The mansion was surrounded by soldiers of the Raults' family.

　Marie sneaked a peek through the window at the surrounding scene and gulped and spit at the number of them.

''There are hundreds of them!

　The perimeter of the mansion is a wall - even if there is a wall, it's not safe with soldiers surrounding it.

　It looks like they're going to come over it.

　As Erik looks at the soldiers.

'Is this the best of the Laults?　It's not Lord Arberg who's moving it--can't it be Serge?

　The mention of Serge reminded Marie of that.

(The last boy to be attacked - I heard he's the same reincarnation, but what do you mean my brother is outsmarted!　(What were Luxion and Cleare doing?)

　Then I realize.

"Wait. Where's Serge?

I don't think he's here, sister.

Doesn't that mean you're going to go to your brother--Rion?

'With the way things are looking, it's possible. Because if they knew that Noel was a priestess, the six great nobles would want it badly enough to get it down their throats.

　Hearing this, Angel picked up the sapling's case.

''As soon as I present this one to you, we'll head to Rion. Creare, get ready.

Angel, I'm coming with you!

　As Livia comes forward, the head maid goes to take the sapling's case from Angel.

'Angelica-sama, I'll go outside. Angelica-sama must not go outside.

"You want me to hide behind you?　You're kidding me.

　Ignoring the chief maid's opinion to go out, Angier looked at the sapling and thought for a moment.

''-- If it wasn't for this case, would the sapling have died?''

　If you're going to give it to me anyway, he's thinking of swapping cases or just giving me the saplings in return for my intentions.

　Marie could tell that he was quite angry.

　The person who stopped Angel from doing so was Clairvoyant.

'I don't feel sorry for you. It would be better to give them to you as they are.'

I didn't think I'd ever hear the word 'pity' from you. But I suppose we must hurry now.

　Livia and the head maid followed.

　Eryk looked at Marie.

'Sis, what shall we do?'

'What am I going to do - anyway, I'm going to go find Leon when the soldiers are gone. I'll have Kyle and Kara stay at home.

◇

　Outside the mansion, Angier was handing a case of saplings to a soldier of high rank.

'Here's the sapling you want. Let's have him leave quickly.''

　The soldier received the saplings reverently with both hands, but his tone was brusque.

'The women of the kingdom are not very gracious. I've heard that they follow their slaves and jaw their men. I can understand that very well when I look at you.

　Even the soldiers have this attitude towards Angier.

　This was partly because their fears had been removed, and they were looser than usual from relief.

'How can you talk like that after losing to Leon once?

Defeat?　--Oh, you don't know. Master Serge, the heir of the Raults, defeated your kingdom's heroic lord. He's probably dead by now.

　Hearing those words, Angier's eyes wavered with agitation.

　The soldier noticed it and smiled as he had room to spare.

''There's a difference in rank between the Republic and the Kingdom. Compared to Serge-sama, the hero of the Republic, your kingdom's heroes are of lower rank. Now you understand that they're not even an opponent, right?

　The Republic was still strong.

　The soldiers had regained their self-esteem with the appearance of Serge.

'Do you guys know what that means?　If this is true--

Angie!

　Angier clasped his hands together in anger, and Livia took them in both of her hands.

'We have to take care of Rion-san first now. We have to hurry.'

Yeah, sure. Creare, can you show me around?

I'm okay with the noise.

　The soldiers carefully carry the saplings and then leave the house.

The saplings will be presented to Master Arberg at once. And while we're at it, we should also report that the knights of the kingdom were still no match for us.

　The soldiers of the Rault family leave, laughing.

　Angier bites his back teeth.

(--Alberg. You were a representative of the Six Great Houses. I'll pay you back for this. You will.

◇

　When Livia, Angel, and the head maid, the three of them came to Leon with Claire's guidance - the arogants were in a terrible state.

''-- terrible.''

　The trash cans were turned over and covered with trash.

　There was also graffiti, with words written on it that made fun of the kingdom.

　Around them, the people of the Republic are watching the situation from a distance.

　The chief maidservant presses down on her mouth.

''How could the Aroganz be so damaged--is it because it's a replica, after all?

　The real Allogants were ostensibly lost in the war with the Duchy.

　Creare agreed.

''Yes, it's a replica. ''Well, it's a replica,'' she said. Now, how's the twisted one doing?'

　As he approached the arrogants, Cleare opened the cockpit hatch.

　It was Luxion coming out from inside.

'Too late,'

'Don't be mad at me. For that matter, you could have collected it yourself.'

'I was interrupted by Ideal. Besides, the Master refused to call my main body here.

Oh, that's just like the master.

　Livia and Angel quickly approach and confirm that Rion is safe.

'Rion-san!　--Thank God. He's still alive.

　Livia healed Rion with her healing magic, and to her relief, she explained to Angier.

'He's just passed out,'

'I'm bleeding!　And that's such a lot!

　The chief maidservant was quieting the dismayed Angel.

'Angelica-sama, there is a lot of blood coming from your head. Livia-sama is more specialized in this area, so let's trust your judgment here.

　Luxion approached Libya.

'He's just fainting, as you said. We've already stopped the bleeding.'

Good. I'm so glad.

　As Libya cried with relief, Angel questioned Luxion.

'What a mess while you're here. Luxion, what in the world has happened to you?

"They have taken Noel.

Yeah. They want Noel for their own good. But more importantly--

'Ideal - the same being as I am - is following Serge, the heir to the Raoult family. No, I can't say I'm following him.'

Like you?　Don't tell me you have an airship like Paltner's?　And armor equivalent to the Allogants?

　As they were talking, the robots descended from the sky.

　They dragged Leon out of the cockpit and collected the allogants.

'Let's talk about it when we get back to the mansion. No, we might as well go back to the airship right away. I don't think this is going to be the end of it.''

　Angel is concerned about Leon, who is unconscious.

'--Okay. I'll contact the embassy as well.

　Creare looked around.

　Livia calls out to her.

'Ahle, what's wrong?'

'We fought with armour and there are still people around. Wouldn't you normally evacuate them?　You are a witless artificial intelligence.

What, uh, what?

''The Master didn't call the twisted men of Luxion because he was worried about the people around him. 'And what kind of ruler doesn't want to protect his own people?　Or is that the extent of your treatment?'

　Livia looked around as she was told.

'Leon-san, you've thought this through properly.

''That's why I lost. You are too good-natured to be a master.

　Livia looked at Leon, who was unconscious, and turned over.

'I don't want you to fight anymore.

'I agree with you on that. Now, it's going to be a busy time for you.

◇

　I wake up and find myself on the bed.

　I realized that it was Einhorn's own room, which I had used a while ago, and I called Luxion.

'Luxion, the situation is--oops.

　When I picked up my upper body, I found Angel and Livia asleep by the bed.

　It's Clairvoyant who approaches.

I'm busy with that guy, so I've taken over for him. How are you happy?'

As for you, I'm happy about these two, though.

'You're a terrible master. --I've been up until the wee hours of the morning, but you're tired after everything that's happened. Let's let him sleep.

Yeah. So, what's the situation?

This sucks.

　My head almost hurt when I heard the report from Clairele.

　Or rather, it hurt.

　When I touched it with my hand, it was bandaged.

''The six great nobles are in a panic. As far as I can see from afar, it looks like the Rault family has made up their minds.

You know how many times these guys have to get in my way. Why don't you dig deeper?　Normally, I'd be more--

"That Idealist guy seems to have intercepted parts from a military intelligence ship. That's why we're not gonna be able to investigate as much as we'd like.

　Luxion said something similar.

'If you guys can't do it, that's quite something. Tell me the details.

Maybe we should ask the other guy.

　Cleare's eyes turned to the door.

　I felt a presence on the other side of the door.

'Is it Marie?'

Yes.

　Apparently, he was alone.

　When Marie entered the room, Clairé asked her a question.

The first thing that comes to mind is the fact that you have to be able to say, "Well, Marie-chan - I want to ask you. In the game, how good was Ideal's performance?

　Marie didn't know the details.

'I don't know the details because you have to pay for it to get it. And when I bought the game then, I ran out of money. It just looks like a big boxy blue airship.

　The airships I've seen, they're just like the spaceships.

How is it?

'I don't know. To begin with, I can't compare it to the first one, because it's different from the first one, like the status and all that.

　What a pain in the ass.

"But...

　Marie seemed to remember something.

'I don't know the specifics of the setting, but I think it was mentioned in a post on a strategy site that it's terribly useful.

Convenient?

'It seems the original setting was a supply ship. I mean, I don't know what a supply ship is supposed to do. Aren't they just supposed to resupply?

　He didn't seem to have much interest in the setting and hadn't looked into it.

'--Claire, what is Serge's purpose?　Do you want to get Noel and the saplings to prepare for the Rathbones?　Or are you going to cut down the sacred tree as quickly as possible?

'I don't want you to ask me that. It's just that Luxion told me--Ideal is a former member of the military.'

　I heard that.

　But beyond that--''

''He said that Ideal, who was fighting the newcomers directly, couldn't possibly be that calm. Even we have a rejection, so it's impossible for him to be so calm.

　Is it strange that Ideal, who has fought the newcomers, is so calm and collected?

Why didn't you tell me?

'Uncertainty. And I didn't think he had any combat experience. But he did have some real-world experience.

　Apparently Luxion had discovered the repair marks of the battle from the hull of the ship.

'So they were actually fighting the newcomers.

'Very likely. I wonder what he's thinking. I have a pretty good idea of what you're thinking.

　Marie looks blue.

'Well, wait. Then you're going to fight a cheat battleship?

'It's a supply ship, for one thing. It's tricky with weapons and stuff like that on board.

'It doesn't matter!　Brother, are you sure you can beat that guy?　If you can't, we need to get out of here now, or else it's bad!

　I can't stay in an overwhelmingly dominant position anymore.

　But there's one thing that bothers me.

They called me an outsider.

It's not my brother's second name.

That's not the point. That's not what's important. But you know what - I don't need to be told that. I fought in the defense of my kingdom. Otherwise, I never killed a man.

　When I told her about my conversation with Serge, Marie nodded her head.

''It's definitely strange. ''Brother, you're a hero of the country, in a manner of speaking.''

'Just in case?　Somebody, thanks to you guys, you're a great saving hero!

　But I digress.

"I did kill a man. It's wrong. There's no excuse for it. But it's just so horrible, they made it sound like I was happy to kill a man.

Well, that's awful.

'My brother is terrible because he may incite others, but he doesn't kill people with glee. Lelia and the others believed that, didn't they?　I'll never forgive him.

　Now that he's on Serge's side, we can--what?　It doesn't bother me.

　It hurts to not have access to original knowledge, but I don't know how useful it would have been if I had been there.

''-- What are they going to do?　If you want a sapling because you're going to cut down the Holy Tree, why don't you just talk to us about it? You've been dealing with us like you don't know what you're talking about from the beginning.

"Masters are so haphazard. I don't trust them.

What the f*ck do they want with these people?

　Looking at the proof of receiving the sapling's blessing on the back of my right hand--the crest--I had a hard time understanding what Serge and the others were thinking.

''--Hmm?''

What's going on, bro?

No, it's my imagination.

　For a moment, I thought Libya had moved - I guess it was my imagination.