◆ Metal Tower – Royal Chamber ◆
“…And that’s why I believe our kingdom has no reason to withhold cooperation.”
“Ah, yeah. So, I guess that’s fine…”
Genia, crouching down to meet the gaze of her counterpart, was addressing the King of Metallica. No, it was the princess. Even though she was a princess, she was definitely younger than Platiu. Unlike the thick robes worn by the King of Avangarde, she donned a sleek, form-fitting suit that highlighted her unique silver physique.
The King’s Chamber in Avangarde was unnecessarily vast, but here, there was no such thing as a royal chamber. A beautiful carpet covered the floor, and there was just a large bed and a desk—nothing more.
“Thus, permission has been granted.”
“Is that really okay? It seems like she doesn’t quite understand…”
“I’ll handle the finer details. There’s no need for concern.”
The girl with long, shiny silver hair and golden eyes stared at us in confusion. Just as Roel had said, she seemed to be completely lost. She merely nodded along to Genia’s words.
Later, I learned that her parents—the King and Queen—had recently passed away, leaving her as the sole heir, which forced her into an immediate ascension. If I were in her shoes at such a young age, I might have run away.
She just sat there, nodding along as Genia spoke. It seemed there were other educators, but for now, Genia appeared to be the most dedicated.
“She hasn’t yet overcome the sadness of losing her parents.”
I understood that feeling, having lost my own parents. But there was something more to her expression, a hint of the loneliness I had seen in Platiu yesterday.
“This is troubling, Genia. You can’t make such decisions on your own.”
“Ah, Teacher, it seems you’ve returned.”
“Well said. Were you planning something nefarious behind my back again?”
A man with thinning hair barged into the room, his presence commanding. With a nose like a bird’s beak, Teacher glared at Genia.
“Important decisions must be made in a meeting with the ‘Steel Five,’ including myself. I won’t allow you to deceive the young Lord Kram under my watch.”
“However, I have the agreement of three others.”
“W-What?! Even General Branburm?!”
“Yes, he readily agreed.”
“Impossible… What means did you use to sway him?”
“Don’t speak ill of me. In any case, this is already a settled matter, so there’s no need for concern. Now, Rua and Roel, let’s head to the Kingdom of Avangarde without delay.”
“Wait! The discussion isn’t over yet…”
Genia gently pushed us out of the room, as if shooing away a bothersome object, leaving Teacher fuming behind us. I couldn’t help but think that Genia might not be well-liked by those around her. Yet, judging by her smile, she seemed completely unfazed by it.
◆ Metal Tower – Airship Dock ◆
The sight of airships lined up in a vast space, each capable of carrying up to 400 passengers and towering high enough to connect the first floor with the basement, was truly breathtaking. I felt that if I shouted here, my voice would echo.
People dressed in similar coveralls to Platiu were bustling about, tinkering with various parts of the airships. It seemed that the airship we had arrived on also underwent regular maintenance here. Just like machines, humans needed to be checked frequently to avoid breakdowns in critical moments. I had recently learned that many adventurers regularly visited the Heal Center for check-ups.
I had never been sick, nor had I sustained injuries lately. Still, perhaps it would be wise to get checked, just like those airships.
“I apologize for the unsightly scene.”
“Um, is it really okay? That person seemed quite important in this country…”
“Yes, the ‘Steel Five,’ including myself and Teacher, are effectively the leaders of Metallica. I am the Director of the Technology Development Bureau, Teacher oversees administration and education, General Branburm is the Machine General, Corin manages the information agency ALEX, and currently, Princess Kram is the de facto ruler. These five are the pillars of the nation.”
“Is it really okay, then?”
“Please, you two need not worry. I will handle any troublesome matters.”
With a confident thump of her chest, Genia reassured us. Regardless, there was nothing we could do about it.
“It seems the allocation of forces to each nation has been completed, Genia.”
“Yes, it was done last night. I would like General Branburm’s troops to join us in confronting the beasts in the Garden of Beasts.”
“That’s exactly what I want. I’ve been feeling a bit rusty lately.”
The man, covered in heavy armor that seemed to weigh him down, had one eye obscured by a glass-like orb attached to a metal plate. He looked more machine than man, with only his head resembling a human.
So, this was the Machine General, Branburm.
“Are you the Rua and Roel I’ve heard about? The inseparable, unbeatable duo that leaves no enemy standing in their wake?”
“Eh, who said that…?”
I knew without asking. The matching smiles of Platiu and Genia confirmed it.
“Relying on us was a wise decision. Even the famed Flash Strike Girl will be able to relax and watch this time.”
I wasn’t the only one who felt annoyed; Roel silently mouthed “Hmph” as well. Branburm, while appearing to compliment us, was actually belittling us.
What was this “Flash Strike Girl” nonsense? Why was that name even known in this country? I felt an urge to smack Platiu, who was flashing a peace sign.
“All airships seem to have loaded their supplies. Now, let’s board.”
“Wait, you two there.”
When I turned at the sound of that raspy voice, I found Terrace, the head of the department, approaching. Genia sighed as if to say, “Not again.”
Terrace’s breath was so foul that I wanted to turn away.
“You two seem quite taken with that man… You shouldn’t trust him too much.”
“Terrace, we’re in a hurry…”
“Silence, you young whippersnapper! I’m not talking to you! Listen here, both of you! Not everyone who is kind to you is a good person! The truly wicked hide their true nature! That man is dangerous!”
“Hey, let go of me… Rua-chan, help!”
“Stop it! What is wrong with you?!”
Terrace clutched Roel’s shoulder, spewing his foul breath. Even when I tried to pull him away, he kept repeating the same line, trying to grab hold of her again.
I was careful not to apply too much force, as I feared I might break his twig-like arms.
“Someone take Terrace to the infirmary. He seems quite agitated.”
“Yes, sir!”
“That man is dangerous! He’s dangerous!”
Two soldiers nearby restrained him, dragging him toward the exit of the airship dock. Even then, Terrace continued to shout like a broken record.
Genia cradled her head with one hand, muttering softly, “What a troublesome old man…”
“You shouldn’t listen to him. It’s just one of his episodes… It’s been getting worse every year. Now, shall we go?”
“Yeah… What a creepy old man.”
“I’d rather not get involved, Rua-chan… Ugh…”
Roel seemed to fade, almost collapsing. I supported her shoulder and peered into her face, where she quickly forced a smile.
“R-Roel, are you okay?!”
“…Dragon’s Valley?”
“…Huh?”
“That… over there…”
Roel looked around as if she didn’t understand why she was here, and I couldn’t help but worry. And what was this about Dragon’s Valley?
“Roel, could it be that your memories are slowly returning? Perhaps the sudden awakening of dormant memories is causing some kind of effect.”
Genia had used some strange machine on Roel, claiming she would help her recover her memories. She had placed a hat-like device over Roel’s head and made her sit there for an hour.
I was opposed to using something so mysterious on Roel, but since she insisted, I reluctantly gave in. If her health were to deteriorate because of that thing, I would seriously never forgive Genia. It didn’t matter if it was done with good intentions. Even if it meant turning the entire country against me, I wouldn’t care.
“The Mind Cube only analyzes and delves into the memories that Roel currently possesses. It doesn’t directly affect the brain, so please rest assured. For example, the town of Queemil. It will pick up keywords related to that term that Roel knows, and from there… Shall we stop? I don’t want Rua to go all wobbly again.”
“I get it, so don’t say it in the first place…”
Even after being explained about the Mind Cube, I couldn’t listen for more than five minutes. I was told I looked like I was about to fall asleep on the floor, and Platiu was grinning at me. And even now.
“Rua, could it be that—”
“Shut up.”
I decided to cut it off since it was probably nothing good anyway.
◆ Airship Silverwing, Cockpit ◆
A few people were seated in front of incomprehensible machinery, manipulating an uncountable number of levers and buttons. Before I knew it, the airship had left the dock and was rising to a height where I could see the entire Kingdom of Metallica.
Everyone calls me the Flash Strike Girl, but this is much weirder. How on earth does something like this fly?
“Well then, with the speed of Silverwing, we should reach the Kingdom of Avangarde in about half the usual time… You two must have a lot of questions, right? I’ll do my best to answer as much as I can before we arrive. Of course, I can’t disclose top-secret information.”
“Let me tell you why Rua and the others don’t know about the Demon Lord Army.”
“Because thirty years ago, the kingdom only told everyone that the Demon Lord Army was a group of monsters, right?”
“How do you know that? Why?”
“Because a great sage named Lord Hast told me.”
“Pfft.”
What am I supposed to do with a “pfft”? Platiu, who was eager to share, turned away and started kicking the floor with her toes, clearly sulking.
“The sage Hast from the Wizard Kingdom? I’ve heard of his esteemed name, but I didn’t expect you to know him.”
“You know him? I thought you didn’t have much connection to this country.”
“Not at all. In fact, there’s so much to learn from magic. I’d love to meet him if I had the chance.”
If he were to call out to us, I’d want to meet him right away. But wait, can only we hear that?
“However, about the Kingdom of Avangarde… It might be better not to trust them too much. That country is, how should I put it, a black box. In fact, I once tried to gather information about the great war from thirty years ago and sent spies into the Kingdom of Avangarde, but I lost contact with them.”
“Eh?! That means…”
“It’s something we’re doing secretly, so I can’t make a big deal out of it… Our ALEX spies are exceptionally talented, and it’s hard to believe they made a mistake. Yet, despite that… it’s terrifying.”
Hearing that made me even more incredulous. This time, many people might die because of the Garden of Beasts, so I can’t help it, but I really don’t want to.
“The concealed battle with the Demon Lord Army thirty years ago. And now the newly emerged Neo Demon Lord Army. The first target was the Kingdom of Avangarde. With all these pieces in place, certain things become clear. The Neo Demon Lord Army is likely trying to exact some form of revenge on the Kingdom of Avangarde by deploying three of the Twelve Demon Generals for a short-term decisive battle. They probably aimed for the day of the Combat Tournament to target the moment when strong individuals gather. If they don’t crush everything, it’s meaningless… If this assumption is correct, the Neo Demon Lord Army’s grudge is likely far from ordinary. However, what they didn’t expect was your existence, Rua. Despite the Demon Lord Army invading the world, the Kingdom of Avangarde remains relatively peaceful because of you.”
“If the Flash Strike Girl is around, they’ll put it off.”
Why did she have to say Flash Strike Girl at that moment? Ignoring that mean-spirited girl, I wanted to hear more.
“Well… If I were part of the Demon Lord Army, I would thoroughly gather information on you first. Information is the greatest asset, after all. Of course, they don’t have ALEX, so they’d need to prepare a spy to tail you or something.”
Genia glanced out the window of the airship, and I felt like something had hidden away.
“D-Did you see something just now?”
“That’s just a hypothetical scenario. Hahaha.”
Did Genia notice and look over there? There was definitely something there. Of course, the window wouldn’t open. I didn’t want to mess with it too much, so I decided to leave it at that. If something suspicious was there, there’s no way I wouldn’t notice.
“By the way, would you like something to drink? We have a full selection of drinks.”
“Um, where could the missing Hero and his companions be…?”
“They’re probably dead.”
“Just as I thought, the kingdom…”
“Well, who knows? If ALEX had been around thirty years ago, things might have been a bit different.”
Even in a country that can create something as amazing as an airship, if they don’t know, then we might never figure it out either. I couldn’t help but think negatively.
“Rua. It’ll take a while longer, so let’s play a game in the room.”
“Eh? That’s fine, but… You mean that card game we played before?”
“Yeah.”
“I’m not good at that…”
“Are you scared of losing?”
“N-No way that’s true!”
“Roel too.”
“Yeah, that’s fine. Genia, is that okay with you?”
“Of course, take your time.”
Platiu pulled my reluctant hand and walked away while humming a tune. It was clear she wanted to bring me down and bask in her superiority. I probably wouldn’t lose if we fought, but it was still really frustrating.
“If Platiu wins, you’ll come to play in the Kingdom of Metallica again.”
She even added conditions, and there’s no way I could win. But I wouldn’t mind visiting someday when things settle down. After all, Genia and Platiu are both friendly, so it wouldn’t be too bad to go play. I don’t really like that country itself, though.
◆ Northern Avangarde, Port Town Suluard, West Coast ◆
“Yawn… Seriously, making me keep watch this early in the morning is just too much, isn’t it, Pii-chan?”
My partner, the Kaiser Eagle, Pii-chan. Still a child, but big enough to carry a person and quite intelligent. I often find myself being used for errands and watch duties because of Pii-chan’s mobility.
This time, I was assigned the task of monitoring when the beasts from the Garden of Beasts would attack from beyond the horizon.
“Geez, I’m ranked A-Rank, 12th place, you know? Do you understand that you’re making me do this?”
Even if I grumbled, no one would answer me up here in the sky, and of course, Pii-chan couldn’t talk. I take some pride in my current standing, having faced a wide range of praise and jealousy for climbing this high at such a young age. That’s why…
“If they attack, I won’t let that girl have her moment.”
The Flash Strike Girl, Rua. I absolutely don’t want to lose to her. She possesses an extraordinary power that can take down the Demon Lord Army’s executives without breaking a sweat. When I heard that she had cut down an executive of the Demon Lord Army in one strike, I felt more jealousy than doubt.
I’ve struggled so much to reach this point. Is it really all about talent? I couldn’t help but feel anxious about that.
When they visited Ikana Village, it would have been easy to inform them about the Funeral Knight and Dogura’s existence. I realize I might be acting childish. I might have been so jaded that I just wanted to be mean.
“Am I a bad person, Pii-chan?”
I’ve never slacked off in training for even a day to prove wrong those who mocked me as slow or clumsy. Lacking talent in swordsmanship and magic, I devoted myself to shooting training until I could shoot down every leaf. Until I met Pii-chan, I hadn’t seen any results, but that effort has ultimately paid off.
“I’ll show everyone the power of the Sky Hunter, Kiki.”
Control of the skies is a crucial initiative in battle, more than everyone thinks. The beasts of the Garden of Beasts are nothing.
“Hmm… The waves are high today.”
Waves. If such high waves were to come, Suluard would be easily swallowed up.
Waves. Black waves.
“N-No… That’s…”
Beasts, beasts, beasts, beasts, beasts, beasts.
They were coming, churning the sea, covering the horizon.
To be blunt, the tidal wave offered more hope than this.
If I could evacuate from the tidal wave, there might still be a chance of survival, but that monstrous wave would never cease.
It trampled the earth and crushed human lives without a hint of stopping.
――――Doom, doom, doom, doom!
The sound was so overwhelming it felt as if the wave was closing in.
And the roars that erupted from it seemed to herald the end of this continent.
◆ Shin Report ◆
I was seen.
That glasses-wearing fool noticed me.
He activated the spatial laser to keep me from realizing it.
Shin caught on.
This mission isn’t worth it.
I’m done.