The 137th day of summoning other worlds [Those who are in a state of flux] Part 5:

(I see........it's true that this person will work as we wish......but? What is it?

That was the first impression that Ryoma saw her in the castle of the royal capital Piraeus.
Her name, which Count Zeref said [White War God of Roselia], was Elena Steiner.
She was an old woman who had retired as a knight ten years ago now.
Even though she was an old woman, her age was between her late 50s or mid-60s.
The blonde hair that must have been so beautiful when she was young is now tinted with white in places.
At first glance, she looks like a town wench who could be found anywhere, but from the way she walked when she entered the room, it seems that she had a good deal of training even after she retired.

''Ho! Welcome to...Yo...welcome!

He must be so excited, Mertina's greeting was not very watchable.
And that was also true of Mikhail, who had forced himself to be present at the occasion.
He allowed the two of them to sit together on the condition that they didn't interfere with Ryouma, but his face was red in the face of the person he had admired for so many years, and it was clear that his shoulders were wasting their time.
She's like a girl who's desperate for her first love.

(Well, if I'm this nervous, I don't have time to say anything unnecessary...)

It's no wonder the girls are nervous, though.
After all, Elena Steiner, the [White God of War] of Roselia, is a living legend that the Kingdom of Roselia is proud of.

A week ago, after hearing about her from Count Zeref, Ryoma decided to find out about Elena Steiner.
It didn't require much effort, of course.
After all, there wasn't a Roserian citizen who didn't know her.
The children playing in the town didn't know her, and that's why they didn't know her.
That's how much trust she had in the people of Roselia.
After all, her saga was numerous.
Among those numerous saga, the battle of Notis is the one that stands out the most.
The Notis Plains exist on the border between the Kingdom of Zaruda and the Oltmere Empire.
It was she who was dispatched to the Kingdom of Zaruda as a reinforcement to the Oltomere Empire, which had gathered its troops on this plain to invade the Kingdom of Zaruda, and developed a counter-invasion strategy against the Oltomere Empire, and thwarted the ambitions of the Empire.
She is literally the hero of the country's salvation.


Just drink a cup of tea and calm down.

'Ha! Yes, sir! I beg your pardon!

Mertina froze stiffly despite the fact that the other side was taking care of her.

''Well, let's leave her alone, Elena-sama. Thank you for coming all the way here.'

Elena returned Ryouma's words by bowing lightly.

It's a good thing that you're not going to be able to find a way to make it work. It's a very good idea to have a good idea of what to expect.

I can't thank you enough for asking me to do this.

But since I received a letter handwritten by Princess Lupis, I had no choice but to come to you.

I'm sure you'll be able to find out more about this.

I'm sure you'll agree that it's worth the effort of writing a letter to your highness.

A dubious look appears on Elena's face.
It's a good idea to be able to have a good idea of what you're looking for, because it's a good idea to have the princess of the country write a letter.

I'm not sure I've heard your name yet.

Elena's interest in Ryoma seemed to grow in her mind.

''My name is Mikoshiba Ryoma.''

A look of surprise crosses Elena's face.

''Oh my ... you ... don't sound like a schemer, do you?''

It's true that if you look at Ryoma's physique and muscles, he's a physical person by all accounts.
It's not the type of person who plays with his or her head, at the very least.

''You know about me?''

'What? Isn't that obvious? Even though I'm retired, I still love this country. I know about most things. It's been ten years since I retired as a knight, and there are still people who remember me. They give me souvenir stories.

Looking at Elena's face, Ryoma was sure that she was still in contact with the knightly people.



Nowadays, the knightly faction does not swear absolute allegiance to the princess, because General Hodram is at the forefront of their ambitions for the royal family.
Originally, knights were loyal to the kingdom and royalty and were a means of opposition to the nobility.
It's a good idea to have a good idea of what you're looking for when you're in the marketplace.
I'm sure that she is the recipient of the dissatisfaction of those knights.

''I see. It's an honor to have your name remembered by [Roselia's White God of War].''

Elena's face slightly twisted at Ryouma's words.

''Oh my.......you know old things. It was a long time ago. That's what they called me.

You don't seem to like it very much, do you? Elena.

It was a long time ago... by the way, you never told me why I was summoned.

It's a subject that she doesn't like to discuss, so she changes the subject.

I'll be blunt. We need Princess Lupis to help us.

Elena's expression hardens.
I'm sure she didn't think she'd be able to come up with such a straightforward reason.

The first thing that comes to mind is the fact that it is really straightforward....

Then, after a moment's thought, he smiled and said

'Well, it's nice and straightforward. I like that kind of thing.

It's not just a matter of time before you're able to get your hands on a new one.

I'm sure you'll be able to find a way to make it work. I'm sure you'll be able to find the right one.

'What? Even a woman, even an old lady like me. Well, let's not be too hasty, shall we?

Oh, I'm sorry about that. It's true that hasty invitations are not good manners, but we don't have much time to spare.

Liangma shrugs off Elena's words.

I'm not sure I can give you an answer until I meet with Your Highness as well.

'Oh? Does Lady Elena wish to see Her Highness? ...Honestly, there's no time to waste on us, is there?

""Nah!"

At Ryouma's words, Elena, Mertina and Mikhail's mouths simultaneously leaked out in surprise.

''Kit! You!

Ryoma's cold gaze pierced Mertina, who was so enraged that she almost got up from her chair.
It was a sign that was clearer than anything else to anyone who saw his eyes.
If you don't shut up, I will kill you! I say.
Mertina's hips were pushed back into the chair again, almost floating as if she was being intimidated.

'I beg your pardon ... apparently she's not used to this kind of negotiation...'

After confirming that Mertina had sat down, Ryoma bowed to Elena.



Thank you. After all, our lives are at stake here.

Hearing Ryoma's words, Elena caught her breath and asked a question to get the conversation back on track.

'So? Why would I waste my time meeting His Highness Lupis?

''If I could have helped you by meeting your highness, Elena-sama herself would have gone to the castle voluntarily a long time ago.

He was a man who had retired ten years ago.
He wants to bring it back to active duty again.
It is obvious that this is impossible under ordinary conditions.
And money and fame mean nothing to her.
She has risen to the rank of general, she is not lacking in money, and there is no greater honor than that of a saving hero.
Her loyalty to the royal family would be no good either.
If that's all you need to convince me, this is the person I'll be able to talk to.
You'd already be in the service of Princess Lupis or Princess Ladine.
If you don't do that, it means that you can't judge who is more legitimate.
If we can't conclude that the Princess Ladine held by Duke Gerhardt is a fake, she might be the late lord's orphanage.
I'm sure he's too loyal to be moved because of his loyalty to the royal family.
If I were to put myself in Elena's shoes, there's no way she would join Princess Lupis in this situation.
In other words, it's a waste of time to meet her.

Well........why did he call me when he knew that much?

I really need your help.

Elena's face clouded over at Ryoma's words.

''Oh? Does that mean you're going to force me to do what you say?

You can't do that with advantage or reason, you can't do that with force.
A look of contempt appears on Elena's face.

Do you think I overbought it? I was expecting to hear that Princess Lupis had a sharp knife.

No, no. I wouldn't be so rude.

What do you mean?

Ryoma answered Elena's question with a laugh.

'Neither money nor honor will move me. But you came with a letter from His Highness. That means that there is room for negotiation, right? Perhaps you are hopeful about something. Not out of money or honor or even loyalty. It's personal.

Ryoma's words dominated the air in the room.
Everyone was so surprised that they couldn't speak.

''Well...I see. It's true that you're a smart guy.

Finally, the words escaped from Elena's mouth.
You will find that Ryoma's guess was correct.

I'm not going to be able to get it right. And depending on what I tell you I want and how I answer it you're welcome to help me with Princess Lupis.

I understand ... to be honest, I have a pretty good idea of what you want.

I'm sure you'll be able to find a great deal more to say about it.

The actuality of it is that it's not possible to predict that much, then it's unlikely.

But there's no proof, so I can't compete.

Hmmm........it's hard to decide whether to be cautious or a coward.......

Elena's gaze pierced to Ryoma.
If there was even the slightest bit of trepidation or hesitation mixed into his mind, she would never acknowledge Ryouma.
Ryoma met Elena's gaze straight away.
To prove his own worth.

''Well, if you're going to play with your wits, you need to be that cautious... okay. I'll give you a little more time to think about it. And then let me hear your answer.

Elena saw the intent in Ryoma's eyes.
And I'm willing to bet on it.
I'm not a fan of that.

(Is this ... this child ... the last piece I've been waiting for?

Ten years have passed since she retired from knighthood.
But she herself did not intend to stop being a knight.
She was only made to stop it.
That man.
By Hodram.
[Roselia's White God of War]?
Elena's mouth twisted in mockery.
Yes indeed, that was what she was called.
Not to mention the Kingdom of Roselia, her name was spread throughout the neighboring countries as well.
Everyone admired her.
But she didn't understand.
She didn't understand that a blade had been creeping up behind her to attack her.
The more fame she gained, the more jealous she became of her own fame.

(If this boy can see my wish if he has so much thought and wisdom I can do what I want!

Hopes and fears come into Elena's eyes.
The hope that her own hopes might be fulfilled and the fear that she would have to wait for the right time again.


Ryoma could read Elena's mind.
That she had high expectations for herself.
And whether or not she could live up to those expectations depended on it.
Ryouma will build a hypothesis by combining his knowledge of her that he had researched beforehand and the information he had obtained by meeting her in person.

(She would want revenge against the knightly faction... just how far would it go? Hodram's personal vendetta? Or is it revenge on the knights themselves? (Or is it someone else?)

It's been 10 years since I retired as a knight.
Considering the fact that he still has influence over the knights and that he hasn't missed any training, it's the most fitting reason to say that he's waiting for an opportunity for revenge.
If he retired from knighting of his own volition, then there's no need for him to train on a daily basis.
Besides, the expression on her face when she said the alias [Roselia's White War God].
If she still interacts with the knight, despite her dislike for her own alias, it's unlikely that she hates the knight itself.

(Well, it could be simply because it's a daily routine.......)

Of course there are a million reasons why she is here.
But it is precisely because there are desires that she cannot fulfill alone that we are negotiating.
Inevitably, the level of difficulty of that demand will increase.

(Hmm.........that's enough for now......then we'll just have to play the game......)

Ryouma was ready.
A hypothesis is just a hypothesis.
No matter how much you think about it, there is no way you can get proof.
In that case, you have no choice but to believe the answers you've drawn from the knowledge you've gained from researching her beforehand and the impressions you've actually met.

''Revenge...?''

Hearing Ryouma's words, surprise and joy appeared on Elena's face.

'What makes you think that?'

When we met, I felt it. I could tell when we met that you weren't retired. That's why you're well-trained and well-informed about the knightly school. But the fact that you retired as a knight ten years ago means that you did not retire of your own volition. And it was after you retired that General Hodram took over. Having met General Hodram in person, I could tell immediately that he was a man steeped in a sense of privilege. And if you'll excuse me, Elena you are a former peasant.

So.........you know that much.......

Elena let out the hatred she had been hiding.

''All I want is Hodram's head he is the enemy of my husband and daughter...''

Hearing Elena's words, Ryoma understood that his hypothesis was correct.
And the flames of hatred swirling within her....