*

　Palatium Manor was built to occupy a part of the First District where a nobleman's private residence stands.
　Considering the history that other nobles built their private residences on the place where Palatium Manor used to stand, 'it looks like it's occupied' would be appropriate.
　It was once a castle with an artificial moat and solid walls, but now Palatium House is a natural stone castle house with high walls and round towers on all sides.
　Extensive gardens and stables are not unusual in this area, but a mansion with a stone statue in the front yard is quite unusual.
　The statue of a knight holding up a sword is based on the founder of the Palatium family.
　It is said that he was a user of the same divine power art as Leonhardt, and that he used the divine power art's deepest secrets, "Divine Power Summoning", to protect the emperor on a certain battlefield and turned into light.
　''Healing'', ''Detoxification'', ''Activation'', ''Celebration Holy Blade'', ''Divine Clothing'', ''Light Shield'', ''Divine Weapon Summoning'', ''Light Wall''......Even Leonhardt, who can use multiple Divine Weapon arts, cannot predict how he can reach the ''Divine Weapon Summoning''.

''........A little too drunk?''
Master Leonhardt!

　As Leonhardt walked through the vestibule, enjoying the feeling of intoxication, someone called his name in an accented tone.
　The person ran up to him with his skirt tucked up and stared at Leonhardt with an expression that only he thought was powerful.

'You've been waiting for me, Leela?'
Everybody was up and waiting. You should've waited for me and Grandpa by now, you know.

　Leonhard patted his head and Leela stuck out her lower lip in frustration.

''Don't ... treat me like a child. Even though it looks like this, I'm a year older than Leonhardt-sama.
Yeah, I'm sorry about that.

　Leonhardt cowered his shoulders and looked at Leela.
　Leela was not an ugly woman (shiko), but she had a significantly inferior appearance compared to the noblewoman who had attended the ball.
　She is missing half of her double teeth, which makes her look dull when she smiles with her mouth open, and her suitably coiffed brown hair makes her look needy.
　
　He can do the job reasonably well, but his harsh accent and lack of education make him unsuitable for customer service.
　As she claimed herself, she is twenty-three years older than Leonhardt, but considering her origins as a poor farmer's daughter who was taken in as a servant, she is not allowed to have an opinion of Leonhardt.
　However, Leonhardt allowed his servants to speak freely only in private.
　Leonhardt would like to hear words that are pleasant to the ears, but in many cases, valuable information is as bitter as a strange medicine.
　So, if he kept his ears accustomed to the words of his servants in this way, it would not be difficult to listen to the proverbs of his men.

'Did you enjoy the ball?'
I can only remember drinking barley wine (beer).

　Leonhardt tried to remember the ball, but all he could remember was that they had shared a drink.

'Ora, I hate the smell of alcohol,'
So let's walk away.

　As Leonhardt walked off at a faster pace, Leela stuck out her lower lip in frustration and took a physical hit.
　Leonhardt stopped and took the body hit and proceeded through the vestibule, ignoring Leela, who looked up at him with resentment.
　No matter how drunk he was, Leonhardt didn't have a soft workout that would make him stagger under Leela's body hit.

''... sweet.''
Master Leonhardt is the bane of my existence.

　Leela's lips twitched sulkily and she gripped the sleeve of the military dress Leonhard was wearing.

'You don't like the smell of alcohol, do you?'
That's why I'm staying away.

　'I don't understand this creature called woman,' said Leonhard as he started walking again, dragging Leela along.

''Well I'll sleep with you, but don't ask for it today.
You never asked for it from me, though?
That's a bad idea.

　Leela wrinkled her nose in displeasure as she pointed out the fact.
　One day, Leonhard chuckled, I'd like to have a drink with Leela, too.



Ugh, my mouth smells like steel.

　Crono sat down on the ground with a frown on his face at the iron odor spreading in his mouth after a battle with his adopted father.
　They say you can't put a door in a man's mouth, but the rumors seemed to have spread from Leila to Myra, and from Myra to her adopted father.
　My adopted father didn't seem to mind at all, but don't think he'd be able to hoist my ass the moment Crono came around behind me in his swordplay training!　And then he drove his iron fist into Crono's cheek.

'If you cut your mouth, I'll heal it.
'Well I think it's partly Rio's fault that my dad beat me up.
That's an accusation. It was Crono who tried to rape me and I didn't like it.

　Rio snuggled up to Crono and said with his cheeks shyly dyed in vermilion.
　By the way, what Rio was wearing was not a dress, but Crono's normal clothes.

''Your men are making good moves, aren't they?

　Rio muttered in admiration as he watched his adopted father and Faye fight.
　When Crono looked at him, Fay was in the middle of dodging his foster father's attack.
　This time, Faye didn't use the Divine Majesty Technique, but used pure sword skills and body techniques to oppose her adoptive father.
　Fei ducked the attacks and tried to get into his adoptive father's bosom.
　However, as soon as his adoptive father sensed that Faye was about to sneak into his bosom, he lightly swung his wooden sword to check her.
　It's a good idea to be able to have a good idea of what you're doing.
　It's a good idea to be able to have a good time with your own body.

''Normally I'd go in for a shove.
I think it's time to go on the offensive, don't you?

　When Fay tried to dive into his pocket, his foster father lightly swung his wooden sword to check him.
　But Faye lowered her posture even lower and increased her speed.
　It's a speed that can only be described as hazy.

''We'll do it.''

　Though short, Rio's words said it all.
　Faye had convinced his foster father that he wouldn't use the divine power technique, and he scratched the back of his mind.
　Fay, who let the darkness rise like smoke, came around behind his foster father and released a thrust.
　But Faye's thrusts cut through the air.
　The foster father twisted his body and ducked the attack.
　The next moment when Fei had a regretful expression on his face, his foster father struck Fei's forehead with the hilt of his wooden sword.

''........Muhaha!
'You've got your head in the sand there, haven't you?　It's not bad that you tried to get in my pocket like an idiot and patterned your attack on me. Well, if I didn't know you could use the divine power technique, I would have fallen for it.

　His foster father grabbed Faye's head and shook it from side to side with a gulp.
　He probably meant to stroke it.

''Then next time you'll have to deal with him.
Why me?

　Rio took the wooden sword his foster father had thrown and tilted his head in wonder.

'You'll have to work for using my house as an inn.
I'm not much of a sword person.

　Rio cowered his shoulders in an exaggerated manner and confronted Faye in a cumbersome manner.

''It's nice to meet you, sir!
Take it easy on me.

　Faye, full of motivation, held the wooden sword at the middle level, but Rio, who seemed unwilling to do so, sloppily kept the cutting edge of the wooden sword pointed at the ground.
　As a matter of course, it was Fay who set it up first.
　Faye closes the gap at once and releases a thrust.
　
　Although I don't feel motivated, Rio's bodywork has reached a first-class, or even higher, level.
　The wooden sword that Rio swung down slowly approached Fay's shoulder mouth, and Khan!　It was received with the sound of

"If it's too much, it's useless.
I didn't mean to go easy on you, but...

　Faye and Rio smiled fiercely as they were locked in a battle of wits.
　The stalemate did not last long.
　Faye pushed Rio away from him with force.
　No, I should say that Rio jumped back to meet Fay.
　After taking a distance of about five meters, Rio softly landed on the ground.
　Particles emitting green light rise up from Rio's body.

''It's a divine art 'divine robes'.

　Fluffily, Rio's body dances up and down to the ground like a feather.
　Apparently, it seems that even with the same divine power technique 'divine robes', the effect is different for 'Goddess who is jet black and controls chaos' and 'God who is green and controls flux'.

''........Visually defeated.''
No, no, that's not true, sir!　Please, God, I beg you!　The divine robe!

　When Crono rushed in, Fay used the divine power technique 'divine robes' to counter it.
　Against Fay, whose darkness rises like smoke, Rio looks like a firefly flying around.
　Unfortunately, visually, Faye is completely defeated.

''Then I'm going to cum?''

　Rio's figure disappears with the declaration.
　The wind whips up sand and pebbles.
　Rio flew through the ground thresholds and easily got behind Fay and raised his wooden sword.
　Fay ducked the blow that Crono would never be able to avoid with a lightly warped upper body, and swung her foot down like she was stepping on a bug.

''Hahaha!　You're going to dodge on the first try and even fight back?
.....

　As Rio lightly jabs his hand to the ground and jumps up, Faye rushes forward, trying not to let him get too far away.
　But Fay's attacks only cut through the air.
　This is because Faye is limited in the attacks she can deliver against the freely flying Rio in the air.
　Basically, swordsmanship isn't made to fight an enemy that flies through the air freely.
　Well, that's what they usually think, and that's what they would think.

'If the sword can't reach me!
Oh, my God, you're not going to...

　Rio exclaims.
　Because Faye ran up the wall of Crawford Manor.

'We will only let you reach it!
That's why you're a simpleton!

　Running up to the vicinity of the second floor of the Crawford mansion, Faye leaps towards Rio.

'But alas!'

　Rio takes refuge in a place where the wooden sword cannot reach him without touching the ground.

'Bless the blade, 'Celebrate the Holy Blade!　It will grow!

　The overflowing darkness covered the wooden sword and further formed a blade of darkness that could be four times the size of the wooden sword.

''Tsk!''
Ha!

　Faye slammed the dark blade into Rio.
　Completely caught off guard, Rio was slammed to the ground, and yet, unable to kill the momentum, he rolled on the ground.

''It is a victory!

　Perhaps it was because he had been losing a lot lately, but Faye proudly threw out her chest.

''Faye, Zanshin!''
You mustn't let your guard down!

　Like Rio, Fei, who was completely caught off guard, hurriedly held the wooden sword at Crono's words. Well, her mouth is loose, so it seems like she hasn't been able to make a residual heart.

''........You do it, don't you?''

　Rio stood up waveringly and wiped the sluggishly flowing nosebleeds roughly with his sleeve.

'It's worse to be careless, sir.
Well, it's better to be safe than sorry.

　Rio throws down his wooden sword, pointing his left arm at the fey as if he were holding a bow, and moving his right arm as if he were squeezing a string.
　In the next moment, a green light blows out of Rio's left hand like a blazing fire, forming a bow, a string, and an arrow.

''Don't.......die!
We can't have a murder at Crawford Manor.

　Rio smiled madly and Myra whispered in a cold voice.
　Myra stood behind Rio and held a kitchen knife to her throat.

''........Silent Assassination Technique (Silent Killing)!
'It sounds nostalgic, but I am now a maid of the Crawford family. Of course, if you insist on dying, Master Rio, I will kill you without a sound, as my two namesake suggests?
No, I won't.

　Rio turned off his arrows and bow and cowered his shoulders in an exaggerated manner.

'Then again, I didn't sense any sign of you at all.
Hence the Silent Killing.
He noticed it, though.

　When I looked towards where Rio was looking, I saw Leila, clutching her broom, glaring at me.

''........Is she the heiress?''
Yes, the heir to my maid's path.

　Myra puffed out her chest proudly.

*

　Four days after the ball ended........after the ball's aftermath and the greeting rounds to the powerful nobles staying in the imperial capital were completed, Fana finally returned to her night work.
　Well, the point is to be embraced by Ramal V as his mistress.
　I'd like to refuse for a good reason, Fana said as she walked down the corridor leading to Ramal V's bedroom, relieving the stiffness in her shoulders.
　Several times, she rubbed against the Kingsguard knight in charge of the castle's security, but the responses were roughly divided into three categories: a cogent salute, a contemptuous look, or a flirtatious glance.

'Hello, Lord Furna.'
Count Chiron, are you in charge of security today?

　When she turned around, Count Rio Chiron approached her with a fresh smile on his face.
　Waiting for Count Chiron to catch up with her, Fana began to walk down the corridor.

''Leonhard-dono's First Knights and Count Ernat's Second Knights have gone back to guarding the territory under direct control. Only my Ninth Order and Count Piske's Twelfth Order are present now.''

　The Earl of Chiron's discomfort as he ruffled his hair, revealing a dark bruise.

'You're hurt!
'I'm embarrassed to say, but I got caught off guard in a swordfight.
He was too good a user to let you get hurt.
'Crono's man... or was it Faye, I think he was called Faye?

　Faye?　'That sounds like a name I've heard somewhere, Faye, Faye...' Fana fished through her memory as she walked and finally remembered it.

'Could it be, Faye Murifine?'
Unfortunately, I don't remember the family name. Do you know him?
''Yes, her mother worked at the court. She was very proud of her daughter and she died just as her daughter graduated from military school and was assigned to the Twelfth Order.

　It must be said that a female officer's salary is cheap compared to a knight of the Kingsguard.
　The amount of money is enough for a mother and daughter to live modestly, but if you want them to acquire the education and martial arts necessary to become a knight, a female officer's salary is not enough, and to become a knight of the Kingsguard, you need more connections than your ability.
　It must have required a life-span-shortening hardship to produce knights from the half-fallen Murifine family.

''........Hey, how does your place choose its members?''
My place is basically a connection. Oh, but if I see someone at a military school exercise that looks interesting, I'll give them a call.　Lord Leonhardt and Count Ernat are serious choices. Well, Count Ernat sometimes pulls from other places, though. As for Count Piske I don't know because we don't get along very well, but I haven't heard any good things about him.

　'Yes,' said Fana, letting out a sigh.

'You don't need to let out a sigh, but I'll try to make a serious choice from now on. It was pretty quirky, but Faye was an interesting person to work with.

　Just as the bedroom door came into view, there was a sound like something falling over.

'Lord Ferna is here!

　Turning into a knight's face, Count Chiron kicked down the bedroom door and stepped into the room.

''........Your Majesty!''

　At Count Chiron's shout, Fana broke her command and stepped into the bedroom to find the young mistress stunned on the bed and Ramal V collapsing on the floor, completely naked.
　Judging from the fact that the young servant's clothes are torn and her cheeks are swollen, it's reasonable to assume that Ramal V attacked her completely naked and was pushed away.
　The problem was........Ramal V only looked dead.

''O 'Green and God of Flowing!　A miracle of healing and revitalization!

　As the green light enveloped his body, Ramal V resumed his breathing like the sound of a whistle.

'What about His Majesty?'
''I'm sorry, but you're just forcing me to stay alive with the Divine Majesty Technique and there's nothing I can do about it.

　Count Chiron muttered, his face contorted in pain, probably due to the side effects of the divine power art.
　Ramal V looked at Fana with unfocused eyes and slowly reached out his hand.
　Fana squeezed Ramal V's hand back.



　Ramal V spun out the words at length

"Yo is capable, therefore he has turned his back on his father, and he has cursed his father because of his goodness. But he did not despise his father, and he did not despise a foe.

　Ramal V let his gaze wander into the void.



　Ramal V exhaled quietly.

'.........Who is the one who is making good use of yo?
In Rio Chiron.
It's all right. It was a big deal. I'm tired of being tired. Let me sleep on it.
"As you wish.

　Slowly, Ramal V's body relaxed.

''I'll leave the rest to you, Aruku.

　Ramal V closed his eyes as if he were asleep and whispered in a voiceless voice at the end.

　Phew, I'm sorry.

　Those were Ramal V's ... last words.