Ten eyes stared at the silver light.
　Blades exchanged tailed like meteors, bouncing and disappearing.
　They pass or strike each other through promises that seem predetermined, and they reject each other with a sound more like crystal slices than metal.
　As Nazuna and her friends watch, the killer and Soujiro engage in a fight to the death.
　Soujiro's battling attacks were too smooth and intimidating in no small part. However, Nazuna knew that the blow was unavoidably frightening to the one being aimed at. The slash that was released was just too graceful to be felt gently. Soujiro's attack, which was released in anticipation of even the opponent's evasive action, was, despite its appearance, a lethal blow.
　The murderer repels Soujiro's attacks with his deformed cages and gadgets.
　This is not proper swordsmanship. It's a movement of instinct, similar to the fighting techniques of a beast. And it is clearly colored by the pleasure of murder that only people have.
　Before the sparks from the blow had even been extinguished, the killer's sword is unleashed from a collapsed position.
　Unlike Soujiro's, the attack is a violent strike that has no logic in swordsmanship.
　But because of its bullshit, it was fast and unpredictable.
　In fact, Nazuna's companion Kyouko was hit by it, and now Nazuna's Kawara is also badly wounded.
"Chief, that's amazing...
　The murmurings that leaked out of his arms would have been the murmurings of all the members standing behind Nazuna.

　Normally, this is an opponent that should be surrounded and fought as a group.
　Embert-Nerles.
　Level 94, "Samurai" (samurai).
　Nazuna no longer considers this demon to be an adventurer, as he is only one level higher than Shojiro. The word "samurai" is absurd.
　It's no wonder that Nazuna has been looking at the warriors for so long. It's true that the Elder Tail has a wide variety of skills, and the warrior can learn many of them. Many techniques are replaced by higher level techniques, and there are about 40 in that family, and while an individual warrior may not be able to master them all, there are still too many differences between the murderer before him and the techniques Soujiro uses.
　That wasn't a warrior. That fighting style is too different from that of an adventurer.
　Even so, at first we were facing each other as a party.
　After one of the West Wind Brigade's investigative team encountered the murderer and was able to escape, Soujiro and his team of soldiers, who had packed up the headquarters, set out to fight the murderer in this narrow alleyway.
　However, Nazuna and his team's battle plan to encircle and eradicate it has fragilely fallen apart.
　It's impossible to form a proper formation in this alleyway, which is like a gap between the ruins of the city and the ruins of the city. Moreover, other than Soujiro, there was no one else in Nazuna's squad who could use that killer's strange sword to suppress it.
　In the blink of an eye, the second vanguard, Kawara, was cut down, and Nazuna and the wizards (casters) were also affected. If Soujiro hadn't packed forward at once and put pressure on the murderers, they would have been transported to the Great Temple by now.
　Nazuna gave a small thanks.
　It wasn't because Soujiro had saved her.
　It's just a matter of luck that he didn't sacrifice a woman in front of Shojiro.

　The blow that would certainly have made the war effort if sound could slay a man was repeated over and over again. In the evening, the winter wind begins to get drier and drier and more equipped with a cracking coldness. A murderer's sword rushes through the air as it cuts through the air.
　Soujiro plays it in a landscape of white breath that leaks out even as he catches his breath.
　It's Sawjiro's oral tradition, Tenkan-Tsu.
　Nazuna doesn't have a complete grasp of it either, but Tenkan-Tsu is an oral tradition for defense. Soujiro said it is something to watch the trajectory across the air. A new power that Soujiro had acquired. Using it, Soujiro continues to deflect the killer's attacks.
　Soujiro doesn't have the luxury of his usual time either.
　A normal Soujiro would not play the attacks, but flush or duck them.
　When he can't do that, he realizes how fast and sharp the killer's blows are.
　Then the undeadly blow comes, and the large sleeves of armor that Soujiro wears, which resembles a warrior's armor, fly off.
　The other members of the group wouldn't know it, but Nazuna bit her lip.
　With the current blow, the defensive barrier that Nazuna had given to Soujiro was erased. The barrier jutsu is a defensive spell that can be cast in advance to prevent damage to HP. In other words, it is an invisible additional HP. Ripples rushed and shattered in a light blue mirror-like effect. Even if the appearance was visible to those around it, only Nazuna, the magician, could tell how much damage it specifically caused and how much it was peeled off.
　The Conceptual Barrier used by Nazuna is equivalent to almost 20% or less of Soujiro's total HP. In other words, at that moment, if it weren't for the defensive spell, Soujiro would have lost 1/5 of his physical strength. That attack power, comparable to that of a large scale battle (raid) boss, makes Nazuna feel uneasy. If she took that attack in rapid succession, even Soujiro couldn't last.
　Of course, I'm preparing to chant in order to put up the Lansing Barrier again, but Lansing Barrier is not a technique that can be used continuously. The combination of detailed restorations and barriers to protect your friends from harm is the way for a Shinto official like Nazuna.
　If you insist on barriers, you will lose more MP than you need, and this will eventually put you at a disadvantage. Otherwise, he was still walking a tightrope. If the murderer in front of her detects that she is thus applying a defensive technique, Nazna knows that the blade might turn on herself at any moment.
　But if she runs away, she won't be able to protect Soujiro, nor will she be able to heal him.
　Thus, while gazing at the battle, she has no choice but to assess her own strength and continue to entrust herself with it, even if the barrier is like a piece of thin paper.

(What the hell is this guy? There is no such gamble.)
　You can only understand this because you are the Divinity Officer.
　As the West Wind Brigade, one of the top guilds on the server, we've been challenging the West Wind Brigade for years in large-scale battles (raids), and as its main healer, we've been the main healer.
　This battle was a battle that we were likely to lose.
　It's because Soujiro is the wall (tank) that takes on the enemy's attacks that the balance is just barely being maintained, but if it weren't for Soujiro, Nazuna is confident that the battle would have ended with him being overrun.
　And since Soujiro, he has not been able to fully condemn all of the attacks.
　Of course, it is impossible to neutralize every attack from a giant dragon or a killer golem, even in a large-scale battle. Most Large-scale battles are fought by a single vanguard supported by at least three, and sometimes as few as ten healers. While the vanguard is holding off the powerful enemy, the attackers are able to cut down their HP.
　But nowadays, there are not enough healers or attackers. In this narrow alleyway, like a gap in a book, there was no way to use a formation for a large scale battle.
　The Naznas thought that they had nothing to fear from adventurers, or even ordinary monsters, but they didn't expect a killer to be such a monster.
　And again--
'Ugh!'
　Sawjiro's attack slipped through.
　Before he knew it, the murderer had moved to Soujiro's right side, moving his bizarre silhouette like an insect to dislodge Soujiro's shins. Soujiro ducked as he bounced off that attack, but he didn't have the usual dancing splendor. Perhaps he didn't have the luxury of time to do so.
　The murderer used a mysterious body technique to nullify the strikes of opportunity that he connected several attacks, disrupting his opponent's stance and steadily spinning them out. It's the same with the current one.
　He slips past Soujiro's attack and takes his rear.
　Probably as long as he could hit the attack, he wouldn't be a class monster by any means, but he couldn't hit the attack. At this rate, even if Soujiro was able to maintain his current move, the frontline would collapse as Nazuna's MP ran out.
　And probably.
As long as we're here, Soujiro won't escape.
　I'm sure of it.

"...Master Saw.
Director.
No, I can't see it.
　I can hear the murmurs of suffering. They are Nazna's friends. It was originally Nazuna's role to heal the injured girls, but now she couldn't even do that satisfactorily. I want to save what little MP I have to heal them.
　With a different circuit than her impatient mind, Nazna formulated a retreat plan.
　Soujiro can't escape. That means he will never abandon his fellow women, and if Soujiro, who has the killer under control in the first place, were to escape, he would allow them to chase him from behind.
　And in the same sense that Soujiro can't escape, Nazuna can't escape either. If Nazuna escaped, the barrier would run out in seconds at the earliest, or in 30 seconds at the latest. If the barrier runs out, the damage will go to Soujiro's HP. Nazuna can't run away to keep Soujiro alive, that is, to delay the chase as much as possible.
　So what about the other girls?
　We can let Kawara and Olive and the others go ahead, and that's probably the only right thing to do.
　But even then, there would have to be a trigger. If he messes up the math now and starts running away, that killer might shift his target from Soujiro and overrun the girls. Of course, it's Soujiro's role to prevent this from happening, but I can't guarantee that he will be able to prevent it. That demon is that skilled.
　If there is any chance. With that in mind, time is slowly passing, and this alleyway is getting dimmer and dimmer as it is tightened from both sides. The twilight is prolonged for a long, long time, with the dancing blades of the murderer's blades glowing as if they were phosphorescent.
　A hint of hesitation can be seen in the sword that Soujiro wields. The battle is competitive. Even though it's Soujiro, it's hard to say that mental turmoil won't trigger a collapse.

　That's when the swallow descended.


　◆


　He ran through the branches of the ancient tree that surrounded the guild building and turned himself from the tip of it.
　The thinner the branch, the better. I'm not sure if I'm going to be able to find a way to make it work for me, but I'm sure I'll be able to find a way to make it work for me.
　With a series of repetitive movements, Akatsuki navigates the streets of Akiba.
　Just as there are roads on the ground, there are corridors in the air. Branches and rooftops that are easy to jump from one place to another. A balcony and a broken signboard. In the city of adventurers, hugged by the ruins of ancient buildings and ancient trees, there is a route dedicated to those who fly through the air.
　When did it become possible to follow that route to move through the air without being aware of it?
　This was an option that was not possible in the days of video games.
　I don't think this was possible at the time of the formation of the Roundtable. When I came back from Zantorif, I was already doing it unconsciously. I don't know when I became able to do it, but I can't think of a way to get around the streets of Akiba without doing it now. Even in a zone that seems to be new to me, I find myself unconsciously observing the flow of the wind, the placement of buildings, the position of walls and trees.
　My long hair fluttered in the layers of air.
　If that hair was heavy, the air was damp, and the rain was near.
　If it's pulling, the wind is so strong that some of the paths are ungrabbable.
　Akatsuki had even acquired such a sense, and was beginning to develop exceptional physical skills among some of the adventurers who also used the aerial corridor.
　Even though I was just doing "the usual", my body was burning deep inside and my limbs felt light.
　I throw myself into the air just in time to catch my weight on the tip of a branch and catch the wind, more clearly aware of my body's movements than usual. How is it that I can land on the next branch with half the force I normally do and use that weight shift to fly my consciousness to the next leap, even though I've repeated the movement dozens of times?

　His brief conversation with Reinesia was running through his mind.
　Akatsuki was not good at thinking about himself and others, as he always thought he would be, and he couldn't get his thoughts together well. The state of Reinesia. Reinesia's words. Her own feelings. The words he returned. They come up inside Akatsuki like floating bubbles, fluffy and fluffy, then pop and disappear.
　Akatsuki doesn't know what is moving him, because they disappear before they can be put into words.
　Reinesia is doing her best.
　Such words are the only thing smoking in her chest.
　The more you think you should be rewarded, the better.
　As I watch the sunset descending to the west, I listen carefully and spread my senses thin. The miscellaneous murmurings of Akiba's streets are caught in the skill of sensing signs that I've repeated over and over again.

　Let's go back to the guild and make some onion soup.
　Where do you want to hunt tomorrow?
　Do you want to go out for dinner?　Uh, um. My treat!
　You know, I'm thinking about starting a new business.
　I don't know if my submarine is too tight, you know.
　I wonder if we could get a date somehow.
　You eat twice as much as we do, don't you agree, Mr. Adventurer?
　No, three times.

　These are really meaningless, unimportant conversations. Normally, these conversations would have been insignificant and unremarkable. But today, for some reason, Akatsuki could hear them very clearly.
　Perhaps they belong to the secret.
　A small plan to spend an evening with someone close to you in the evening when everyone is living their day and finishing their day's activities. Or the little wishes we each have for ourselves alone, of what we want tomorrow to be like. Of course, it's not a secret in the sense that you don't want to be heard, but in the sense that it's an individual's feeling for an individual, it's a murmur that belongs to a secret.
　Akatsuki doesn't understand, but each person may have their own important murmurings. Today Akatsuki could understand the importance of this.
　Without knowing what he touched, Akatsuki touched something special, something big.

　Perhaps it was because of those thoughts that he jumped into the situation almost unconsciously.
　It was about two minutes before he caught the sound of a creaking battle between the two sides in his ears, changed course, and discovered the battle from the unoccupied fifteenth floor building. The moment he recognized it, he softly threw himself between the buildings.
　Not only was he left in free fall, but he kicked at the building walls on either side for acceleration.
　He put his hand on the hilt of the small sword tucked behind his waist and charged in a cone-shaped charge while holding his breath.
　Along with the response of the magical equipment cutting through the film of air that automatically unfolds, Akatsuki finally recognized the situation around him.

　There was one party fighting the black killer. There is only one samurai in the vanguard, and only one recovering player functioning in the rear guard. It's almost half destroyed.
　The vanguard is Soujiro, guild master of the West Wind Brigade, one of the eleven guilds that make up the Roundtable, the Roundtable. If Akatsuki was an ordinary Akatsuki, he would be panicking and on the verge of panic.
　What Akatsuki did was what is known as a "side-slash" in MMOs. It refers to the act of an adventurer attacking another party in battle without their permission. It is a violation of etiquette and does not make you look good, especially since it is akin to stealing experience and treasure from another party.
　Not to mention, the opponent is one of the most prominent fighting guilds in the city of Akiba. If Akatsuki was an ordinary Akatsuki, who is not good at socializing, she would be embarrassed and wouldn't even approach him in the first place.
　But just now, it was different.
　The events from this morning had saturated my consciousness.
　It was a mental state of mind that couldn't even think about a single thing slowly, yet Akatsuki jumped through a vision that was dozens of times clearer than usual.
　The right cleave, "Axel Fang," from the right.
　Not stalling. I knew it. I kicked the wall and danced through the air in the Viper Slash.
　Killing Assault, flapping it, flipping it around.
　I'd known from my first sword that this killer was strong. I knew this killer was strong, but he was no match for Akatsuki.
　But that didn't stop me.
　Benom Strike, trying to get at least a small hint.
　Back stepping on the sword of the approaching enemy. It wasn't enough. A gust step to force him back. It won't be enough. The blue-white blade slipping through Akatsuki's defensive zone sends a chill down my spine, but I step forward with a fiery calmness.　I don't care that my right forelock has been taken away from me, but Axel Fang〉.
　Shallow. Again!　Carefully change your trajectory and scoop them up with an accelerated fang.
　Faster and faster, faster and faster.

　Before he knew it, Akatsuki noticed light blue ripples waving around him.
　It was the barrier spell of the Divinity Officer. He could tell that it was a high-level spell of much higher intensity than that unleashed by Minori. Perhaps it's a cover for the restorer we saw earlier.
　But perhaps only a small amount of insurance, Akatsuki knows. The murderer is still turning on the samurai in front of him. That's why Akatsuki is less likely to fight back, that's why he's still alive. If it was one-on-one, Akatsuki's life would have been gone long ago.
　The round-faced boy with long hair flowing down in a ponytail, though a man, is the regrettable but top-notch vanguard of this server, the "West Wind Brigade" leader Soujiro Seta. He is a fierce competitor, whose record and reputation are incomparable to Akatsuki's. Even with Soujiro, he has not been able to restrain the black assassin.
''Run!''
　At Akatsuki's shouted words, Soujiro's lips fished up at the edge of his lips.
　A strong gaze strikes Akatsuki as if to shoot him in the face. Akatsuki had a premonition that he would be frightened by the man's, even though he looked younger than he was, a threatening look. But in reality, he ignored such a premonition and found himself fighting like a small-scale storm.
'Why?'
　Soujiro's question, which was too obvious, choked Akatsuki.
　It was just a reflex, and even Akatsuki doesn't know why she said that. This Daichijin, which is much stronger than Akatsuki, is a monster.
　If you think about it, it's not surprising. In addition to being on a higher level than the adventurer, his abilities are augmented by his power armor. The silhouette of the killer's enlarged limbs is due to the fact that he is forcibly wearing a piece of guard armor. The luminescent diode-like portions are a sign that they are being supplied with magical power, or perhaps they are forming a defensive membrane to keep the Akatsuki from attacking them.
　The Akatsuki would not win. And probably, Soujiro won't win either. If I wanted to defeat this murderer, I would not be able to do it in these narrow alleys. The only way to defeat him would be to surround him with more Adventurers and put pressure on him. But that's why you're screaming?　You want to use yourself as bait to save Soujiro?
　Shiroe looks up to the heavens with a troubled face in Akatsuki's saturated thoughts.
'Why?'
Beating it and solving it are two different things.
　Akatsuki did his best to intercept the strange strike that was about to cut Soujiro off.
　Assassinate. Even if you have the fastest and strongest assassin's special skill to hit over 10,000 in instantaneous damage, you can only deflect the trajectory of the killer's huge, black, thick basket of hands.
So run!
I don't get the nod for that, do I?
　In response to the repeated warnings, Soujiro's smile deepens and he swings his sword at the upper level.
　Soujiro unleashed an inhuman kick from the ducking killer, and he swung it off to his right forelock. Losing that spot exactly the same as Akatsuki's, Soujiro stepped out to cross and jumped up the sword that he should have swung down.
　Soujiro is strong. Probably several times stronger than Akatsuki.
　You could tell that even with a fraction of a breath of attack and defense.
　But that's why Soujiro should know that he can't finish off this bakemono right now in this place. So why won't he run away? What a stubborn boy, Akatsuki thought. Come to think of it, there are only stubborn men in this world. Younger boys like Touya and Rundelhaus are especially stubborn. Naotsugu is too stupid to change his behavior. Master Nyanta is also more stubborn than he looks. Putting cucumbers in his salad is the proof of that. I have a feeling that the only person who will listen to Akatsuki's opinion is his lord Shiroe.
''Left hand!
　A violent chunk of metal ran across the tip of that Akatsuki's suddenly stopped nose.
　Soujiro nimbly avoided the side blow that he himself had barely avoided, keeping his eyes on Akatsuki.
　Akatsuki stared at it, admiring the movement and feeling strange.
　Soujiro still had a bottomless smile on his face, both for the killer and for Akatsuki.
　If it were Akatsuki on a normal day, he would surely feel the pressure to run back.
　But that's not the case.
　There's also something bigger here that Akatsuki himself doesn't quite understand. Soujiro wasn't trying to intimidate Akatsuki. He was trying to give Akatsuki something and he touched it.
　Akatsuki felt bad that he didn't know what it was, but in spite of the fact that he didn't know, he knew it was very important.

'Nazuna. Please leave ahead of me.
I'll meet you at the Guildhall. I'll meet you at the Guildhall.
　It finally dawned on Akatsuki with those words that Soujiro was defending the girls who had been incapacitated, and that he was continuing to fight the unwinnable killers. Feeling the barriers and signs of retreat flying at Akatsuki and Soujiro as a final cover, Akatsuki and Soujiro launched an onslaught.
　Neither Soujiro's flowing attacks nor Akatsuki's special skill-wielding attacks would work against the killer. Dozens of attacks are piled on top of each other. The fact that the two of them could wage such a prolonged battle against this killer is itself a departure from the bizarre murders of the past, but Akatsuki, of course, did not have the time to notice such a thing.
　It is a very good idea to have a good idea of what to expect when you're in a position to do something.
　I'm not sure how the adventurers who would revive in the hall of fame can change that, even though they presented themselves here. Even though Akatsuki is tiny, inscrutable and weak.
　But I think that Reinesia is doing her best.
　Before I knew it, I realized that the barrier that had covered me was gone. The cold air blanketing the area is apparently not only due to the winter wind, but also some kind of ranged attack from the killer in front of me. Soujiro, who has remained a direct target, has about half of his HP left. There is a limit to the amount of time that can be spent fighting like this.

Well. I should give a little gift to the junior member of my senior class.
　Soujiro let out an unintelligible word and changed his stance.
　It was a beautiful mid-level stance, even from the perspective of Akatsuki, who was a kendo girl - in kenjutsu, it was a blue-eye stance.
''But there's not much I can say about it,''
　In front of Akatsuki, who was taken aback, Soujiro advanced smoothly and swung his sword. An unremarkable blow. And the killer's counterattack goes through the air. He struck out.
'Look and listen carefully.'
　This time, the killer thrusts out a bone-crushing blow. Soujiro brings it to a mutual strike. As Soujiro's red blood freezes in the air, the two men, separated, make contact again.
'Hope strong and keep thinking for it. Don't give up, keep training.
　Akatsuki jumps out of the way, but he also struggles to swing his little sword.
　It's very important, but because Akatsuki doesn't know how important it is, it breaks.
　That's a very bad thing. Sadness fills my chest.

That's what the 'oral tradition' is all about.
　Although they should have known this, Akatsuki and the others "died" with unimaginable pain.


　◆


　Nothing makes every tea party a dressing-up contest.
　The weather was bad that morning, and the atmosphere in the room at Raynesia was quiet.
　The atmosphere of the tea party is determined by the members. When Marielle arrived, the atmosphere was at once flamboyant and lively. When only Henrietta is there, the atmosphere is like a consultation meeting.
　When it was just Henrietta, the atmosphere was more like a consultation meeting. And when she and Liese were together, the atmosphere was cosy and relaxed.
　The members of the Crescent Moon Alliance and the Eighth Shopping Street do not appear to be coming today. The members of the Crescent League and the Eighth Shopping Street do not appear to be coming today. We welcomed the D.D.D. commander leading the troops, ate lunch together, and then grabbed a large pot of green tea.
　Outside the window was a cloudy, tearful sky.
　A blonde adventurer sat across from a small sofa set, casting a distant look out the window.
　There was no conversation between the two men.
　But Leinecia herself did not pay much attention to such things. I'm sure you're familiar with Liese, the adventurer. It's a good thing that you're able to get a good idea of what you're looking for. Because of her character, there have been times in the past when conversations between the two of them have stopped.
　At first, I would talk to him out of concern for him, but after this blonde girl made it clear that it was unnecessary, I stopped trying to force the conversation.
　But that doesn't mean I'm awkward or unable to talk to her. It's the current relationship between Reinesia and the girl named Liese, where they can talk for a long time if they have the topic in mind.
　It's a good idea to have a good idea of what you're looking for.
　The Daichijin, and also the guards, the law-abiding beings of Akiva's city, have been corrupted and are attacking the adventurers. A number of victims have already been killed. Thinking about the little acquaintance who ran out into the city with a strange word, Reinesia feels very painful and uncomfortable.
　She can't get the question of why this happened and why herself.
　My eyebrows cloud over as the weather seems to be trying to irritate my depressed mind.
'It's cold here in Tokyo. It's going to be cold this winter.
Toukyou...?
　Liese's grumbling words drew Raynesia back.
　It is a word from the ancient Aarv that refers to the "Eastern Paradise". The ancient steel plate in the Castle of Ash-Hime, the place of Reinesia's birth and upbringing, is said to have the word "Toukiou" written on it.
''Oh, um. It's a word for adventurers, referring to the whole area around Maihama, Akiba and Shibuya.
　I nodded at that explanation.
　'That's a story that fits with my shallow knowledge of Reinesia.
'Was Master Liese's homeland warmer than the Toukies?
It's more Tokyo than Tokyo, but.... Yes, you're right. It wasn't this cold in winter. We didn't get this cold this often, though, because we didn't have a very high tolerance for the cold, and we used to wear thicker clothes back then to stay indoors.
(...or was it cold?　(Did you stay home?)
　The adventurer's speech often became suddenly incomprehensible.
　With a small tilt of her head, Reinesia locked eyes with Liese.
　Liese quietly put her teacup back on the table and stared at Reinesia for a few moments, not sure how to meet her gaze. She was unsure of how to meet her gaze, but Liese gave her a gentle, tender smile, as if she had never seen her before.
I was born in a small town in Tokyo.
Akiva, isn't it?
Yes, in a town called Kiyose. Yes, in a town called Kiyose. If I were to talk about it here, it would be in the Novidome District. It's a place where there's something going on, but there's not much there.
But....
　If Raynesia remembered correctly, the Novidome District was supposed to be a habitat for aquatic monsters. Not a single village, let alone a city, could be found in such a place.
　Reinesia was surprised at her own surprise.
''Aren't you a nobleman, Riese-sama?''
　The reason for this is that Liese believes she is the daughter of a nobleman, and a powerful one at that. All adventurers are educated to the point where they cannot be considered commoners. Among them, Lise and Henrietta are aristocrats with whom I have come into contact, and they are noblemen of grace and elegance. It is not a matter of superficial civility. They are true aristocrats who were raised in an environment where they were able to care for others from birth.
　It's not that it doesn't matter that they weren't, or that they are commoners or 'adventurers', Reinesia thought about why she was surprised and came up with an answer.
'Yes, it's different. I was born in a small, normal house, grew up as a normal kid, and went to a normal school.
....
'Schools are a thing over here too, aren't they? It's a place where children are gathered together to learn. Where I was born, every child in the community is required to go to school somewhere.
　I don't know anything about Lise.
　I don't know about Akatsuki, Henrietta, Marielle, Serara, Nazuna, Mikakage, Ranya, or Azukiko.
　Nor does he know about Krusty.
　In other words, I don't know anything about the Adventurers, in fact, I know nothing about them.
　She had learned about them many times, and now she was being reminded of them again. The ignorance of her own ignorance is enough to make Reinesia feel shame and despair.

'Well..... I think I was rather tomboyish as a child. Cartoons for children................. Fairy tales, I guess. I would run around with the boys, longing for that. But I graduated from that by the time I turned 10. ........after that, yes. I tried to stand tall and become a lady, but I failed, and the people around me laughed at me. I loved to study, and I was good at it. I would get praise for doing it, so I was good at it. But it didn't take long for that to become the norm, and eventually the praise stopped coming from me...
'Oh....'
　It was something that Raynesia had an idea of.
　He was good at being well behaved and smiling. He had no trouble sitting around looking mature and wise. He liked to get compliments, and that's what he did. Raynesia loved her father and mother and her grandparents - her family.
　It's now a learned trait and has become so ingrained in her that she can't handle it any other way, but at first, she did. I wanted the people I loved to laugh at me. I wanted them to be happy.
'I was an honours student in school. ─ I was an honor student at school because I was popular and good at my studies. I was born in a town where there was a large hospital. The town where I was born had a number of large hospitals and many elderly people. So I guess I was more aware of the eyes of adults than children. In that sense, I think I'm glad I came here and joined D.D.D. There is someone who broke my hubris into pieces. Someone who showed me that I didn't have to stop with that. --There are many,
Uh,
　Raynesia stopped it with a strong tone of voice.
　I can't listen to that.
　I don't deserve to hear it.

　I thought she was a strong woman. Reinesia was ashamed of herself for thinking she came from a noble background, for thinking she was an adventurer. In the end, it was just a matter of not trying to understand the girl called Liese.
　When she realized that, she realized how small and insignificant the world was that she knew.
　I was raised as the princess of Maihama, so I'm not ignorant of the world and it's not small. The world of Reinesia is small because she was raised as a Maihama princess, not because she didn't know what was out there, but because she didn't care to see what was right in front of her.
　--This is why the world is so small.
　I finally understood the meaning of his words.
　I think she meant that she had been watching us.
　She was too young to understand that she had been told that.
'I was born in the capital of Maihama. I'm a princess, so I was raised by a nanny from a very young age, and I don't know much about the kind of games you play. I think she was probably rich and happy. We had clean clothes and an abundance of food. I never felt that my life was in danger.
　Raynesia began to speak in a small voice.
'As for academics, there were a few teachers in the castle. I think they were probably educated above the standard for an Earthling, but I don't know how much of that can be boasted of, in the eyes of Liese and the others...
　Not knowing what to say or how to say it, Reinesia spun the words.
　It was a childish ritual that he repeated, dutifully, just as Lise had taught him.

I also probably wanted to get praise from my family, so I've been wearing a cat mask. The truth is, I'm a very ginger person. I want to spend every day dozing and napping and basking in the sun, and I don't know the half of the hard stuff. When I'm bored, I even bite down on a yawn.
　It would take no small amount of courage to confess it to the thoughtful Liese.
　But Rainesia did not think to stop speaking, even though she looked at Liese. For that swallow-like girl had probably flown onward.
''I came to this city thinking I could escape the troublesome rituals. Even now, I'm not very good at holding business meetings or taking responsibility. When I'm faced with something I don't understand, I feel like crying. I think eating a small handful of rice balls and spending time in a daze is the best way to do it. But I'm not, so.... I mean, I'm a princess - and I don't think I can or should. The truth is, I don't even know if it's really true...
　Reinesia feels resentful for not being able to put it into words well.
　Even these feelings would have been taken care of by Krusty.
　But perhaps it's not good enough.
　Then there is something that cannot be spun or connected with this golden girl, or with the girl who looks like a swallow.
　I thought I heard Elissa's admonishing chuckle. Instantly flared up, Reinesia squeezed out and continued, somewhat roughly for her, "Maybe it's something very important.

'Maybe something very important is in place somewhere, and I think we should take care of it because it's important. It's a good idea to have a good time. --But it's not enough, so...
Yeah.
'I want to get Riese-san's affairs in order, too. Not only for Liese, but also Akatsuki. And Marielle. Otherwise, I don't think I have the qualifications to be friendly to Liese, or to live in this Akiba... or to think of protecting her.
"All in good time"?
　Liese gave a small smile at the words, but hid the embarrassed tone on her sullen face and granted Rainesia's wish.

''Yes, I suppose so. This kind of thing is, well, somewhat embarrassing, even for a high school student. It's from this front. ...................Then, my first piece of advice. "Properly" is too difficult a word to use. Hon. Let's be friends, Rainesia. I'm an adventurer, if you don't mind.
　It was a piece of something precious that was given to the lazy princess from an unexpected source.