The Knight Princess’ First Love

A month had passed since the Phrase invasion, and nothing odd had

happened since then.

The guildmaster, Relisha, did show up and ask for an explanation of what

exactly went down. Apparently there was a branch in Yulong that got

completely trashed.

The civil war, if you could even call it that, was continuing in Yulong. Every

now and then a new noble would appear and claim he was the rightful heavenly

emperor, only to be killed by another noble declaring himself as the true

heavenly emperor, and so on.

Yulong itself was no longer a unified country; it had broken down into several

city states within the former country's territory. It would be more apt to call it

the "Yulong Region," as it no longer had any singular national identity. I

wondered if they'd do what the nearby Roadmare Union did, and eventually

form a unified alliance amongst the smaller states.

"Those arrogant idiots won't last long if they pursue spring dreams."

"Hm? What do you mean?"

"I'm saying that no matter how they prosper, they obviously wouldn't have

lasted forever. Just like a little dream in the midst of early spring, their ideals

are fleeting." Monica looked confused at my explanation, so I just went about

and dropped it. After thinking about it, I realized Yulong had probably lasted a

long time as a nation, so my musing wasn't exactly on point.

The fact that Yulong was destroyed by mysterious invaders didn't take long to

spread to other nations.

In the end, not quite as many Yulong nobles continued to slander me as I'd

expected. Plus, I had the guild help mitigate the damage by distributing flyers

and information to adventurers. The information concerned the Phrase,

explaining what they looked like, what they were called, and the fact that they

had ravaged the world in the past.

I also disclosed their strengths and weaknesses. I was hoping that adventuring

parties would be able to take out Lesser Constructs if they were equipped with

that information.

We had no idea where they'd appear next, after all. It was necessary to finally

make them public knowledge.

Still, if I was to believe what Ende had told me, I wouldn't have to worry about

another grand invasion for a while.

"So then, we can only have four Fragarach drones equipped to a Frame Gear

at once?"

"Sir yes sir! If we equip any more, then the Frame Gear's mobility will be

hindered, sir!" That certainly wasn't something we wanted. A Frame Gear that

couldn't move well might as well have been a sitting duck. The four-drone limit

had nothing to do with the pilot, it was simply a technical limitation of the

outdated Frame Gear schematics we had on hand.

Rosetta had just finished installing four Fragarachs onto a Knight Baron, so

she promptly descended from its shoulder.

They were arranged in a cross-shape on its back. Since they were swordshaped and made out of phrasium, they could also be used as conventional

weapons in a pinch.

Using a Fragarach to attack was something that consumed exhaustive

amounts of energy, so it wasn't something I could have people use

consecutively. I'd asked if we could use [Transfer] in advance to give the pilots

more to work with, but apparently after synchronizing with the pilot's

wavelength, the Frame Gear would either reject my magic, or make it so only I

could control the Fragarach drones. Neither were particularly appealing.

We'd finished making the new weapon, but there was certainly a lot to

consider about it...

"My liege, is everything well...?"

"Hm? Kohaku? I'm alright. Something going on with you?" Kohaku was

currently back at the royal castle, so I was surprised to receive a telepathic

message.

"Representatives from a foreign nation have arrived at the castle. They're

seeking an audience with you."

"Foreign representatives? If they're from Yulong, just chase them the hell out

already."

"They're certainly not from Yulong. They appear to be from, er... a place

called Lestia. Some kind of Knight Kingdom."

Oh, that sounds familiar... Wasn't that the place where I flew over and helped

that Hildegard girl fight against some Phrase...? Yeah, now I remember! I saved

her and gave her a phrasium sword. She did say something or other about

making it up to me, I think... I wonder if this is it! I used [Gate] to go to my

throne room, but nobody was there. What the heck?

"Ah, Your Majesty. Please, this way." I was looking around the room like a

moron when Lapis showed up and beckoned me to follow.

"Didn't we have a group from Lestia here?"

"Yes, we did... But when I asked them to wait a while, they headed for the

training grounds to watch our knight order practice their swordplay." Huh, that

makes sense. If they're from the Knight Kingdom, they've gotta love a good

fight. I can understand why they might wanna watch foreign soldiers display

their skills, too. So long as they're just watching, it's no biggie.

I arrived at the training grounds to find Logan and a female knight dueling

with training swords. But that wasn't just any female knight. It was Princess

Hildegard! I had no idea how to react.

"Haaah!!!" The knight princess delivered the final blow, screaming loudly as

she disarmed her foe. Logan's sword flew up into the air. She was pretty damn

talented, that was for sure.

"Match concluded!" Nikola's voice reverberated through the field. The crowd,

huddled around and watching the fight intently, erupted into cheering. I could

see members of my knight order, as well as Lestian knights.

"Th-Thank you so much, venerable princess..."

"And to you." The two exchanged pleasantries, and with that the match was

over. Just as I'd wondered if she'd spotted me, I saw the girl pick up the pace

and head in my direction. Her long blonde hair shimmered as it blew in the

gentle wind. She was clad in her usual armor, but had the sweetest little smile

on her face. Now that I had a better look at her, she looked to be around Yae's

age.

"Y-Your Highness... I-It's been a while!"

"Yep, sure has. But uh, more to the point... what're you doing here, Princess

Hildegard?" I returned her greeting, but was mostly just surprised to see her.

"This visit is my way of saying thanks for that incident. There's also something

I wished to ask of you... Still, I'm not here as the representative, but more of an

attendant."

"...Attendant to who, exactly?"

"That would be me." An elderly fellow stepped out from the gathering of

Lestian knights. He looked close to seventy years old. He had a long white

mustache on his face, and hobbled along with a gnarled cane. Even though he

walked with a cane, his back was completely straight. He had an excellent poise

about him and seemed fit for his age. Suddenly, I had a thought as to who he

might be...

"It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance, Grand Duke of Brunhild. My

name is Galen Yunas Lestia. I am the former king of Lestia, and a Gold-ranked

adventurer, much like you." The old man took a guild card from his pocket,

presenting it to me. It was definitely the real deal. I was pretty sure this guy was

the only other person on the planet to share my rank.

"It's a pleasure, sir. I'm Mochizuki Touya. I've heard about you before.

Guildmaster Relisha spoke well of you."

"Ohohohohohhh... You have my gratitude, young man. You brought us

something wonderful recently. I was wondering if I might be able to confer my

thanks, and make my way around Brunhild to see what this fine nation has to

show for itself."

"I guess that could be arranged...? There's not a lot going on in terms of

sightseeing, but you'd be an honored guest if you decided to stay here a while."

I reached out to shake the former king's hand, but somehow... I missed. Wait,

what?

"Eeek!!" I turned around in response to the sudden scream, only to find Lapis

clutching her behind and shuddering violently. The former king had somehow

flash-stepped behind her, and was making a groping motion with his palm.

What.

"Oh, you must forgive me... This is just a habitual manner of mine. Goodness

me... What an exceptionally firm ass. I can tell you're no mere maid, since it's

toned to perfection."

"G-Grandfather, please! We're guests, this is not Lestia! H-Have some

restraint...!"

"You'll have to forgive me, my hand moves on instinct when it senses a

righteous rump. I've been rather patient until now, restraining myself in a

magnificent sea of asses, but I'm almost at my limit, you know?

Bwahahahaah..." Hildegard suddenly got mad at the former king. That was a

little jarring. Given her response, I had to assume his behavior here wasn't out

of the norm. If I recalled correctly, she seemed a little reserved when I'd

mentioned the former king during our last meeting. Now I understood why.

But more importantly, I had no idea how or when he'd gotten past me. Lapis

was also a former member of Espion, and was a fully trained spy, so it made no

sense that he'd gotten behind her with such precision and speed.

The old man was absolutely not an ordinary person. He clearly had his Gold

rank for a reason. Then again, he could've just been exceptionally talented at

being a pervert.

"Please forgive us! This is just... my grandfather's reflexes taking hold. O-Once

he's touched you, he'll generally leave you alone, so don't worry."

"Hah... Goodness me..." What the hell kind of reflex is that supposed to be? I

can't believe this guy ruled over a kingdom of knights. This isn't the kind of guy I

was imagining at all!

For the time being, we returned to Brunhild castle. Then, we took the group

of Lestian knights toward the barracks of our own knight order. Some of them

decided to stay as escorts for the visiting royalty, of course.

We entered the castle, and I was about to guide them, but...

"Eeek!!"

"Ohohohohohhh..."

"Grandfather!" The incident kept repeating itself. Our maids didn't even have

a chance. I was worried he'd end up causing an international incident, honestly.

I was sorely tempted to restrain him with [Gravity], but...

"Oho... It's Touya. Good morning, y'know?" My sister... Karen, walked around

the corner all of a sudden. In a flash of lightning speed, the former king of Lestia

bolted toward her, hand groping its way toward her butt.

Before I could blink, however, the old man was on the ground, rolling in the

opposite direction.

"What..." From my perspective, Karen's posture hadn't changed. She was

clearly untouched. It was as if she hadn't moved. The dumbfounded old man

stayed there on the floor, staring into space.

"Hey bro, who's this guy?"

"Huh, oh... He's the former king of the Lestia Knight Kingdom."

"Oh, gosh... He's certainly a lively old man, y'know?" I introduced Karen to our

Lestian visitors, who were equally as surprised as I. Given that Karen was posing

as my sister, that also technically made her royalty, too.

"Please forgive my sister, she can be a little... brash."

"No, goodness no! This was our fault from the beginning! I honestly think my

grandfather needed something like that. A little divine punishment, ahaha." She

had no idea how close to the truth she was. I kept my mouth shut, though. Her

grandfather was lucky to only be slightly injured after trying to grope the ass of

a literal god.

"But truly, you're amazing. Suppose I'd expect as much of His Highness' elder

sister. This is the first time I've met a woman who can repel my grandfather's

advan...ces... Erm... i-is there something on my face?"

Karen was staring intently at Hildegard. Her eyes were wide, as if staring into

the poor girl's soul and searching for secrets. After a little while, Karen abruptly

spoke up.

"You're in love, aren't you?"

"Wh-Huhwhat?!" Hildegard shrieked, shrinking back as crimson shot across

her cheeks. Her composed expression was completely obliterated, replaced by a

profusely sweating brow and panicked eyes.

"Wh-Whatever do you, uhm... mean?! L-Love?! Love?! HAHAHA! Ha! Don't be

silly, ma'am!"

"Mfuhuhu... Love can never escape my gaze, y'know? Would you like me to

give you some pointers? You should come to my room later, I'll teach you

proper courtship etiquette." My dear older sister left for the dining room after

leaving a weird passing comment. Hildegard was beet red, both hands over her

face. I couldn't quite make out what she was muttering, either.

"Hey, uh, you okay?"

"Huh?! Yeah! HAHA! I'm great! I'm really, really great, actually. Thank you so

much for asking, but I am great!" Are you sure about that...? If you were any

redder there'd be steam coming out of your ears.

Still, if Karen had said she was in love, then she was in love. When the

Goddess of Love said something about that, I'd be inclined to believe it. It

seemed that in the end even female knights have the hearts of fair maidens.

Her face turned so red after thinking about the guy she liked. He was a lucky

one.

I was a little weirded out because she kept glancing at me now and then. She

must've been embarrassed that I saw her in such a state.

"Anyhow... Princess Hildegard, and uh, former king... shall we be off?"

"A-Ah, uhm... please don't call me Hildegard. There's no need for such

formality. I'd like it if... you called me Hilde. That's what I prefer to be called by

those close to me..." The princess made a bashful request. I certainly didn't

mind, since her name was a bit of a mouthful. With that, I decided to honor her

request for my own convenience.

"Alrighty then. You'll be Hilde to me from now on."

"G-Great!"

"Ohohohohh..." Princess Hilde smiled broadly, but her grandfather just

chuckled ominously in the background.

What's so funny, old man?!

◇ ◇ ◇

"So then, what brings you both here?" Princess Hilde and her grandfather sat

on a three-person couch in the castle's meeting room. I sat opposite them,

hearing them out.

They'd informed me that they'd been traveling incognito, and didn't intend to

give away their social status during the trip. Upon closer inspection, their armor

didn't have the Lestian Royal Crest on it.

The former king was a great adventurer once, so he had contacts all over the

place. Thanks to that, they arrived without a hitch. The guy sure was something.

From what I'd heard, they'd disguised themselves as commoners and went

around fighting criminals... Kinda like Mito Komon from that one period drama

show. I could almost imagine them facing down criminals with cries of "Do you

know who this man is?! He's the great Galen, former king of the land!" and then

they'd all be like "Ha-haaa!" or something... It probably wasn't that close to the

show, though. Still, I didn't really have an issue with him delivering punishment

to evildoers.

"Yes, we'd actually like to discuss the Yulong incident with you..." Hilde

brought up the subject pretty quickly. I wasn't too surprised, all things

considered.

The incident had involved several members of foreign countries, and Yulong

had been spreading all kinds of baseless and inconsistent lies about what

happened, so most nations that weren't involved had no idea about what had

actually happened. That issue was mostly prevalent on the eastern side of the

continent, as the western allies all knew the truth.

It was somewhat amusing that the west knew more about the situation at the

east, given that it was an eastern situation to begin with.

The guild had been circulating the truth of the matter, but the facts did sound

stranger than fiction. Beasts unaffected by magic, with complex regeneration

abilities, and they appearing out of a tear in space? Nobody had ever heard of

such a thing, so it was reasonable not to believe it.

I detailed exactly what had happened to the two of them, since there was no

need to lie.

"Wow... So there really was an invasion by the Phrase creatures... So you're

saying that Belfast, Regulus, Mismede, Refreese, Ramissh, and Lihnea were all

fighting as one?"

"The Phrase are foes we couldn't have defeated if we weren't united. Just one

of their Upper Constructs wiped Shenghai from the map in a single attack."

"What a frightful story... Do you think this could happen again, elsewhere?"

The former king's worries were certainly justified. After all, a small group of

Phrase had appeared in Lestia some time ago. I decided not to lie to these two,

and gave them the honest truth of the matter.

"I don't think that anything like this will happen for a while, but there is still a

real possibility this event could repeat itself elsewhere. It's for that reason that

I've been preparing countermeasures."

"That's the Frame Gears, right? The giant warriors?" I was surprised they

knew it by name, but at the same time I knew word would get out eventually.

I decided in this case it would be better to show rather than tell, so we moved

to the western plain outside the castle. Along with their escorts, of course.

The former king, the princess, and the escorts were all taken by surprise as I

warped them through my portal. I kept forgetting people weren't used to that.

They were even more surprised when I used [Gate] to materialize a Black Knight

in the field.

"This is one of my Frame Gears. I call it the Knight Baron. It's one of our

primary weapons in combating the Phrase." The people in the area were

absolutely speechless. I took out a radio from [Storage] and contacted Monica.

She was sitting in the cockpit, of course.

"Alright, show them some motion. Don't mess around, though."

"As you command, Master." Monica started displaying various movements

with the Frame Gear. She walked, ran, drew a weapon, thrust, and slashed.

"And these... Frame Gears... How many were deployed in Yulong?"

"Around two-hundred-and-fifty of them, including spare units. It was pretty

close, given that there were around thirteen-thousand Phrase."

"Two-hundred-and... Wh-What does Brunhild intend to do with this military

might?" The former king's eyes fell upon me, as if attempting to probe me for

information. I couldn't really blame him. Anyone would suspect someone's

intentions if they wielded this much power.

"You can believe me or not, but I do not intend on using this power to

conquer. I would only use them in grave circumstances. Their first and foremost

purpose is to fight the Phrase. I can promise you that even other members of

the western alliance would not be wielding one of these unless a real crisis

occurred."

"And how do you define a real crisis?"

"If a Behemoth were to emerge, or if we needed to rescue people from

natural disasters. Those are crisis situations to me." I'd actually lent Frame

Gears to a couple of allied nations for situations just like those. If they were

saving lives, then obviously I'd let them make use of my power. I didn't charge

them either, so it was a show of good faith on my part. My primary goal was to

inspire confidence in foreign nations, to reassure them that I wasn't going to

take over their homes. That being said, I'd make them compensate me if the

Frame Gears were damaged fighting Behemoths or whatever.

"Then, as an example... if Lestia were to form an alliance with Brunhild, would

we gain access to these Frame Gears as well?"

"If you were using them for honest situations and not war, then yes." They

asked me if I was worried about foreign nations stealing the technology and

reverse-engineering it. I challenged them to show me a place in the world that

could do it. Not even my workshop could produce a Frame Gear from scratch.

Unless a once-in-a-blue-moon genius like Doctor Babylon showed up, I had

nothing to worry about.

They could disassemble a Frame Gear, but even then they'd be able to

replicate the limbs at most. They wouldn't be able to distill the Ether Liquid,

either. If a country actually did disassemble one of my Frame Gears to the point

where it couldn't be put back together, I'd simply blacklist them from borrowing

it anymore.

"The reason I came to Brunhild was to establish friendly relations. I can't

formally propose an alliance without my son, though I'm sure he wouldn't

reject it."

"I'd be happy to forge an alliance with Lestia, but I'd need to consult my other

allies first." I didn't really expect there to be any objections, but formalities

were still formalities. I was quite pleased with my image of Lestia so far. Being a

Kingdom of Knights they seemed to be dutiful, honest, and noble people. This

grope-happy old man was probably the only stain on that image so far.

I briefly wondered if the western alliance would have to change its name if

Lestia joined. They were from the eastern part of the map, after all. Well, that

was a minor detail, so I decided to worry about it later.

◇ ◇ ◇

"Haaaaaah!!!"

"Hiyaaaaaah!!!" The two fighters halted inches before their wooden swords

made contact with their enemy's body. Princess Hilde's sword rested itself at

Yae's waist, while Yae's sword hovered just behind the nape of Hilde's neck.

They were both extremely talented at swordplay.

"Alright. Match over." I'd volunteered to referee, so I used that power to end

it there.

Hilde said she wanted to face my nation's greatest swordsman, so I decided

Yae would be the best fit. After all, when it came to the art of the blade, she

was even more adept than old man Yamagata.

Over the last year, I'd shown Yae countless websites and videos relating to

traditional swordsmanship. She absorbed the info about as well as how a

sponge absorbed water, and studied almost every day. Her style had really

started to come into its own. Sure, her family's Kokonoe style left its mark on

her, but she had evolved beyond it.

Still, the fact that Princess Hilde could fight Yae to a draw was astounding in

itself.

The two of them lowered their weapons and breathed heavily.

"That was a very fun match. You truly have a wonderful knight, Your

Highness."

"Hm? Ah, I am not one of his knights, I am not."

"Eh?" Hilde shook Yae's hand, but tilted her head in confusion at her words.

"I am betrothed to Touya-dono, I am."

"Er... excuse me?"

"Ah, she's my fiancee." I butted in to clarify, but Hilde suddenly stopped

moving. Huh? What's wrong? She slowly turned toward me, almost creaking as

she stared. I had no idea what was going on, but her eyes looked completely

lifeless.

"Engaged... You're... engaged...?"

"Hm? Well, yeah... Wasn't there a big announcement about me marrying Lu

and Yumina?"

"Yumina...? Lu...?" It felt like Hilde wanted to ask who they were. She didn't

seem to recognize the names at all. I figured the news had yet to spread to the

eastern side of the world or something.

"They are the princesses of Regulus and Belfast, they are. Like myself, they

are both Touya's fiancees as well, they are."

"Whaaat?! H-He has three fiancees...?"

"Actually he has six, he does."

"SIX?!" Hilde was stunned into silence. Hmm... I guess she's surprised. Even

though polygamy's normal in this world, it's unusual for nobles or wealthy

merchants to have two or three wives, and most outrageous members of royalty

usually cap it off at five.

Many merchants and nobles had wives, and then many concubines.

Apparently once a highborn man in this world took a wife, he'd have intimate

relations with several women over the following years. But people like me with

multiple marriage partners off the bat were considered rare.

"I... Well, I just... I didn't... expect that. Excuse me." Hilde muttered to herself,

a little frown on her face. I waved my hand in front of her face, but she was

completely lost in her own bubble.

"Looks like a job for Big Sis, y'know?!"

"Gah! Don't do that!" I jumped in surprise at the sudden voice.

Karen had appeared out of nowhere, striking a dramatic pose. Her breath was

heavy, bated with excitement.

Geez, can this girl teleport or something?! Well, I guess she's a god rather

than a girl... so she can just pop up as she pleases...

"Hey there, sweetheart. You're suffering from a case of one-sided unrequited

love, y'know? And the target of that love is Touya, isn't it?"

"Eeep! Wh-What are you saying?! What?! Hahaha! WHAT?! That's so silly! HHow did you?! How did you guess like that?!" Karen pointed her finger over at

Hilde, and the girl practically exploded into a deep blush. What... Why's she

freaking out? She can't... No... But we only met twice, no! No way! Please no...

Don't say it!

I pulled Karen off to the side and suddenly whispered to her.

"Wait just a second here... Are you using some kind of divine power here? Did

you fire an invisible love beam at her or something?"

"Don't be so rude, Touya! I'd never interfere like that, y'know? That little girly

over there has had love for you in her heart since the very beginning. Actually, I

can see it and smell it. It's her first love. It's absolutely stunning, y'know?"

How is that so obvious to you?! Am I just slow or something? It's her first love,

seriously?! So... What the hell do I do here? I had no idea what to do, and

Hildegard was looking extremely awkward. Before I could think of something,

Yae suddenly stepped in front of the poor girl. I reaaally hoped she wasn't going

to fight her or something.

"Hilde-dono, do you love Touya-dono?"

"Eeep! I... No! Erm, that is to say... I didn't know he had a fiancee, especially

not one so lovely as you, Yae. I... Please forgive me. I must be causing you

grief."

"It is quite the contrary, it is. I know your feelings very well, I do. I was once in

the same position as you." Hilde, who was looking at the floor in shame, slowly

raised her head.

"When Touya-dono was first betrothed to Yumina-dono, I was simply his

companion. I buried the affection I had deep within my heart, I did. But even so,

both Touya-dono and Yumina-dono came to accept me."

"I see..."

"That is why I am comfortable with you joining our ranks as a fiancee, Hildedono."

"Excuse me?!" Both Hilde and I yelled the same thing at the same time. How

did this happen?! What is going on here?! I only took Sue as a fiancee recently,

so isn't this a little soon for number seven?! "Right now, Touya's bridal limit is

set to three more, it is. It has been decided that he will have nine wives in

total."

"Nine?!" Hilde raised her voice in shock. You're just sharing that now as well?!

I didn't even agree!

"Popular as ever, little bro... Your big sister's super proud of you, y'know?"

"Now hold it right there!" I glared at my idiotic sister, who had started wolfwhistling from the sidelines. I'm glad somebody's seeing the funny side of all

this!

"S-S-So you're saying that he can only take on three more brides? That

women after that would merely be his mistresses? I-If that's the case, then I

gladly accept! I'll happily become the seventh, Yae!"

"Then I will have you introduced to the others later, I will. I am delighted that

someone like you will be joining us."

"Thank you so much, Yae!" Princess Hilde grasped Yae's hand firmly.

Wait, what the hell just happened? Was my opinion voided entirely? Do I not

matter?! This is bad... This is totally bad! It's gonna happen the same way it

happened that time with Yumina and Lu. What can I even do? If I say something

now, I'd just hurt her... Marriage is more than just love here, it also means

deepening political and social ties. I guess us not knowing one another is fine to

them because they're a society that nurtures love after political marriages, but...

Agh! I don't know what to do, this is some weird upper-class custom or

something...!

She is royalty, after all... Maybe it's a politically motivated decision? But no

girl would choose to go marry someone she doesn't love...

The two girls quickly began chattering before my eyes. I was powerless to

stop them, but luckily I didn't have to.

"Now hold your horses, I can't just allow this marriage!"

"Grandfather?!"

"Goodness me, what a situation this is..." The former king appeared as if from

nowhere, jumping with outstretched hands and a serious expression on his

face. What is this, some kind of kabuki play?

I'm getting a little worried this is gonna turn into a "If you want my

granddaughter, you have to get through me!" kind of situation... That's not

what I want at all!

"You would take the position of a Princess of Lestia so lightly...? Fight me,

prove your worth!"

Bingo. Welp, guess there's no helping it. Still, this is a bit of a lucky situation; I

can just lose on purpose. I don't intend to take Princess Hilde as my wife, not

right now at least. She's cute, but I don't know the first thing about her!

Still... the former king is a Gold-rank adventurer. Despite his age, this might be

a struggle, even if I don't throw the fight...

"You must honorably accept this duel. Show me your power, defeat me, and

I'll accept you! Fight me now, Hilde!"

"Very well, Grandfather! I shall strike you down!"

Wait... What?!

◇ ◇ ◇

"All opposed to the engagement between Touya and Princess Hildegard of

Lestia, raise your hands now." Yumina spoke up, but nobody raised their hand.

"Then I happily accept Princess Hildegard as a kindred spirit. She, like us, will

dutifully support Touya, striving to become good wives and mothers."

"Thank you so much! I'll work hard." Hilde shed a little tear as the other six

stood around her and applauded. I had no idea what was happening.

There were eight people in the room. Myself, my fiancees, and Princess

Hildegard. This was what they called a bridal conference, and the intention was

to approve my engagement to Hilde. Though, for whatever reason, I was seated

away from all the others.

"Come on, guys... You're seriously gonna ignore me here?" At my comment,

Yumina turned and frowned.

"Do you dislike Princess Hilde?"

"Well, no. Don't see any reason to."

"Then you think she's unattractive?"

"Of course not! She's really pretty."

"Then her personality's at fault?"

"No. She's a hard worker and gives her all for her homeland. I'm really

impressed, in all honesty."

"Then there's an issue with her heritage?"

"Nope, not that either. She's a princess like you and Lu."

"Then there's nothing to object."

"Ugh..." Yumina finished up her questioning and flashed me a grin. I looked

over at Princess Hilde, only to find her blushing deeply and looking at the floor.

It was true that I didn't have a reason to refuse her, but... I kind of had the

feeling that if I gave in at this point, they'd walk all over me forever. I could

barely stand up to one of them individually... Seven combined and I'd be their

abusable puppet! Polygamy sounded like a man's dream at first, but I quickly

found that if his brides joined forces, he'd be done for.

"...A-Are you all really okay with this?"

"If I wasn't, I'd have raised my hand."

"As far as we're concerned, you're the same as us. We see you as a good

friend, and we'd love to have you in the family. We all came to love Touya in

our own ways, as well..." Elze and Linze reassured Hilde. I wondered how they

could speak so confidently about her, but it was probably Yumina's Mystic Eye.

That would explain it.

Whenever Yumina used her Mystic Eye, she could read the 'aura' of a person.

A person pure of heart would appear shining and gleaming to her, but a person

with wicked intent would seem muddy and foul.

I didn't know all the details, but she couldn't read much beyond the surface

intentions in their heart. In the end, Yumina told me that she judged based on

the color she saw and her own intuition.

In other words, she knew things about people in a roundabout way. She could

tell the difference between a bad person wearing a chivalrous disguise, and a

good person who was trying to act rough. Yumina must have appraised Hilde in

this way, or at least that was what I figured, but...

"This is definitely a good opportunity for us. Yumina and I are princesses, but

we hail only from the west. Hilde is from the east, and after the Yulong incident,

she's princess of the largest nation there... There's a frightful power in

connecting the east and west." Lu muttered this and that about political

workings. It felt a little dangerous, honestly.

Forging a strong alliance with Lestia would be handy, but I didn't want to just

do this for political reasons.

"But, I mean..."

"Touya, you need to speak up for yourself. Have more confidence in yourself

and your decisions. As your sister said, you're a popular man!"

"...Am I really that popular?"

"Of course you are! Everyone here loves you to pieces!" Sue's words made my

cheeks burn scarlet. Gah! I don't know if I'm happy or just embarrassed...!

Ugh... Damn it, I'd rather not be so wishy-washy after so much time, but this is

just how I am...

I looked over at Princess Hilde, and her nervous eyes met with mine. I was a

little worried, since it almost looked like she was going to cry.

"...Alright, then. If everyone's agreed, it's fine." Everyone suddenly gathered

around Princess Hilde and cheered for her. As I listened to their shrill, girly

laughter, I was once more reminded that I had no power against them. A twinge

of unease set in when I thought about my future.

"Hey, Princess Hilde. What about your battle with the former king?"

"Just Hilde is fine, thank you. From now on I'm both your fiancee, and your

first knight." Princess Hilde, or uh, just Hilde, turned to me with a smile.

"Very well then, Hilde. So, about that fight with the former king... Is there any

chance you can beat him?"

"If you want my true thoughts, I don't think it's likely... The likelihood of me

fighting and prevailing against my grandfather is around one in ten." Those

were seriously low odds. It was about what I'd expected, though. The old man

must've been powerful. Still, one chance in ten was still a chance.

"And... the times I have won against him, I must say it wasn't due to my skills.

It was just a case of me getting lucky..."

"Ha... So you're saying your victory is a matter of coincidence, then?"

"Y-Yes..." Come on, Sue. Don't just say it like that. She looks depressed enough

as it is!

On the contrary, I thought perhaps her grandfather might end up being taken

off-guard. If he doesn't take her seriously enough, she could use that to her

advantage and come out on top.

The weapon for the duel was to be a sword, and it would be only a test of

physical prowess. No magic was to be allowed.

"Touya-dono... Is there not something we can do?"

"Hm... Well, we could always lace Hilde's weapon with some kind of blinding

poison, or make the hilt of his sword detonate or something... Or maybe I could

just enchant Hilde's weapons and armor to have a ton of buffed up effects?"

"A-A victory like that would be rather... hollow, and a-against the code of

chivalry." I mean, I guess... but there's a lot of ways we could easily win here.

The rules said magic couldn't be directly employed during the duel, so it's not

technically cheating! Heheheheh...

"You're making a wicked face again, you are."

"...You're probably coming up with something cruel and underhanded, aren't

you? I don't know if that's a good thing."

"I-I'm a tad concerned..." Don't be mean! I'm not thinking of anything wicked

or underhanded, I promise!

Not this time, at least.

◇ ◇ ◇

The moment the match started, the former king cornered Hilde. She was

forced into the corner, but still managed to think on her feet, parrying his

wooden sword and batting it away from her.

"What's wrong, Granddaughter?! Are your feelings for the grand duke so

pitiful that you'd falter here?!"

"...I believe in Touya! If I move as he instructs, then I shall surely win!"

"As he instructs?! Show me, then!" The speed of his attacks increased, striking

Hilde over and over in an unstoppable barrage. The girl's defenses slowly

started to crumble. She blocked his hits with a shield, but each strike caused

vibrations against her arm. If that kept up, then her movements would end up

being hindered.

The battle was being held in the underground arena. The audience was just

myself and my fiancees. I had the escorts wait outside.

Hilde defended to the best of her ability. I told her to focus on defending and

keep her eyes wide for a vital opening. With that, she'd be able to end the fight

in a single shot.

Hilde smacked his wooden sword aside using her shield and created some

room between them both. She was clearly running out of energy. Her breathing

was ragged and unsteady.

On the other hand, the old man looked like he had life in him yet. A small

smile painted his face.

"Hmph... He is strong, he is. His style is violent and unrefined, like a whirlwind.

If Hilde-dono is a strong person, then he is truly a monster. He employs his

weapon as a fearsome storm that favors brutality over technique, he does."

"But she's withstanding it pretty damn well. I think they're matching up

great."

"That's just because she's solely focused on defense right now. She can't win

if she keeps going as she is. Even if she focuses on her defenses, they'll

eventually crumble. That's when she'll lose." Yae, Elze, and Lu... The three main

fighters of my entourage offered their professional insights. I was especially

amazed by how steadfast Lu had become recently. It was hard to believe that

she was the one who was cowering in fear during the coup. It was possible that

she was just in shock at the time, though.

She still wasn't quite up to the level of Yae or Elze, but she was definitely

skilled. She ended up wielding her weapons in a way that combined my and

Yae's fighting techniques, so she was mostly self-trained.

"It should be any time now... I hope she doesn't miss the opening."

"But will the former king actually leave an opening? He's powerful, and she's

still an opponent he's taking seriously in the end..."

"He won't make an opening. Heheheh... I'm going to make the opening." I

disregarded the confused Yumina and began to focus my magic. I'd browsed the

internet for a convenient video, and now it was time to put it into action.

The former king charged toward Hilde, clearly intent on landing the final blow.

That was my chance! I used [Mirage] to project an image of something about

two meters behind Hilde.

"Whuh!" The former king's eyes shot open wide and he suddenly stopped

moving. Hilde had no idea what had happened, but she took her chance. She

smacked her training sword against her grandfather's body with all her might.

"Ghaugh!!!" If that had been a real sword, the hit would've split him in two.

With that, the old man collapsed and fell on the ground. I'd done it!

"...Touya."

"Yeah?"

"...Who was that woman behind Hilde? The one wearing a... string-like bikini

that appeared for a split second." A lewdly-posed pinup model clad in a teeny

tiny micro-bikini was currently on my phone's display. I had no idea who she

was, but her outfit was seriously risque. She had tanned skin, gorgeous eyes,

and a voluptuous body.

"I did it! It's my victory! Oh, Touya, I did it! I won!" Hilde looked positively

overjoyed, so I waved over to her. My other fiancees were smiling too, but I

could hear their low, terrifying mutters.

"...That was a convenient opening..."

"Men are the worst..."

"I'll handle it, Sis..."

"H-Her chest was pretty big..."

"...Is that the kind of swimsuit you prefer?"

"Hm? Where are you going, Touya?" Everyone except Sue looked at me with

dark eyes. I definitely couldn't stick around after employing one of the Thirty-Six

Stratagems! I hopped down from the audience stands and walked over to

congratulate Hilde. I felt piercing gazes digging into my back, but I didn't turn

around.

"Touya, I really won! I can marry you!" Hilde didn't seem to think too hard

about her grandfather's suspicious loss. She was simply celebrating as the old

man groaned and grumbled on the floor.

"You've done well to defeat me... But know this... the second and third times

you come at me, I will not make it so simple... This isn't even... my final form!"

"...Geez, what are you, a JRPG Archfiend...?" I cast recovery magic on the

former king. Honestly, it was amazing to me that this guy was the king of a

noble knightly society. Though, I had heard he was adopted by the generation

before him... so that kind of explained why he didn't have the traditional

knightly image.

The former king rose to his feet and turned to Hilde, apparently completely

healed and recovered already.

"I know now the faults in my maturity. A loss is indeed a loss. Your resolve is

clear as day to me, my dear. Thus, you may marry freely. ... As for the boy, I've

no complaints either. From here on, you are no longer a knight of Lestia, so

ensure you become a proud knight of Brunhild."

"Grandfather..."

"Touya, son... My granddaughter is only talented with a blade, but I entrust

her to you until the end of time."

"...I understand, sir. I'll look after her." The former king bowed his head to

me.

"A-Also... who was that pretty little number in the swimsuit?! Let me see her

again! Even if only one more time, allow me to burn her voluptuous form into

my mind!"

"...Swimsuit?"

"A-Ah... Sir, if uhm... If you'd bear with me a moment, then sure. I can't do it

right here, so if we can just go to another room..."

"Ohoho, no problem! Hilde, you go with the others. They'll take care of you,

I'm sure. Touya, Touya! Let's go!" The former king grabbed me by the arm and

started dragging me off. I was kind of surprised he hadn't complained yet about

the opening being unfair... but part of me wondered if he was actually going to

lose on purpose anyway.

In the end, he convinced me to use [Drawing] to print out a ton of pinup

swimsuit model pictures for him to take home. I really wondered where his

perverted powers came from...

I returned to my room, exhausted, only to find everyone except Sue and Hilde

waiting for me. They violently interrogated me for a while, asking me about my

preferences in women. They asked questions about whether bigger boobs were

better, whether I preferred slim, toned women, or if I would prefer it if they

changed their regular outfits for more risque and naughty versions.

In the end, I bowed down on the ground and begged for them to stop. Mostly

because they suddenly proposed that they should all get micro-bikinis. I

definitely couldn't allow them to do that, it would've been way too much.

...It might've been nice to see, though.

◇ ◇ ◇

A few days later, I took our Lestian guests through a [Gate] back to their

kingdom.

I was guided to their royal palace, and finally met up with the Knight King,

Reid Yunas Lestia. Though I had the former king's blessing, I thought it prudent

to come here and explain the situation myself.

I thought things were moving a little fast, but I was in too deep to rely on

common sense. I wondered if he was more like me, or more like Hilde's

grandfather. ... I wondered if he'd end up being a weird old pervert like the

former king.

"Hm... It may be a tad late for me to say this, but my father's way of doing

things is certainly a little wild. All in all, I have no objections toward Hilde's

marriage. Grand Duke Touya, I must commend you for taking on such a... rough

girl as Hilde. She's certainly tomboyish in her pursuits, but I'm glad she's to your

liking. We're indebted to you, really."

"I agree, thank you for accepting her. I'm proud of you, Hilde. You'll surely

find happiness..."

"Congratulations, Hilde. Please, Grand Duke, take care of my little sister."

Wow... These guys, are uh... very proper. The king, the queen, and the prince...

are all good people. That wacky old man really threw me for a loop! I thought

these guys would be just as bad as he was, but they're actually pretty normal.

Or maybe it's because they were around this guy... He's a prime example of

how not to behave.

They all seemed like kind and gentle people, so I was pleased. The king

seemed to be around fifty years old. His hair was dark brown and cut short and

his mustache had some gray hairs in it here and there. I had the feeling he was

probably a popular guy in his youth.

Queen Esther looked to be in her mid-forties. She had a gentle aura about

her, similar to Cecile's. The woman was noble and beautiful; she'd likely been

the same way all her life. She seemed very motherly to me.

Hilde's older brother, Prince Reinhard, certainly looked the part. He was in his

mid-twenties and had golden-blond hair like his sister. They'd likely inherited it

from their mother. As much as I hated to admit it, the guy was really handsome,

too... I heard he was engaged, as well. From what I could understand he was

dignified, skilled with a blade, and quick-witted. He was basically an ideal

candidate to be the next king.

"Father, Mother, Brother... I promise to find my own happiness!" Hilde shed

tears of joy and pulled her mother into an embrace. It was a beautiful scene to

watch, but I couldn't help but feel out of place. Here was a happy, loving family,

and I was just kind of standing there.

"In truth, ahem... there's actually a reason I'm content to move your

engagement forward. I intend to abdicate the throne to Reinhard... but there's

a small issue with our ceremonial blade."

"Hm? What's that?"

"Ah, it's a holy sword that has been in our royal family for generations. It's the

Holy Sword Lestia. It is the blade that bestowed its name to our country, and is

very much the symbol of our royal line." As I heard Hilde's explanation, a knight

entered the room and handed a long wooden box to the king.

The Knight King uttered a quiet spell, and I heard a clicking sound as the box

unlocked. I actually heard the hiss of air rushing out, as well. It was a goddamn

airtight sealed container! The box finally opened to reveal a beautiful sword.

It was a broadsword adorned with silver and gold. Alongside it was a

magnificent and ornate sheath. It was definitely something one could easily call

a king's sword.

"Oh, I see..." I frowned a little upon seeing the problem. The dazzling blade

was snapped in half, split at the midpoint. It was completely ruined.

"This is Holy Sword Lestia. It's only used for ceremonial purposes, or if our

nation is at war... Otherwise it's kept sealed. The last time it was used was

during Hilde's formal initiation as a knight, three years ago."

"Once I decided to abdicate my throne to Reinhard, I removed the seal in

order to prepare for his ceremony... but the sword was like this. I've no idea

why the blade is broken... What I do know is that the ceremony cannot be

performed like this. I was concerned about it all and was thinking of making an

imitation sword as a last resort, but then... I heard of you from Hilde, Grand

Duke." The Knight King unsheathed the blade at his waist, holding it gently in

his hands. It was the sword I'd given to Hilde.

"Aye, we thought a man who could make a sword as glorious as this would

surely be able to repair Lestia. That's why I traveled to Brunhild on my son's

behalf. Though I must confess, I had personal interest in you, Touya. I wanted to

know the kind of man my little Hilde had been dreaming of. I wished to judge

your character."

"G-Grandfather...?"

"Over the past few months, whenever Hilde spoke, it was only about you,

Grand Duke. She would wistfully sigh and look at the sword you gave to her.

She thought we wouldn't notice, but how could I ignore the fact that she would

always ask roving merchants about Brunhild?"

"You too, Brother?!" I cast a sidelong glance toward the flustered Hilde, but

was more interested in the sword. It was... definitely old. What looked like

ancient lettering was engraved into the blade itself. There was also a crystal

embedded in the hilt.

"Mind if I hold it?"

"Go ahead." I gripped the broken blade by the hilt, taking a good look at it. I

could almost feel some residual magic inside of it.

"Was this sword enchanted with a special effect?"

"Ha, you're quite the discerning one. I'm amazed you could tell just by

looking. The sword has a regenerative effect on its wielder. It patches up minor

injuries, and even causes grievous wounds to regenerate."

I see... So I guess this thing's imbued with [Healing] or something. Or was,

rather... As it stands, the effect isn't triggering.

"The best blacksmith in Lestia has also found himself unable to do a thing. I

was told that the sword's material was something completely unknown to him.

The regeneration ability is gone now, too... I fear that it's completely ruined..."

"What do these letters say?"

"Ah, I have no idea. There was nothing mentioned about it in our family

history. The language seems to be the one used by the ancient civilization,

Partheno."

Huh... Guess there's one way to find out!

"[Reading]: Ancient Partheno Language." I had a handy Null spell, though this

one hadn't seen use for a while. It allowed me to read any language, so long as I

knew what the language was to begin with.

"What the..." My shoulders slumped, drained of energy. I was completely

bamboozled. The lettering on the blade was a signature. The kind of thing

someone carved into their work to prove it was theirs. And, with [Reading], I

was able to see what it was. I had no idea what I expected, but it wasn't this.

"Designed by Regina Babylon."

Why did it have to be here? Why was that no-good doctor even in the

business of making swords? I briefly pondered if this was fate, but... as far as

she was concerned, I had no idea what was engineered and what wasn't.

"Is something wrong, Touya?"

"N-No, it's... just... This sword was made by the same person who made the

Frame Gears..."

"What?!" The former king went wide-eyed. I had no idea why this sword was

here, nor did I expect to find it... Though it had me wondering if this wasn't

more of a Horny Sword than a Holy Sword, given that pervy doctor's

inclinations.

"...It's been over five-thousand years, so it's possible the magical power's just

drained. You've had it sealed all this time, right? Only using it now and then for

ceremonies? It's possible it's been weakening little by little because it's been

cut off from the residual magic in the air." I was thinking that if it had been cut

off from magic and weakened, magic might've been what kept it intact. It

definitely wouldn't have much time to absorb any magic if it only kept coming

out briefly now and then. There was really no wonder why it snapped just like

that.

It was kind of like an animal that didn't get much food every day, and slowly

lost weight until it died.

"F-Five-thousand years...? But... this is the blade of our royal founder. I don't

believe our history stretches back that far."

"When was Lestia founded?"

"Around three-hundred years ago... Two-hundred-and-ninety-one, if I'm to be

precise. It was said that our founder wielded Lestia, used its power to unify the

squabbling tribes in the area, and created the Knight Kingdom of Lestia."

...I think I've got it. What the prince said just now... It would all make sense.

No, it's not that it would make sense; it's pretty much definitely what happened.

I've seen this situation before! I know what it is! This thing definitely fell down

from the storehouse! Then, a wandering knight must have picked it up... And

then he used its power to end the warring in the region... and ultimately

founded the Knight Kingdom of Lestia. That's pretty damn amazing.

Honestly, the gynoid in charge of the storehouse had been clumsy and

irritating, so she wound up causing me a lot of trouble. But I figured this was an

example of it turning out in a positive way. In the end, what mattered was how

the item was used.

"Well, I'll be able to repair it. There shouldn't be an issue. I'll be able to reapply the enchantment, too."

I cast [Modeling] on it and joined it back together. The previous enchantment

vanished due to that, but I'd easily be able to re-apply the effect. I also

increased the magical reserve that the weapon held. So long as they didn't seal

it back in that box, they wouldn't have to worry about it running out.

"Oooh!"

"There we go. It's back to normal."

"Thank you. Now we can proceed with the ceremony as usual. We're in your

debt." The king took the Holy Sword in his right hand, and sliced at his own left

arm. Blood flowed from the wound, but the cut closed almost immediately.

"It works as it did before... Actually, it feels a little faster."

Oh boy... did I accidentally give it a stronger effect? The magic should run out

faster if that happens... Still, it's better this way, honestly.

The sword would absorb magic from the air and slowly build it up over time,

then use that magic to preserve itself and heal its owner, but naturally that

would slowly deplete the reserve.

But that was fine, because the weapon would just continue to recover that

reserve through the air. It was a slow process that accumulated over time.

Ideally you wouldn't want to use it all up in one go, or the sword wouldn't have

a special function for a while.

It could probably only heal to the equivalent of ten [Cure Heal] uses, or five

[Mega Heal] uses... so it wasn't perfect, but it was pretty good in a pinch. Still,

I'd increased its magic pool so it could store a bit more than before, so I figured

it wouldn't be an issue.

Holy Sword Lestia as it was before wasn't exactly perfect either, so this would

be fine. Infinite free healing simply wasn't feasible.

Or, well... maybe it wasn't... I felt like I could probably make something like

that if I put my mind to it. Worst-case scenario, I'd end up creating something

like that immortality gem I'd encountered in Eashen... I decided not to think

about it. A person may as well discard their humanity if they had an item that

prevented them from dying.

"It may be a little different to how it was before, sorry..."

"No, no... You've done us a great service. Thank you so very much." The king

sheathed the sword, but he didn't put it in the sealed box this time. He didn't

have to go that far, though. I ended up explaining to him that so long as he

exposed it to fresh air for a full day every year, then it'd be okay. In the end, he

agreed that the box seal would be undone once a year, on the anniversary of

the country's founding.

After that, it was time to celebrate the prince's ascension to the throne. I

decided to gift him a phrasium blade. I'd given one to the former king, Hilde,

and the king... but back then I didn't know there was a prince.

I'd designed it in the same shape as Lestia. It was made to be light, sharp, and

indestructible. It was the perfect blade for battle. It wouldn't be good for

training matches or duels, though. It was way too sharp. If a sword clashed with

it, the weaker blade would surely shatter.

"It's a wonderful gift. In truth, my son was a little envious of us for our

beautiful blades, but now his is the most wonderful of all... I'm quite pleased, all

in all. It's a wonderful gift for him, thank you." I was happy that he was happy.

He was going to be my brother-in-law, so I'd hoped to maintain good relations.

A few days later, a new king was crowned in Lestia. Along with his ascension,

the engagement of First Princess Hildegard was announced. Thus, Hilde

formally became my fiancee.