The two airships carrying us arrived safely at the Divine Imperial City of Astilio.

　The people of the God's Imperial City were in a welcoming mood as the Emperor's personal launch had ended in victory.

　Confetti danced everywhere, stalls were opened, and street performers showed off their skills.

　Even from the sky, people could be seen waving flags at the airships along the streets.

'It's amazing...'
Yes, sir.

　The scene reminded us of the 50th anniversary of the King's birth in Mulia, the royal capital of the Kingdom of Shumuria.

　Arriving at the imperial castle was also a challenge.

　On the night of our return, a victory party was held, which we were forced to attend.

　Of course, we were forced to join in.

(Wow... what's this?)

　As I entered the venue, I was stunned.

　A beautifully decorated, gleaming hall.

　The ceiling was unusually high, with several ornate chandeliers larger than an adult hanging from it.

　At the back of the hall, a live orchestra played live music, and the most expensive looking food I've ever seen was laid out on the tables like beautiful, large flowers.

　And people in glittering costumes gathered there.

　They all look elegant in their every gesture.　

(Ba, I don't feel halfway out of place...)

　It's a world that I've never been a part of, being a small citizen from a previous life.

　Honestly, I want to escape.

　Gasp.

Don't run away from it. You're one of the leads.
..........

　I was grabbed by the collar by the demon princess-sama who guessed it.
　Ugh.........

　Such a Kirt-san was dressed as if she had once been seen at the 50th anniversary ceremony of the King's birth in the Kingdom of Shumuria.

　Her silver hair was tied up and she was wearing a purple dress that opened wide at the chest.

　Beautiful after all.

　And Ms. Illtimina and Solstice are also in dresses.

　Ms. Illtimina's beautiful dark green straight hair was partly braided and adorned with a hairpiece.

　The dress was based on white.

　It was so neat and dainty that for a moment it could have been mistaken for a wedding dress. The crimson jewels adorned from the white neck are the same color as the color of the eyes and look very beautiful.

''........It doesn't look good on you, does it?''
Nope.

　I shook my head, buzzing loudly as she humbled herself.
　I clenched my fists and gave her a strong speech.

'You look soooo beautiful, Illtimina-san!
Oh, really?

　When she said it with admiration, her cheeks turned peachy and she looked shy.
　Ka, pretty........

　Solstice was also wearing a light red dress.

　Unlike the usual, she looks a bit more mature, somehow.

''It's hard to move~''
..........

　Yip, yip.

　She lifts the hem of her puffy dress and stretches her legs lightly. No, don't do that, it's too much of a hassle.

　I may look more mature on the outside, but I still seem to be the same on the inside.

　I'm formally dressed, too, in a manner of speaking.

　I'm sure you'll be able to find it in a crisp white shirt and black tailcoat, with a bow tie around your neck.

(Is the horse child also dressed in a costume?)

　Illtimina and others who helped me dress up.

It looks great on you, Merle.

　He raved about it, but I felt like I was being flattered and colored glasses, so I didn't trust him too much.

　Also, Rapt and Recto Alice, the two 'Divine Fanglars', to my surprise, are also attending the evening party.

(I thought they wouldn't come to these occasions.)

　There may have been some change of heart among the two of them.

　Well, so the evening party went on.

　The Emperor's Majesty, the Empress, and the Imperial Lady, Padia, were also there, what an elegant space.

　The people gathered were the aristocrats.

　The daughters and ladies of the nobility are very beautiful.

　But yes, the beauty of Illtimina-san and the others is not to be outdone.......or rather, I think they are winning. No, maybe my colored glasses are in there, though.

　And those aristocrats gathered around to listen to us.

Oh, you're Jingu-dono?
Oh, my God, you're so young.
I heard you did very well in the last battle.
I hope you're not going back to Shumuria. I hope you'll stay in Arun.

　...................

　We are spoken to from all over the place.

　Even though there are all these delicious-looking dishes lined up, it's no longer a place to eat.

(Ehhhhh.........)

　When I was in trouble, Mr. Kilt came over casually and answered for me.

'Well, well, well, ladies and gentlemen of Arun, it's been a long time.
"Oh, Mister Kilt.
You're still as beautiful as ever.

　Mr. Kilt casually turns me around to his back side, casually.

(Oh, thank you.)

　I breathed a sigh of relief in my mind.

　Actually, I'd been told that up front.

　Most of the conversations in these situations are friendly, including the social ones.
　But sometimes there are cunning people who try to take some sort of advantage of the situation. And if you fall for it, it can be a problem later on.

　So you have to be very careful about what you say.

　He says that I, who has value as a godgu but lacks the wisdom of a child, looks like a tasty prey to the cunning people in the court.

　So it's really helpful that Kilt-san has become a bulwark in this way.

　By the way, Iltimina-san and Solstice seemed to be handling the conversation well, and when it came to Rapt and Recto Alice, they were in complete ignore mode.

(Well, completely ignoring them is.......strong.)

　It's very impossible for me, being a petulant person.

　Mr. Illtimina seems to be hit on by young aristocratic men from time to time, but she gloriously dodged it by saying, "There's someone who's already made up his mind.

　A person who has already made up his mind.



　Oops, I shouldn't.
　I'm getting sloppy.

　With a tightened face, we continue with our evening party.

　To be honest, it's not much fun, but it's more of a feast for the nation of the Arun Divine Kingdom, not us, and we're just using it.

　We're just being used for it, that's all we need to be prepared for.

　After some time, I guess I've gotten used to it a bit, and I've gotten used to eating my food, too, in between conversations.

(Yes, it's delicious!)

　This alone was worth it to attend the evening party.

(And....)

　If you look around, you'll see a beautiful and magnificent world out there.

　People dressed up.

　Friends in rare dresses.

　It's probably not a world I'll ever see again and again in my lifetime.

　When I thought about it, I knew it was a great experience.

　Our last night in Arun.

　I squint my blue eyes, and the world wrapped in twinkling lights is firmly burned into my eyes.


　◇ ◇ ◇ ◇ ◇ ◇ ◇ ◇ ◇ ◇.


　The night is drawing to a close.

　The victory night party is still going on.

(...let me step out of my seat for a moment.)

　There are fewer and fewer people talking to me, but there are still a lot of people gathering around, and I seem to have gotten a little drunk on people.

　I take advantage of the opportunity for Kirt-san to respond to me and move on, killing the signs.

''Huh........''

　I moved to the balcony that was open to the great room.

　The cool night breeze feels good.

　There were people on the balcony as well, but their numbers, which looked like black shadows, were sparse.

　Unlike the venue for the evening party, this was a calm space.

　If I suddenly lifted my gaze, I could see the city wrapped in the light of the divine imperial capital Astilio.

(Beautiful.........)

　I was mesmerized by its beauty.

Sir Merle?

　Suddenly, a familiar voice called out from the back.

　When I turned around, there was Frederica-san standing there in a dress.　

　It was rare for her to be in anything other than military or knightly attire.

　The current Frederica-san was wearing a light blue dress, and her beautiful blue hair was also flowing gracefully down her back. Her blue eyes, illuminated by the lighting of the evening party, shimmered like a jewel.

　Ah, I knew she was beautiful.

　Looking at the current Frederica-san, I thought again.

　It's easy to forget that Frederica Dardios is a truly beautiful woman, even though she wears men's clothes all the time.

'What's wrong with you, here?'

　She tilted her head.

　With a beat, her glossy blue hair swayed and spilled over her soft, bare white shoulders.

　I answered honestly.

'I'm a bit tired of all the people. I ran out here.
I see.

　She nodded apologetically.

　As it was, she came over next to me, rested her elbows on the balcony railing, and looked out over the view.

　I too would enjoy the night view once more.

'.................'
..........

　There was no conversation for a while.

　But I didn't feel the need to force myself to talk, because the feeling of sharing the same view was so pleasant.

　How long had I been doing that?

　Suddenly, Frederica's lipsticked lips opened slowly.

'I guess we'll say goodbye tomorrow.
Yes.

　I nodded.

　Tomorrow, after we finished everything we had to do here in the Arun Divine Kingdom, we would return to the Kingdom of Shumuria.

　This will be the last time I can be with her.

　Frederica-san looks down at me quietly.

　I stare back at her too.

'I am indebted to you, Mahr. If it wasn't for you, Arun might not have made it through this crisis.
..........
Thank you so much.

　The Arun beauty smiled beautifully.
　And.

It's so frustrating that all I can come up with are these conventional words.

　I chuckled at that.

　I laughed.

'I was worried when I left the Kingdom of Shumuria because I didn't know what kind of country Arun was. But now, I'm truly glad I came.
..........
'Despite the discrimination issues, I still think Arun is a good country.

　She stared at me.

　From a distance, I could hear the music of the evening party.

　I looked back into Frederica's eyes in front of me and told her sincerely.

'I've fallen in love with Arun. But I think Frederica's existence is a big reason for that.
"Me?
Yes.

　I nodded widely to her surprise.

'Because you are such a wonderful person, Frederica. It's such a country you love, so I've come to love it too.
..........

　At first, I almost disliked the discrimination against demon blood so badly.

　But when I met Frederica-san, my impressions changed a bit, she showed me a world without discrimination in the divine imperial capital Astilio, she also saved my life, and I found myself reluctant to leave the Arun Divine Kingdom.

''From me too, thank you.''
..........
I'm very, very happy to have met Miss Frederica.

　She looked at my smile, very dazzling.

　Her eyes are a little moist.

　The sound of bustling talk comes from the distant hall.

　Her glove-wrapped hands held her long hair swaying in the night breeze, and she looked up at the red-and-white moon shimmering in the night sky.

　Two moons snuggled together.



　She suddenly muttered.

''If Lord Maar had been summoned to the Arun Divine Kingdom instead of the Kingdom of Shumuria and I had met him first... would I have been able to be next to Lord Maar?''

(...what?)

　At the thoughtful expression and voice, I couldn't help but stare at his beautiful profile.

　He looks somewhat like he's about to cry.

I'm jealous of your... people...
..........
'I never thought I would have these feelings inside of me. I don't want to deny myself in the past, but I do regret a little bit that I've kept my femininity away from you in the past.

　It was a forlorn smile.

　She looked back at the great hall where the evening party was taking place.

　There are aristocratic women of the same age as Frederica-san, chatting and laughing.

　She looked down at her dress and

Doesn't look good, does it?

　He laughed to himself.

'My limbs are still scarred from all the time I spent with my sword. My skin was also tanned, and I knew that I would look ridiculous in a dress. ........Still, I wanted to show Lord Marl a little more feminine appearance.

　In the moonlight, she looked like she was going to cry.

　But it was beautiful.

　I thought honestly.

'You look great, Frederica, you look great.
..........
'I don't know what Ms. Frederica herself thinks, and I don't know how other people see it, but I think it's very beautiful,'

　She took a small breath.

　I laughed.

'At least now I'm fascinated by Miss Frederica.
Yeah, right.

　At my carefree smile, she closes her eyes.

　Her voice trembled a little.

　But it sounded so relieved.

　And when she opened them again, her beautiful blue eyes were lit with some strong light of determination.

'Lord Marl,'
Hmm?
I'm sure this Frederica is aware of you...

　Her cheeks flushed, she spun the words, and

There--there you are, Merle.

　That audible voice interrupted her from continuing any further dialogue.

　She is surprised.

　I look in the direction the voice came from.

　The woman there is a beautiful woman, Iltimina Wong, dressed in a pure white dress.

''I couldn't see her, so I looked for her.

　When she found me, she smiled in relief.

　Then I finally realized that Frederica was at my side.

'Frederica?'
Oh...

　A hard voice replies.

　Illtimina-san's expression distorts quizzically and a wary voice asks.

''........Marle and, what are you doing here?''
Don't think in a strange way.

　A piquant reply.

　His voice should have been the same voice as Frederica's before, but something about it felt a little different.

'It seems that Lord Marl has gotten people drunk. I was just taking that break to have a little chat with him.
...Is that so?

　He looks at me as if to confirm.

'Yes.'

　I nodded honestly.

　Ms. Illtimina stared at me for a moment, then exhaled heavily, "I see.

'I'm sorry I didn't recognize you, Marle.

　Apologizing, Illtimina.

(Uh-huh.)

　I laughed and tried to answer that.

'Not at all. If you're going to call yourself Lord Marr's protector, you should care for him a little more.
Mm.

　Frederica's point was made, and Illtimina's beauty frowned.

　Another staring contest.

　But today, to my surprise, Frederica-san's expression broke down softly.

From now on, I won't be able to stand in for you anymore.

　I told her.

　Illtimina-san makes a surprised face.

''........Frederica?''
Well, when you're here, I'm not going to be around anymore. I'll leave you to it.

　Frederica-san exhales heavily.

(...??)

　For some reason, I felt like I was getting farther away from her.

　Finally, she looked at me.　

　The light of many emotions came and went in her beautiful blue eyes.

　Her hand slowly lifted up and tried to touch my cheek.

''..........''
..........

　squeak

　But just before the touch, her fingers are closed.

　As if to endure something, Miss Frederica closed her eyes tightly once, and her hand moved away.

'Farewell, Lord Merle.'

　A word spilled out with a beautiful smile.

　Then she walks towards the glamorous venue of the evening party.

　As they pass each other, Frederica's hand

　snappingly

　As if entrusting her with something, she lightly tapped Illtimina-san's shoulder.

''..........''
..........

　For a moment, the two beauties exchanged glances, and then Miss Frederica left as if nothing had happened.

　Her figure melted into the crowd and disappeared.

　Me and Ms. Illtimina who is left behind.

　Illtimina-san traced her white finger on the shoulder that was touched, as if to check it.

(............)

　The night breeze was cold.

　The moons looking up were beautiful, and that's why there was something lonely about them.

'Merle,'

　At my side, Illtimina-san leaned close to me.

　At the position where Frederica-san had been until a moment ago, she, my most important person, was now standing.

''........Illtimina-san.

　Looking up at her, I reach out my hand.

　A white hand grips my hand.

　It's warm, and it grips me so tightly that I almost feel pain.

　I, too, squeezed it back tightly.

　The night view of the divine imperial capital Astilio seen from the balcony is very, very beautiful, and the memory of it is deeply engraved in my heart.


　◇ ◇ ◇ ◇ ◇ ◇ ◇ ◇ ◇ ◇ ◇ ◇.


　The next morning, a Shumurian-made cavalcade with us on board was about to enter the airship's containment room.

　The Emperor Arun kindly offered to give us a ride to a town near the border by airship.

　It would take us two months to get to the capital city of Muria, but it would be cut in half.

We really appreciate this kindness.　

　The Arun frontier area near the border is still a difficult environment for the 'Demon Blood People' to travel in, so it was a very gratifying offer.

　In the dragon car's room, the usual members.

　Illtimina-san.

　Kilt-san.

　Solstice.

　And me.

　It's been a long journey requested by Princess Reclear, but this is the end at last - I felt very emotional when I thought of it.

　When I looked out the window, I saw that a large number of people had come to see me off.

　The Emperor and Empress, Padia-chan.

　Led by the imperial family, many other Arun nobles and people who served the Emperor's Castle had gathered there as well.

　Among them, of course, was their appearance.

''Mar-dono, please take care of yourself!

　Frederica, a blue-haired beauty in military uniform, puts her hand over her mouth and says in a loud voice.

''See you soon!''
Take care of yourself.

　Rapt and Lectoris, who were compatriots of the same divine race, held up the Sphere of Divine Armor, the proof of their bond, in their hands.

''I have great expectations for your future endeavors.

　The dependable Arun's most powerful general, Adobald Dardios, was built like a bear, but he smiled a friendly smile and smiled vigorously.

　I leaned out of the window and gave him a big wave.

'Goodbye!　See you guys!

　I shouted desperately.

　The smiles on the faces of the four of us were dazzling.

　I remember the days when we fought together in Arun.

　Even though there were many despairs, we all worked together to overcome them.

　I will never forget the feelings that were born there.

　Solstice also leans out of the next window and waves her little hand wide.

'See you later!'

　The girl was a bit teary-eyed.

(Solstice....)

　I was surprised by this unusual fact, and it made my heart grow even more jittery.　

　Mr. Kilt leaned out of the window with me, with Mr. Kilt holding Solstice and Ms. Illtimina holding me.

'I've been taken care of!
Any day now.

　With a smile, they shout loudly.

　As they exchange smiles with each other, the cavalry car is stowed into the hangar of the airship.

　Go, gong.

　The chains that had been moored to the ship were removed and the airship lifted into the sky.

　We ran to the outer rim of the passage and looked out from there.

　The depot of the Emperor's Castle.

　The people gathered there were all waving widely.

　Frederica-san, the General, Rapt and Recto Alice, and the four of them could be seen as well.

　And their figures slowly became smaller and smaller.

''.........''
..........
..........
..........

　With our chests full, we just waved our hands hard, unable to say anything.

　Boo-oh-oh.

　Soon, the propeller of the airship begins to turn.

　The airship, floating in the blue sky, slowly circled above the Emperor's Castle, and then started to head towards the east, where the Kingdom of Shumuria is located.

　The people on the ground quickly become indistinguishable from each other.

　The Emperor's Castle in the distance.

　The full view of the huge city of Astilio, the divine imperial capital Astilio, with its pentagonal walls in triplicate, came into view.

　An advanced city with no discrimination.

　I honestly wished that the values of that city would spread throughout the world.　

(Goodbye, Astilio.)

　I narrow my blue eyes.

　Illtimina noticed and asked me gently.

'Are you crying, Marle?'
Nope.

　I rubbed my eyes with my arm.

"It's just the wind in my eyes!

　So strong.

　Illtimina-san smiled serenely and nodded, "I see," she said.

　Her white hand strokes my hair.

　Kilt-san looks at us gently.

　Solstice stretched out her soft purple hair, fluttering it in the sky wind.

''Ahh, I guess that's the end of our time in Arun.

　A voice that seems to have been missed.

　The time without discrimination is over and the unreasonable days in Shumuria will begin again.

　I suddenly asked, "Do you guys want to live in Astiglio?

'Do you guys want to live in Astiglio?'

　The three men looked at each other.

　Mr. Kilt shook his head.

'No.'

　Ms. Illtimina nodded in agreement with Mr. Kilt.

I've been living in King's Landing, Mulia, for a long time now. I wouldn't want to change those days now.

　I replied.

　Solstice gave a small shrug.

And the cost of living is high. On our income, we can afford to live on, but I feel like we're losing money.

　Loss.........

(Is that why the high cost of living carries more weight in her mind than discrimination?)

　The discrimination on the Arun frontier was terrible.

　But in the Kingdom of Shumuria, there was no discrimination to that extent.　

　Discrimination in Shumuria - maybe that's the reference point for tolerance of discrimination, in her mind.

　And maybe it's the same for the other two.

'I see,'

　I nodded.

　At the end of the day, Kirto looked at me and added: "And there are people in the Kingdom of Shumuria who are waiting for the return of the warriors.

I've been waiting for the return of the warriors in the Kingdom of Shumuria, and as long as they are there, it is the Kingdom of Shumuria that they want to live in. And as long as they are there, the only place they want to live is in the Kingdom of Shumuria.

　So he shows his white teeth and smiles.

(............)

　Yeah, I guess so.

　I nodded once more, greatly convinced.

　I noticed that the capital of the Arun Divine Empire, the divine imperial capital Astilio, was far away and small.

　I stared at it, and in my ears.

Let's go home, Merle.

　The voice of a loved one tells us to sing softly.

'To Shumria, our home.
...yes!

　Our home.

　The country where we met.

　Illtimina smiled at me, and I gave her a big nod with a big smile on my face.

　About four months have passed since we left the Kingdom of Shumuria.

　The long days of adventure spent in the Arun God's Kingdom have come to an end, and the four of us are heading back to the Kingdom of Shumuria, our precious homeland.

　The airship flies across the vast sky.

　We looked up at the blue sky and saw the sun shining brightly and powerfully everywhere.