Book 3: Chapter 27

「Over here, over here, leave it to me!」

Seira quickly ran ahead, turned around, then waved her hand. She truly felt like a mark of liveliness.

Kain hurriedly chased after her.

「Seira, we need to go a bit slower. Rokuna-san is here as well after all.」

「Ah, that’s right. Soーrry, it’s just that Rokuna-san seemed kind of strong, so I unconsciously did that.」

「Heh?」

Hearing the words that Seira said while being bashful, Kain and Sharon looked at Rokuna at almost the same time.

Since Rokuna’s appearance was that of a scholar or Magician no matter how you looked at her, the expression 「seemed strong」 felt out of place.

On the other hand, Rokuna was surprised without showing it on her face.

Rokuna was a Mazoku, and a Majin at that.

When compared to Sancreed and Fainell and the rest, her physical abilities were far inferior to theirs, but it was higher than Humans.

Even in magical power, she had pride that she was considerably high in it even among the Mazoku.

It was unclear as to what Seira had meant when she said that she 「seemed strong」, but it wasn’t like she was off the mark.

Just like how a strong person was able to measure their opponent’s strength to a certain extent just by looking at them, Seira might also have learned that sort of intuition.

「I’m happy about your expectations of me, but as you can see, I’m not good with physical labor, you know? Besides, I’m come here this time for research on Summon Magic. I would be happy if you took that into account.」

「Un, got it. Leave it to me!」

Rokuna had intended to warn her “you’ll struggle even in battle with that high tension”……but Seira shouted full of energy.

「I wonder if she truly understands……」

「Ah, ahaha……I’ll be sure to hold Seira back. It will be fine if we devote ourselves to defense as much as possible, right?」

Rokuna nodded to Kain who was wryly smiling.

There would be no meaning to this if Seira immediately crushed all of the monsters that they met.

Rokuna had come to see a precedent of Summon Magic, and it wasn’t like she wanted to see the way Seira fought.

「That’s right. This will be pointless if I don’t see Summon Magic activated. If an opponent is difficult and it seems impossible to handle, you can just leave it to Ein and study by observation.」

After Rokuna said that and sent her gaze to Ein, Ein silently nodded.

However, Kain cut in between Rokuna and Ein, and spoke with a strong tone.

「It’s fine. Please leave it to me.」

「Really?」

「Yes. I am a man as well. I can do it.」

「Hーn.」

After saying that, Kain chased after Seira, and the two of them walked side-by-side as the lead.

While looking at their backs, Rokuna exchanged glances with Ein.

「……I wonder if I stimulated that boy’s pride.」

「I believe the gives off that kind of feeling in general.」

After trying to think about what would happen if Vermudol were in his place, the figure of Vermudol rapidly advancing forward in front of her like Kain was came to her mind.

「That’s a field I don’t understand.」

「He’s probably at the age where he wants to look cool.」

「Hーn?」

While having that kind of talk, Rokuna’s group advanced through the town.

With Kain and Seira at the lead, Rokuna and Ein were behind them, and Sharon followed after them.

Rokuna threw an unexpected question at Sharon.

「Is that alright?」

「Eh?」

「Here’s what I’m trying to say. Is it alright for you to not be near Kain? You guys have a love for one another, right?」

「Eh……Ehh!?」

Hearing Rokuna’s words, Sharon’s face was dyed bright red.

Ein was neary making a face as if she wanted to say “achaー*, but Rokuna didn’t even put her in her field of vision.

「Eh, eh!? Is, is that what we look like!?」

「What. Am I wrong?」

After shaking her head sideways with incredible vigor, Sharon zoomed in close to Rokuna.

「We look like that, don’t we!? Kain and I are, like……!」

「Hold on, you’re too close.」

「This is really important! How do you see us!?」

「Eei, jeez! Hey Kain! Get this girl away from me!」

Rokuna tried to separate from Sharon, but Sharon strongly pressed Rokuna for an answer with strength that didn’t seem like it would come from a young Human girl.

Maybe being the thing known as the power of a maiden in love, it was a strength that didn’t lose to Rokuna.

Turning around from being called, Kain made a startled face and rushed over.

「H, hey, Sharon!」

「Wait Kain, I still haven’t heard an answer!」

「Eh? Answer?」

「Ahー, jeez. Yes, yes, so I just have to answe-mugu.」

The moment before Rokuna was about to answer, Ein covered Rokuna’s mouth with her hand.

After she flapped about and struggled against the sudden event, Rokuna then looked at Ein with upturned eyes, and Ein shook her head sideways.

「Kain, it’s fine so take her away. Sharon’s maiden box was simply opened.」

「Ahー……Un. Come on Sharon, come over here.」

「Ah, wait, wait! Ahー!」

After confirming that Kain had dragged Sharon away, Ein took her hand away from Rokuna’s mouth.

Rokuna glared at Ein, and then breathed a sigh in the end.

While keeping a distance so that they wouldn’t be left behind by Kain and the others yet couldn’t have their lowered voices be heard, she whispered to Ein.

「So, what was that for.」

「If you were to answer that, it would have become even more troublesome. I protected you from that sort of situation.」

「……Ah, is that so. In that case, should I be saying my thanks to you?」

「No, I merely did what I should have.」

Saying “ahー, is that so”, Rokuna gazed at the three people ahead of them.

The lively Seira and the docile Sharon……when she thought that they were quite the combination, it seemed that that surprisingly wasn’t the case.

「Ah, there’s a somewhat amazing person!」

「Oh Seira. I told you that you shouldn’t point.」

Hearing Sharon’s voice that chided Seira, Rokuna looked further ahead of the two of them.

However, not noticing anyone that was particularly strange, she simply saw the gate she passed through as she came here.

「Ah, so we’re already at the gate.」

In that case, it’s just a bit more until the Aledona Forest──at the time she thought that.

Rokuna felt an uncommon presence wafting from Ein.

「Hey, what’s wrong.」

「……Rokuna-sama, stay behind me.」

「……Please don’t be so cautious.」

At the same time as that voice she had not heard before, a man clad in white armor had appeared right before Rokuna’s eyes.

「Wha……!?」

She felt strong magical power.

She hadn’t notice it until he had come this close.

Thinking “even if I had let my guard down, to think that he could hide his magical power this perfectly……”, Rokuna was surprised by the abilities of the man before her eyes.

「Eh? That person just now, just when did he get over there? Kain, did you see it?」

At the lead, Seira shaking Kain looking surprised could be seen.

From his hiding his presence and what seemed like teleportation, Rokuna analyzed that the man possessed some special technical skills.

He was a man that wore white armor that had minute craftsmanship that reached the point of being a frightening level applied to it.

Silver hair, white armor, and a white shield that he carried on his back. Even the sword that hung on his waist was white.

Only his eyes that possessed a gentle impression were a clear blue. He was that kind of man.

「……Do you have some sort of business with me?」

After the white man nodded, he opened his mouth.

「I’m looking for someone. She’s a bit smaller than you……and let’s see, she’s a young girl who is overall purple……with a fluffy hairstyle.」

「……I met with a guy who asked a similar question not too long ago.」

「Oya, is that so.」

Rokuna remembered the red man……Olred, that she had met a little while ago.

This white man was similar to that Olred.

Even the armor that he wore was most likely armaments that kept an equivalent amount of magical power as Olred’s.

「I don’t know about that purple girl. The red guy who called himself Olred should know that.」

「Oya, so that was the case. Ahh, I am Shironos.」

「Ah, really. I’m Rokuna. See ya.」

「Yes, well then.」

Saying that, Rokuna pulled the hand of Ein who still had yet to remove her vigilance and started walking, and at the moment she passed by Shironos, she whispered to him.

「You, why did you talk to me?」

「……Just because, I suppose.」

「That purple girl, just who is she.」

「I cannot answer, but she is an important person.」

Rokuna was glaring, while Shironos was making a refreshing face.

Rokuna passed by just like that, and Shironos also vanished into the town just like that.

Sharon also seemed to be thinking about Shironos for some reason, but she followed after Rokuna and the others while keeping silent.

Rokuna went in front of Seira and asked a question.

「Is that white guy an imperial guard of royalty? Or is he someone related to the nobles of some place?」

「Eh? Uーm……I don’t know. I don’t go in and out of the royal palace after all……」

「Then do you know the faces of royalty?」

「U, uーm……」

「Ah, it’s fine. This just bothered me a bit is all.」

After Rokuna said that, expressed a smile, and patted Seira’s shoulder, she sent a glance to Ein……and Ein replied to that with a nod.

Olred, and then Shironos.

The fact that people of their level were around was not in the reports of the Intelligence Group up until now.

Concealed war potential, or maybe simply unknown war potential.

Various possibilities could be thought of, but they needed to know who they were and where they came from, as well as think of ways to deal with them.

「U, um, Rokuna-san.」

「Nn?」

When she became aware of it, Sharon was gripping Rokuna’s hand.

Rokuna pulled back a bit from Sharon who was looking up at her with sparkling eyes, but Sharon didn’t notice that and spoke bluntly with a whole faced smile.

「Was it, love at first sight!? It was, wasn’t it! Even the person over there ignored us and made a straight line to you, Rokuna-san! This is destiny! Waa, so wonderful, so wonderful!」

「Haa!? Eei, let go!」

Ein hurriedly pulled away Sharon who was shaking her hands up and down while still gripping onto Rokuna’s hand.

「Sharon, calm down. That person is someone indifferent to things like love.」

「Wait Ein, I have something to talk about with you later.」

While thinking about some worries for the future, Rokuna headed towards the gate.

The objective this time was Summon Magic.

She didn’t have time to waste on things like this.

「Come on, let’s go. The forest is just ahead of here, right?」

「Ah, un. Come on everyone, let’s go!」

「S, sorry, Ein. Come on, Sharon, it’s about time that you return to normal!」

Kain slapped Sharon a bit and brought her back to reality.

Seira approached the gate guard, and talked to him.

「Oji-san, it’s alright for us to go through here, right?」

「Nnaa? Wait, geh! The ojou-sama of Duke Necros!?」

The spaced out guard saw Seira’s face, hurriedly fixed his posture.

When speaking of the Spear Princess Seira of the Necros Duke House, there were many people that knew her face, and even the duke’s doting on her was also famous.

Thinking that he would be sacked if he were to be rude, the guard hurriedly straightened up and started to speak.

「Yes ma’am, the number of people are ojou-sama, your two school friends and……」

「And Ein and Rokuna-san over there.」

「Yes, may I ask what your objective is?」

「A request, and an inspection of that I suppose.」

The way he looked making brisk responses, he didn’t seem like he was the same person as the guard that looked lazy when Rokuna had come through earlier.

「Yes, there aren’t any problems! Please do take care!」

「Un, thanksー.」

「Please give my regards to Duke Necros-sama!」

The guard made a sharp salute, and Seira beckong Rokuna and the others over.

「He said that we can pass through. Shall we?」

Passing by beside the nervous-looking guard, Rokuna’s group looked up at the Aledona Forest that was in front of them.