the other adventurers. I'm not sure how long it will last, but for now, there is no choice but to live an unending life.

　That is why, even if we were able to avoid going to war against the goblin army this time around, we would have no choice but to get caught up in the inevitable battle sooner or later. The Roundtable agreed on that point. If we have to fight somewhere, we can stand up to the clash with the Goblin King this time, although of course we are preparing for the odds. I've decided on that resolve and entrusted the three people in charge of negotiations on the ground with the authority to do so.

　However, it would not be good for the future if they were used unilaterally. Shiroe argued that providing troops with ease would not only hurt the Roundtable and Akiba's city, but also the Alliance of Free Cities Eastal in the future. It was fine to join forces with them, but they had to make sense for that.

　They also confirmed their roles in this night's meeting.
　Shiroe agreed with the dispatch of troops from the Roundtable, and extracted information from the Roundtable.
　Michitaka opposes the deployment of troops from the Round Table, and extracts concessions from the Round Table.
　Krusty makes the final decision.

　So, we can say that Michitaka's opposition to Marquis Kiriva's request to deploy troops was in line with the scenario. However, Michitaka's blackmail had more than just a scenario; it had anger oozing from it.

(........of course. Because he is immortal, there is no risk. (What's the point of working because there's no risk?)
　This was a backhanded remark for the Adventurer, whose memory had been revealed to have been stripped away. Michitaka was understandably angry.

The arrogance that the weak have in the strong.... No, it's not funny. We may have acquired arrogance without even knowing it...)

First of all, we're not part of the League of Free Cities. We haven't undergone that ritual yet. We haven't received it yet, that's why we weren't invited to the plenary session yesterday. Am I wrong?
　Michitaka continues to speak, glaring at you with his powerful eyes.

　I know from Akatsuki's investigation that the lords had a secret meeting last night.
　The contents of the meeting are not known due to the interference of the lords' interceptions, but it's obvious from the way this meeting is going.

That's good. That's good, because we haven't received the decoration yet. But how dare you hold a plenary session in which only the nobles demand the unilateral cooperation of the Round Table and our city of Akiba with this one matter!　How is it? Baron Clendit.

Well, it's not like that. It won't be like that at all. That's a misunderstanding, sir. Lord Michitaka.
I'm not a lord!
Oh, please don't say such a thing. We, the lords of the League of Free Cities, are all in cahoots with the... Collusion?　and......... They are united with their people and are calling for the city of Akiba to go to war. There is no such fact at all....

　Poor Baron Clendit chokes out at Michitaka's swordsmanship, his eyes black and white.

''Hmm. Then, the reason why you requested the city of Akiva to go to war is because of Marquis Kiriva's sole discretion, and has nothing to do with the consensus of the 'Alliance of Free Cities'. Is this how it is?
　Shiroe responded to the words of that Baron Clendit.

　It was the Marquis of Kiriva who lost his degree with those words.

''Nah!　And yet you say that in your self-interest you have decided to go ahead with this matter on your own!　Each of them. Count Kashizawa!　Marquis Taihak!　Chief SwaLake!　Why don't you all say a few words to the Adventurer?
That's....

'It's certainly not the consensus. Not a consensus........but. It is true that such voices are heard among us, and they are not a few. Or do you say that the honored supreme power of the city of Akiba doesn't care about the disaster of the Yamato land?
　The greasy, middle-aged lord pressed Mititaka in a sticky voice.

'We're not cats and dogs. "'You're not dead, so go clean up the goblins.'?　Those who drive their countrymen into battle with such words will never gain the confidence of the Akiva people!
　Shiroe pulled on Michitaka's furious arm and pulled him back into the chair.

　It's fine for Michitaka to object to this due to his role, but if he continues to yell at the Daichijin for leaking the information about his memory loss to them, it will be troublesome.

(Hmm..... This is a problem.........

　I think I failed somewhat, Shiroe thinks.

　The meeting was completely stiffened by the conflict between Marquis Kiriva and Michitaka. As for Shiroe, he doesn't mind going out, or rather, cooperating with them on this expedition. No, she thinks that she has no choice but to cooperate in the end.
　I was going to spend some more time trying to figure out how to get to the bottom of this, but before I knew it, a crack had appeared in the meeting. But before I could do that, a crack had appeared in the meeting.

(Come to think of it, it was a mistake not to set a specific goal, even though we said we would get concessions. For example, funding, economic cooperation, or the conclusion of a treaty. (In any case, it was a mistake to try and get them to sign a treaty without setting a goal.

　The meeting was frozen with a heavy air.
　Even Old Lord Sergiad, the quintessential old man, was struggling to get a word in edgewise in the air, and Shiroe was about to throw a stone in the air when, without warning, the great door of the Kannon opening opened.

　A lone beauty entered with a cool breeze that must have been crossing the corridor. It was Reinesia, with her silver hair tied up in a pale dawn-colored dress.



　◆



　Raynesia was regretting it.
　It is true that she has been regretting every moment of her life.
　It was a very hard-working and industrious man who would have brought tears to the eyes of those who knew him, but he regretted it. At this point, I'll leave aside the fact that regret is an unproductive act, and is not originally described by the adjective "diligent".
　Today's Raynesia could not afford to worry about such details.

　The hall was much larger than Leinecia had imagined.
　To tell the truth, Reinesia had heard the whole thing from the next room.
　Of course, as the daughter of a marquess, Reinesia would never do such a trivial thing as eavesdropping (she has no such skills). It was Elissa who carried it out.

　It's a good thing that you're able to get the most out of the meeting, because you'll be able to see that your knees are trembling and your heart is jumping. As a noblewoman, Reinesia was skilled at smiling and dancing gracefully in the crowd, but this was her first time in politics, and she hadn't even planned to appear in such a political forum.

　The Free Cities Alliance Eastar is a force of aristocratic culture. To the aristocracy, women, especially unmarried women, were not considered full-fledged. Speaking at such a table had not been allowed in the past, and would not be allowed in the future. Reinesia was raised to be a "ladylike, modest, idealistic daughter" and she knows this very well. That's why she was so frightened of the grandiose things she was doing.

　However, something in Reinesia's mind was driving her, and she wouldn't allow herself to hide behind her parents and her knights.

　Raynesia stepped into the conference room with a graceful gait on the surface, despite her inwardly sloppy and cold sweat.

''This is........''
You're as beautiful as ever...
Lady Rynesia, granddaughter of Lord Corwin, isn't she?
"Like a fairy in a moonlit lake.
　Not only the lords, but also many young players and staff members had come to this meeting room. They had become fans of Reinesia at first sight that night at the ball, and they were whispering to each other in whispers.
　Of course, some of them had a vile look of decency clouded by lust beyond opportunity.

　Softly outlined cheeks in the shape of an egg. Large eyes filled with melancholy, a clean nose. And the silver thread-like hair was tied up today, contrasting favorably with the dress, which showed a beautiful line at the nape of her neck, sparing her collarbone. With her thin but feminine curves, no one would argue that she is one of the most beautiful princesses in the League of Free Cities.
　In addition, marrying her to a wife also means that she will be the successor of Corwin, a duke who is proud to be one of the most powerful families in Yamato. It was natural to receive not only pure adoration and adoration, but also greedy courting.

　The conference room was arranged with long tables facing east and west across the center of the room. Seated at the center of the table on the short side at the end of the room is Baron Clendit. He may be the one who is conducting the proceedings of the meeting. Next to him is her grandfather, Sergiad.

　He was always a harsh and frightening grandfather, even in the eyes of his grandson, Raynesia. Hoping to be missed just for today, she advances to the center of the room, as discipline dictates, and gives a graceful knee-bending greeting. First to the front, then to the east. Finally, to the west.

　My thoughts have stopped earlier.
　My mind is so saturated with thoughts that it's as if I've wrapped my head in cotton, I can't think of anything. I was bailing with the grace of an automaton that I had acquired through long training. The real Reinesia, looking at it as if it were someone else's business, is shaking in the depths of her mind and is in a state of panic with an (imaginary) cushion over her head.

　But the moment I straightened my posture and lifted my gaze, my eyes met those of my target.
　This was the height of rudeness that had kept me face to face with him every day for less than a week. A large, condescending man. A mind-reading specter. A demonic harasser dressed as a knight in shining armor.

　Krusty, the head of the Round Table.

　Dressed in jet-black clothing, Krusty's sturdy frame, which might be considered huge in the eyes of a Reinesia, is as sturdy as ever, even in the midst of such a fierce meeting.
　That is to say, a nasty expression, with a thin pair of rectangular glasses hiding his gaze and a presence-or-absence smile on his lips.

　Reinesia stares at Krusty.
　Krusty also stared at Reinesia, but eventually whispered, almost without moving her lips.

'--Is the slothful bug good today?
　That's what it's supposed to be.
　It's not good.
　I want to get back to my cozy room right away. I want to change into my flannel pajamas, which are a little out of shape from being worn, but are therefore very comfortable for Reinesia, and laze in bed.
　I'd like to nap to my heart's content, not talking to anyone. Then I want to get up in the first place and eat my lunch without washing my face properly, and then I want to sleep twice afterwards.

　So I stared at Krusty.
　She didn't have time for her usual graceful smile, like a noblewoman.
　Disappointingly, she gritted her back teeth, pulled her lips into a knot, and just looked at Krusty. Somewhere behind her, Raynesia could feel Elissa fret, but she didn't have the time to even pay attention to that and continued to stare into Krusty's eyes.

　The conference room begins to buzz.
　What is this sudden event all about?
　The lords who were wondering if it was or if it was sent by the first lord, Lord Sergiad, began to let out murmurs of doubt as they couldn't bear the silence.

''Raynesi........''
Lady Krusty.
　Raynesia interrupted her grandfather's words without turning around and addressing Krusty.
　If only his voice hadn't quivered, I hope.
　She offered it to Krusty, ready to throw it all away, even though she had a vague feeling that once she said it, she might not be able to get it back, but she was ready to throw it all away.

(This man is not human. A yokai. He's a yokai...)

　Even as she shuddered inwardly, she remembered Krusty's calm atmosphere. The calm air of him who had been with her for so long and never once tried to make personal contact with her. His almost godlike insight that he hadn't said even the slightest kind word to me.

　Yes. His good-naturedness and his eight-sidedness.

　In one respect, she and Krusty were accomplices in mending the surface and making it look like it was.

　During the past week, she and he, as partners, had tricked everything in the Free City Alliance Eastal. With a gentle smile and a soft demeanor, they had protected the truth about the girls and their little secrets.

(Yes..... I probably..... I believe in the dishonesty of this man. I believe in his lies, and in his deceit. I trust that he will see through me, that he will take me up on this joke...)

Yes, Miss Lainesia?
　Reinesia steps forward as Krusty gives a reverent, silent bow. The distance between them is less than a meter across the conference table.

''We're heading to Akiva now. Please make an offering.
　Raynesia told him clearly.

　Her head was still and quiet, and even the buzz of the meeting sounded distant.
　She could feel her own heartbeat and the temperature of her hot, burning earlobes. The change in Krusty's expression, which narrowed just slightly, was much more discernible than usual.

I'm not sure if it's a good idea, but I'm sure it's a good idea. I'm not going to be able to get out of the car. I am not going to be able to get out of the house. I must now go to the city of Akiba.

Go to Akiba. --What?
"Calling for volunteers.
　Reinesia's words took the lords' breath away. The city of Akiva is governed by the Round Table. The adventurers in Akiva's city are the soldiers of the Roundtable. The soldiers are the knights of this world.
　It means that they go to a city that is not their own and ask the knights to participate in battle without permission. It's not just a matter of how much time you have left on the clock, but also how much time you have left on the clock.

　But what did it mean for Krusty, the head of the Round Table, to go along on this journey to recruit volunteers? In this case, Reinesia was merely asking Krusty as a knight and Krusty as an individual to provide her with an escort.
　In theory, even if Krusty accepted the escort, he would not be responsible for taking up that obligation to the "Roundtable" itself.
　At worst, Reinesia would be decapitated as the instigator.

　As long as that was the case, Krusty would not accept his protection, and in the first place, Lord Sergiad would not allow his only remaining granddaughter to have that kind of discretion. There was a complicated groan among the nobles, which could not be described as disappointment, conviction or joy.

　But Raynesia continued to look straight at Krusty.

'It would be very, very troublesome, wouldn't it?
Yes.
　Reinesia gives herself away easily.
　But her inner thoughts are not as calm as the profile of the participants in the meeting, who are feeling graceful and melancholy. 'If it were possible,' he says, 'they would be driven to tears by Krusty.

'Why would you do that?'
Master Krusty said. Krusty said that adventurers are free. I'm only a silly girl, Krusty, but that's all I am. I'm not so sure about the politics of it. And I don't understand why your grandfathers have been hiding the disappearance of the Order of the Ismo.
　This time the meeting is filled with angry voices.

　The noise is so loud that the walls chatter and vibrate as if the walls are shaking with accusations of Raynesia's thoughtlessness. Elissa took a small dagger from her pocket to defend her Lord, and the lords who stood up ranted even more at the sight of it.

''You've done quite well with this one, haven't you?
Apologize with me when you take responsibility.
　Reinesia replied to Krusty with a look of deep disgust.
　The expression on her face is unworthy of the One Winter Rose in Eastal, but in this large conference hall, few people notice the slightest change in Reinesia's expression. There were endless accusations that Lord Celgiad's granddaughter had betrayed the Council of Lords and leaked secrets to the Round Table.

"What are you thinking about?
Is there anything you don't understand, Master Krusty? Yes, nothing. I don't think about it. But I, as a member of House Corwin, do not wish to lose my place in the family.
　At that moment, a young man next to Krusty, a sorcerer-like young man, slapped his hands together. The sharp sound resounded with a rhyme, and both the lords and knights in the conference room collectively fell into a golden bondage for just a few moments. Perhaps it was a type of spiritual magic.

　A moment later, in the silence that followed, Reinesia turned around and, with Krusty at her back, raised her voice as if to shield him.

The adventurers are free. The adventurers are free, and they are freer than we are. We may be weaker than the Adventurers, but that doesn't mean we can't continue to live with that weakness. We have no right to rest on our laurels and use them as tools.
　I'm going to go to Akiba and pray to the Adventurers in that city that they are free. If there are any adventurers who will respond to your request, there is nothing to stop them.
　If there are ten or fifteen of them, I will find someone who will help me. When you ask a free man to do something for you, don't you think it's only natural to be polite? My grandfather taught me that politeness is not a way to embellish words. I will go out in person and stand in the streets and plead with every single one of the Adventurers.

　I said it.
　I finally said it.
　A hand supports Reinesia's shoulders as she crumbles in a dizzying stupor as her blood recedes and she feels like she's on her feet.

'Can you take care of the rest?　Mr. Shiroe.
No, sir. It's such a waste.
Then it's Mr. Mititaka.
　Conversations exchanged in the fluff can be heard somewhere in the distance.
　The sharp sound of a whistle. A buzzing conference room.
　The sound of hurried shoes and an angry voice that seems to be asking some kind of question.

　Reinesia is taken by the hand as if she were being escorted to a ball, and before she knows it, she's on the terrace where the night wind is blowing across. She turned her head to see a confused conference hall and some knights who were breaking away from it and chasing after her. At the head of them is the face of her grandfather, who is stern but adoring to her.

'Are you going?'
　Even though her head was too confused to think about anything, the words sounded like letters of light painted on the clear night sky, and Rainesia nodded clearly. Her grandfather's face seemed to smile, but it was probably just her imagination.

　He could only think about that for a moment.
　Before she could scream at the fearsome winged monster - the Eagle Lion - that had glided past the balcony on a strong updraft, she was being held up like a piece of luggage.

'Excuse me,'
　The cool voice belongs to Krusty, a white warrior.
　Holding her in a side hug with his strong arms, Krusty leaps up onto the griffon's back, using only the strength of his legs.

''It's fine if you hold on to me.
　Under circumstances that would have made them faint if it weren't for the cool voice, the griffon carrying them flew up into the starry night.

　The other griffon, carrying a sorcerer-like young man and a dark-haired girl, stood at the side. What he left behind was his grandfather and the lords' meeting of the nobles.

　Raynesia desperately clings to Krusty's chest to keep her dress from being taken away by the roaring wind that growls in her ears.

　This is how Reinesia's "ready-made" mind began to roll down the unstoppable slope.