The recovery of the lost items was going well.

　I walked into the ruins of the decaying castle, where I cleared out the monsters and I was talking with Luxion in front of the treasure.

　I looked at the bullet in my hand.

　It was specially made in the game, but whether this would be useful or not - it would be subtle.

''Is this going to work?''

"It's possible with modifications, but with the amount of performance...

　There are some items that could be used, but if not, I'm going to have Luxion and the others modify them to use them.

　Even so, my knowledge of the game is quite vague.

　It took me a long time to collect the lost items.

''Fact--how's your people doing?

　The resurrected weapons of the old human side.

　These artificial intelligences are united by an artificial intelligence that manages a giant aerial carrier called Fact.

We're five percent behind schedule.

What's the cause?

"I'm not up to the task, sir.

　Even the all-powerful Luxion has a limit to its performance.

　If it wasn't for the time limit, I'm sure it could have been repaired perfectly.

''If you can't do it, I'll just give up.

　Saying that, Luxion stands up and speaks to me.

''Master is--''

　But on the way out, he moved one eye and pointed it at the entrance.

　I held my gun up to see what was coming, and then it came from--

'I've found it!'

Your Highness, over here!

　-- it was Daniel and Raymond.

　Coming up behind them was Julius.

'What are you guys doing here?'

　I lowered my muzzle and the three of them approached me.

　Daniel looked tired.

'His Highness asked me to do something for you. 'It's your crisis,' he said.

　The same goes for Raymond.

'I've heard you've been adventuring here and there by yourself, what are you doing here at this time?　We're all worried about you.

　They say that war with the Empire is imminent, but some students are anxious because I'm not here.

　They usually hate me, but they only rely on me in these situations.

I've got my own set of problems. More importantly, why did you come to this place with my friends?

　I looked at Julius, and he was out of breath for having rushed here.

'Ku--Claire told me where it was. Bartophalt, I--I've come to bring you back.

　I'm taken aback by Julius' words.

''What?''

That's why I came to bring you back!　You--you're going to fight alone.

　Daniel and Raymond are surprised to hear this story.

'What?　No, not even you can do that this time.

"The Empire!

　Julius says to me in front of these two men.

''Marie has told me all about the situation. Bartophalt, I--we'll help you.'

What did you say?

　Julius told me that Marie had told him everything, I thought bitterly.

　How much of that stupid sister had told him?

　Julius turns his attention to Daniel and Raymond.

'I'm sorry. Let me talk to you both.

　As they nod and move away, Julius looks me straight in the eye.

　I always think that these guys are beautiful for nothing if they don't shut up.

　I can clearly see that their normal behavior is ruining everything.

'Baldfart--you're Marie's brother, aren't you?'

　When I heard that, I didn't understand for a moment. But soon I was annoyed with Marie.

'Did he tell her?'

　She talked about herself as a reincarnation.

　She's a sister who acts outlandishly everywhere.

　A while ago, I reviewed her for retrieving items, but she lost her reputation again in my mind.

'Marie was worried about you. She asked us to help you.

-Did you believe Marie's story?

　I let out a sigh and put my hand to my forehead.

　Are these guys really going to be okay?

　If Marie told the truth, it would mean that she told him that we were brother and sister in a previous life.

　I would never believe it.

　But these guys are not.

"Of course. Marie gave us this information in earnest. You'd be crazy not to believe it.

I'd be crazy to believe that. You guys - that's why you're being fooled by Marie. You don't know what he's really like, so you can say that.

　Julius and the rest of the pitiful people who have been tricked by their sister, a reincarnate, and have lost their status and wealth.

　When I try to tell him that he should be more suspicious - Julius grabs me by my chest.

　He brings his face close to mine and glares at me.

'--let go.'

　He glared back, but Julius didn't take a step back.

'Take it back. What is it with Marie? Marie--someone who means a lot to us.

　He hasn't woken up yet.

How do we know he's telling the truth?　I don't know if he's delusional or not.

It's in Marie's eyes!

'You don't know a person that well. You're wrong. That's why you're not good enough.

　They are easily fooled and are following a different path than they should be.

　I looked at these guys and felt sorry for them.

　They are poor men who were tricked by Marie.

　But if they're thinking about Marie this much - I guess they'll be fine.

'Oh, yes!　We're certainly blind!　I've been a pain in the ass all my life.

If you know that...

But Marie didn't give up on us!

No, so...

　What's his point?

　As I was thinking this, Julius talks about Marie.

'We may have been fooled at first. But Marie didn't give up on us. She didn't abandon us when we weren't good enough, and she pulled us along.

　Isn't that his way of atoning for his sins?

Yeah. You're no good. So you don't have to help me.

　I don't want to get these guys involved in a war with the Empire.

　Because if they care this much about Marie, I'm sure they'll protect us in the future.

''-- Baltophalt, are you serious?　Are you really going to fight the Empire alone?　You don't even know if you can beat them, even Luxion and his friends!　Why don't you turn to me!

　You're not alone. There's Lucchion and his friends. And besides, you know what?

"Because you're not enough.　Or is it something else?　You're going to fight for me?　Who the hell do you think I am--who the hell do you think I'm struggling with!

　I was angry at Julius and the others, who knew nothing about it.

　Why did I have to carry this burden?

　Why do I have to fight a war I don't want to fight?

　That's because of these guys!

　I pushed Julius away and I started cursing, as if I'd been hoarding more than I thought I would.

'Do you have any idea how hard I've been working on you guys while you've been carefree?　I've struggled to clean up Marie's mess, and I've struggled because of you - and your country has made it hard for me!　How long have you been--

　If these guys had been more solid, I wouldn't have been able to fight the war.

　I could have been a mobster.

　--I know it's out of line.

　I know it's wrong. I understand that even if Julius and the others had stood their ground, they would have ended up like this in the end.

　But I'm not going to stand for it.

　Julius listened to me in silence.

'What good are you people to me?　If you can't do anything about it, then keep your mouth shut.

　It's better, of course.

　Then Julius raises his fist - and hits me.

　I take a few steps back and Julius raises his voice.

'Oh, yes!　We're useless!　But Marie cried and asked me to help you. She asked me to help you!　Then it's up to the man to reciprocate the feeling!

　He drops the gun and clenches his fist.

'Don't be so high and mighty about what you can't do!　You guys are only as useful as a wall of meat!

　I hit Julius with my fist against his cheek and he punches back.

'Then I'll be a wall of flesh or whatever!

You'll be dead!

　When Julius head-butted me, we had our foreheads on each other.

　He looked seriously angry.

'You!　You're not going to die!

"--

　When he was silent, Julius raised his fist again.

'I don't remember anyone asking you to die!

　I'm annoyed at Julius for saying such a thing.

'Then you do it!　You so that I don't have to do anything about it!

'If I could, I would!　Since we can't do that--at least we can!

　He slammed his fist into Julius's stomach and he was in pain.

　Still, it didn't stop.

'Marie doesn't want you to die!

　If you could do that, you wouldn't be in trouble.

　And I don't want to die.

"You're no good to me!

But still!

　As it was, Luxion could only watch as they punched each other.

　I could see Daniel and Raymond in the distance, wondering whether to stop them while looking at us.

　Julius jumped on me, grabbed my chest and pushed me down as it was.

　Julius' eyes are red as he rides me.

'I'm--I'm glad I met Marie.

　What do you suddenly have to say to me, is it another love story?

But I'm glad I met you, too, because I'm glad I did. I wouldn't feel good about letting you die like that.

　What is this guy talking about?

It doesn't make me happy to have a man say that to me.

Don't mess with me!

　As soon as I teased him, Julius was furious, and he was in tears.

'Surely we're useless. But still!　Still, we decided to help you. It's not just because Marie asked me to. -- to Baldphalt -- no, Leon, we want to lend you a hand.

You guys are a distraction.

　When I lied to keep them from joining, Luxion interrupted me.

'No, we need their help. Master, you should ask for their help.'

Luxion, you.

　An afterthought, I thought.

　But Luxion's opinion was different.

''This problem is a problem for all those who live in the kingdom. The idea that a master would carry this on his shoulders alone is beyond the pale.

　I hold my tongue, and Julius stands up and offers his hand to me.

'You can't talk back, can you?　We won't sit idly by if a battle with the Empire is inevitable. Even if you don't want to join in, I'll join in on my own. And if that happens, isn't it you who will be in trouble?

　It certainly didn't bother me to be joined and interrupted without permission.

　I take Julius' hand.

　'You should have just run away, you idiot.

''I'll rub it in, so be prepared. You guys will definitely regret it.

I've never regretted my decision to associate with you. Besides, we're not alone. Zirku and the others are working on it.

　That makes me uneasy.

'They're not going to do anything extra, are they?

'We won't know that until we get back. More importantly, the people of the kingdom are worried about your absence. It's better to go back and reassure them. You're the hope for us.

　How can you say that embarrassing line?

　On the contrary, I'm impressed.

　--But the recovery of the lost items is now at an end.

　I'm going to get back to it.

　I'm worried about whether the other four people have done anything wrong and I'm also worried about whether Marie has done anything unnecessary.

◇

　On the way home.

　On board the airship Einhorn, I decided to talk to Daniel and Raymond.

　I told them with a lot of hiding - and I'm a little jealous of Marie for telling them everything and being accepted.

　If he believed me without doubting, like Julius and the others - I would think so, but it would be impossible because me and Marie are different.

　Raymond was shaking.

'You don't know if you can win even in Rion--are you that strong?

　I told him honestly that even I've been winning all my life and I can't win.

　He also said that if there was a winning line, he would almost abandon the challenge and have a 30 percent chance of winning.

''-- so I'm not asking you to participate this time.

　Then Daniel was wolfing me down.

'Hey, you're always joking, right?　You're just saying, as usual, that you actually have a chance of winning and you're going to lose.

　I've used it a lot in the past, but for once I couldn't say I was forced to participate.

If you're going to join, know that there's a good chance you're going to die. That's why I'm not going to ask you to join us. If you're afraid for your life, you'd better run.

　The two men turned over.

　Raymond's glasses were off.

'I don't know what a race for survival is. 'I don't understand it anymore, like there were old humans and new humans in the past.'

　Daniel had his head in his hands too.

'I don't want that to come out of the blue!

　I shrugged my shoulders in front of them.

I'm in trouble, too. It's a good thing that we're going to have to fight a very bad war because of it. But if we don't destroy the master of the enemy, we won't be able to survive.

　Daniel hides his face with one hand.

'What am I supposed to do about this?'

'Do what you want to do. If you join, I won't have enough time to protect you guys.

　Raymond looks at me.

'What are you fighting for? 'Leon can get away with it, right?'

　If you escape, what awaits you is a slow death.

　We will eventually perish on this planet, and it's unlikely that we'll find a safe haven if we escape into space.

　Besides, even Luxion can't save all of them.

'You can run away. You don't have to stay with me, you know.

　When he said that, they both slumped their shoulders.

　Daniel looked frustrated.

'Why do you tell me I can run away when it's so important? So far, I've been scattered--crap.

　Raymond is expressionless.

'That's how bad the situation is, isn't it?　You could have fooled me like you did before, by saying it in a joking way.

　Even I can't fool them in this situation.

　They usually make me-- well, you know.

"Apologize to the guys. The deal is I'm not going to be able to keep my end of the bargain.