Demon Sword Master of the Holy Sword Academy - Volume 2 - Chapter 4

CHAPTER 4

EVENING PARTY

Having changed back into their regular clothes, Leonis and his group made their way to the party hall, where the many guests had already gathered. A number of tables had been set up, and each sported an assortment of alcoholic drinks. At the center of the hall, a great many cooks were all hard at work preparing various extravagant dishes.

“They’re all first-rate chefs who work as purveyors to the royal house,” Riselia whispered into Leonis’s ear. As the daughter of a noble family, she was privy to such matters.

“…This is amazing. It’s hard to believe this is a battleship,” Leonis marveled.

“Since Her Highness is on board, this was set up specifically for her visit to the Seventh Assault Garden,” Riselia explained. Reaching for one of the glasses on the table, she asked, “What do you want to drink, Leo?”

“Mm, maybe I’ll have some wine,” he replied.

“Um, Leo…”

“I’m joking.”

Leonis took a glass of grape juice.

I really would prefer wine, he thought.

Expecting whatever wine was here to match the rich fragrance and flavor he’d sampled in the past was probably asking for too much, though.

“E-erm… Can we really eat all this…?” Tessera asked timidly.

“Yes, of course.” Riselia nodded.

“Okay, Linze, chaaaaarge!” Millet exclaimed like a pirate who’d come across a treasure chest. With a plate in her hand, she took off.

“W-wait, Millet!” Linze ran after her toward the center of the hall.

“W-wait for me, too…!” Tessera, stepping out of her older-sister role for a bit, tottered off after them.

“I’ll get your share, too, Leo. Anything you’d like to eat?” Riselia offered.

“I can do it myself,” Leonis insisted.

“Well, you always only eat the things you like. You won’t grow up big and strong if you don’t eat your veggies,” Riselia said before heading toward the table.

Having an undead girl fret over my health still doesn’t sit well with me…

Leonis looked around the hall. Several Excalibur Academy students were scattered about.

No one I know, though…

“Oh, you’re here, too, kid.” A familiar voice caught Leonis’s ears.

She had clear blue eyes and was clad in a uniform modified to include the traditional garb of the Sakura Orchid. It was Sakuya Sieglinde, the ace of the eighteenth platoon, the same squad of which Leonis was a member.

“What are you doing here, Miss Sakuya?”

“I came for the free food,” Sakuya declared, puffing up her chest proudly.

“No, I… I didn’t mean that,” Leonis murmured, exasperated.

Despite looking like a young, brilliant beauty, Sakuya was quite the deplorable girl on the inside.

“Well, remember how I fought on the front lines during the Stampede? Word of that got around.”

“Oh, that’s why.”

During a recent battle, Sakuya had charged into a swarm of Voids and fought valiantly. Apparently, she’d even been called in to review combat data after the fact.

“I heard you fought the Voids when they attacked the harbor. Good job.” Sakuya patted his head gently.

“No, I didn’t do much.” Leonis shook his head. “Miss Regina was the one who beat the big Void.”

“If you ask me, just the fact that you didn’t run away was brave enough. There were other students from the academy there, but they all ran when the Voids showed up.”

Now that she mentions it, the boys who hit on Regina were students of the academy, too.

That said, they’d only fled in terror because of Leonis’s Aura of Death.

“They ran, even though running when it matters most only brings regret. That’s a feeling that haunts you for the rest of your life…,” Sakuya said, and Leonis noticed a gloominess in her eyes.

“Erm—” He parted his lips to say something.

“Well, I’m gonna get some food,” Sakuya interjected, cutting him off. Her expression returned to normal, and Leonis lost the chance to ask what he’d wanted to. Sakuya took out a small box made of bamboo from the sleeve of her Sakura Orchid garb.

“What’s that?” Leonis asked.

“A traditional Sakura Orchid lunch box,” Sakuya replied, puffing up her chest proudly again.

“No, that’s not what I meant,” Leonis murmured, exasperated.

“I thought I could bring Fluffymaru the Black something nice to eat.”

“Fluffymaru the Black?”

“A dog I’ve befriended recently.”

“I see…,” Leonis replied half-heartedly. “Are you sure you’re allowed to do that?”

It may not have been a strict, ceremonious affair, but even Leonis, with his rather limited understanding of human society, couldn’t help but wonder if taking food home from the party was acceptable.

“Don’t worry, kid. With my skills, no one will notice.” Sakuya smiled and stealthily approached the table.

“No, that’s not what I…,” Leonis tried to say again, but his words tapered off fruitlessly.

The way she’s moving… She really is skilled, Leonis observed, half impressed and half-peeved. He set off with a plate to get some food for himself.

At the central table, the guests bustled together while first-class chefs prepared the food. There was grilled, honeyed fawn meat, goose stuffed with leafy greens, a whole leg of mutton sprinkled with spices and condiments, star snapper stew seasoned with salt and fragrant herbs, chicken soup with vegetables, white fish stew, a vivid-looking eight-vegetable salad, a mountain of freshly baked buns, and a large selection of fruit and ice cream for dessert.

As Leonis considered what to help himself to, his stomach lightly grumbled with anticipation.

…A human body is so awfully inconvenient, Leonis bemoaned as he started loading things onto his plate to placate his boyish body’s demands.

“Leo, you’re only taking meat. You need to balance it out with vegetables, too.” Riselia was quick to appear and chastise him.

“I—I know.” Leonis proceeded to put the bare minimum amount of salad on his plate to satisfy her. “Were the ingredients for this made in the artificial environment’s cultivation plant?”

“Some of them were, but I think the wild game was gathered from the forest,” Riselia answered.

“Forest…?”

“Yes, there’s a vast forest near the Imperial Capital.”

The Imperial Capital, Camelot. It was the crux of the Assault Garden project and situated near vast woods that Voids curiously never dared to approach. The less dense areas of that place were breeding grounds for a variety of animal species.

If it’s truly that large, perhaps it’s the Forest of Origin, Leonis speculated.

The Forest of Origin had been close to the Lognas Kingdom, the place where the Hero Leonis had been born. A thousand years ago, that ancient wood had been the domain of the gods and home to many spirits.

If I’m right, then the capital should be close to where the Lognas Kingdom was…

For a few moments, Leonis considered the maps of the world from his era, but his stream of thought was soon interrupted.

“Riselia, what are you doing here?” A slightly high but clear voice prompted Riselia to turn around.

“…Fenris Edelritz!”

Standing there with her arms crossed was a girl clad in Excalibur Academy’s uniform. Her gait suggested the elegance of a noble lady, while her blue eyes beheld Riselia with a certain sharpness to them. She took a step forward, gently brushing back her platinum-blond hair with one hand.

The two beauties glared at each other, each holding a plate.

“Princess Altiria invited us,” Riselia answered with a dignified voice, her intonation significantly stronger than usual. “And what are you doing here, Fenris?”

“I came on behalf of the executive committee’s president. My word, work in the executive committee truly has piled up ever since the Stampede. I haven’t had a single free moment, unlike you leisurely oafs…”

“E-excuse me?!” Riselia glared at her indignantly. As her emotions began flaring up, her silvery hair started to glow slightly with mana.

Her Vampire Queen powers are leaking out?! Leonis thought as he hurriedly tugged at Riselia’s sleeve.

“There, there, you two. No fighting,” a serene voice called, arbitrating the growing unease between the two young women.

“M-Miss Elfiné?!” Riselia quickly corrected her posture.

Elfiné had appeared from behind Fenris with a wry smile on her lips.

“Miss Elfiné?” Leonis said quizzically.

“Oh, hello, Leo.” She beamed at the boy and greeted him with a small wave of the hand.

“I-I’m sorry…” Riselia shrank back, ashamed at how she’d presented herself in front of an older girl she admired.

“So you’re attending the mixer as well, Elfiné,” Fenris said awkwardly, averting her gaze much like Riselia.

“Yes, they asked me to share the data I’d gathered from the Stampede.” Elfiné shrugged.

Her Holy Sword—the Eye of the Witch—was an exceedingly efficient set of information probe terminals that exceeded even the most cutting-edge magical technology. The intelligence it gathered was absolutely priceless when it came to fighting the Voids.

Leonis then realized that if Elfiné’s Holy Sword had recorded everything from the day of the Stampede…

I could be in trouble… He began panicking internally.

Elfiné’s Eye of the Witch had surely recorded the way he’d mopped up a group of Voids with his sorcery.

“Tch…” Leonis gritted his teeth as he pondered what being exposed would mean for him.

“Don’t worry. I erased the data from the orb I sent to Phrenia’s orphanage,” Elfiné assured Leonis quietly, leaning in and whispering into his ear.

“…Thank you,” he replied in a hushed voice.

“But in exchange…,” Elfiné added. “You’ll have to tell me the truth about that someday, Leo.”

“…I will.” Leonis nodded, and Elfiné straightened back up.

Fenris, the girl who’d had a quick face-off with Riselia, then looked down at Leonis with dubious eyes.

“Hmm. So that’s the boy who joined the eighteenth platoon, yes?”

“Yes…”

“My apologies for not introducing myself,” she said, brushing out a few strands of her platinum-blond hair with her fingers. “I am Fenris Edelritz, a member of Excalibur Academy’s executive committee. It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance.”

“Executive committee?”

“It’s a governing organization of students that helps run the school separately from the administration bureau,” Elfiné explained.

I see…

“I’m Leonis Magnus of the eighteenth platoon.” He politely introduced himself.

Fenris, however, narrowed her eyes.

“Leonis, I hear you’re living in the girls’ dormitory?”

“…Erm, yes.” Leonis admitted honestly, nodding.

“Riselia, I must question the legitimacy of letting him live in the girls’ dormitory.”

“Leo’s still a child,” Riselia said in a flustered hurry.

“But he’s a boy. Once he’s older, he could very well be a dark lord in the bedroom.”

“…L-Leo’s not like that! He’s a good boy. Right?”

“Y-yes…” Leonis nodded again, feeling his heart skip a beat.

It was only a short while ago he’d felt his pulse quicken at the sight of Riselia in a swimsuit.

“Whatever the case, should the executive committee find you’re somehow disregarding public morals, we will act,” Fenris declared, turning away.

Before she left, however…

“…Incidentally, I’ve heard you’ve awakened to your Holy Sword.” She stopped in her tracks and spun back to face them. “So if nothing else…I suppose I should say congratulations, Riselia Crystalia.”

“…Huh? Ah, thanks…,” Riselia muttered, as if Fenris’s words had somehow been anticlimactic.

Fenris scoffed and turned again, making a quick departure.

“Do you two have some kind of history?” Leonis asked.

“She’s a…childhood friend. Though she’s more like a bad itch I can’t get rid of…,” Riselia said, rubbing her temples.

The young woman was usually so responsible and mature, it was odd seeing her acting so childish.

I suppose their relationship is like my camaraderie with the Dragon Lord…

Something about Riselia’s brief confrontation with Fenris reminded Leonis of his tumultuous relationship with his nemesis from a thousand years ago. Oddly enough, the rivalry felt nostalgic to Leonis these days.

“Hey kid, look at all these gifts I got for Fluffymaru the Black!” Sakuya said gleefully, presenting the food she’d hidden under her sleeve.

““Put that back!”” Riselia and Elfiné demanded in unison.

…Princess Altiria isn’t at the party yet…?

Regina was wandering aimlessly through the corridor outside the party hall. While she possessed a fabricated invitation, the young woman had hesitated to actually cross the threshold. Had she not been dressed in Excalibur Academy’s uniform, Regina would’ve looked terribly suspicious.

Even if I go to the mixer, I won’t be able to talk to her…

A set of particular circumstances had led to Regina being disowned and sent to live with the Crystalia family before Princess Altiria was born. Regina’s little sister never knew Regina’s name or what she looked like.

N-no… Even if we can’t speak, I can still look at her up close…

Mustering her courage, Regina stood in front of the entrance to the party hall when a white furball suddenly sped by her feet.

“Wh-what?” Regina stopped.

The furball let out a faint, flickering glow.

“Is that a spirit?!” Regina furrowed her brow.

It wasn’t one of the Phillet Company’s Artificial Elementals. This was an Origin Spirit; the kind you couldn’t find anywhere in the city.

…Wait, isn’t that the royal family’s Carbuncle?!

Regina had seen such a spirit once before in the data archive. It had white, glowing fur and a red gemstone embedded in its forehead. There could be no mistaking it. It was a Carbuncle, one of the three great spirits passed down through the generations of House O’ltriese.

The question was, what was a spirit belonging to the royal family doing here?

Did it run off? Regina wondered.

An installation-type Artificial Elemental was unable to wander off, but it was perfectly possible for an Origin Spirit.

“I should probably catch it, shouldn’t I…?” Regina whispered to no one in particular.

If it had run away, the princess and her attendants must surely be in a panic trying to find it. Few people could see a spirit when it chose to mask its presence, so the ship’s guards couldn’t catch it on their own. Only a Princess Priestess who drew on the blood of the royal family could do that.

And if I catch it, that could be my excuse to speak to Princess Altiria…

As soon as she realized this, Regina took off after the furry little thing.

“…W-wait up… Wait!”

Regina focused her inner eye, as if looking through a rifle’s scope. She’d taken the academy’s endurance training every day and was confident in her stamina. Following the faint mana trail the spirit left behind, Regina dashed up a staircase to the upper floor.

At the top of the steps was a straight corridor. Regina caught sight of the Carbuncle’s flickering form at the far end.

…Got you!

She pushed forward off the floor, her pigtailed hair flapping behind her with the rush of air. Just ahead of where the spirit had fled, a humanoid figure emerged from a corner.

…?! Regina brought herself to a stop, startled.

It was one of Altiria’s uniformed royal guards. The young man raised his eyebrows upon catching sight of Regina.

“What’s this? I thought all the civilians were down at the party,” he said as his lips curled into a faint sneer.

Regina locked eyes with the guard. Something about his attitude seemed odd; he acted too coldly to be one of the princess’s escorts.

“E-erm…” Regina took a cautious step back.

The young guard approached her, not seeming to have noticed her unease.

“Can’t have you kicking up a racket, can we? Better finish you off…” A tangible bloodlust began welling up within the man.

“Activate!” Regina chanted the word to manifest her Holy Sword.

In the next instant, however, massive claws appeared on the guard’s right hand.

“…?!”

“Demon Sword, Activate—Slash Fang!”

Something powerful ran across Regina’s body.

Being in a place full of people truly is suffocating.

Leonis snuck away from the party hall and let out a breath he’d been holding after finally escaping to the adjoining hallway. He wasn’t good with such lively places. The Undead King preferred dark, silent locales, like Necrozoa’s underground mausoleum.

No, even when I was human, I didn’t enjoy crowds.

The corridor was silent. Leonis walked down the passageway and entered an elevator, going up to the ship’s deck for a breath of fresh air.

Leaving without saying anything might’ve been a bad idea, Leonis thought as he ascended.

Realizing he could cause his minion undue concern, the Dark Lord summoned a skeleton servant from his shadow. As its bones clattered and assembled into human form, Leonis placed a second-order transformation spell on it. The undead soldier took on a form identical to his own.

It wasn’t unusual for the Undead King to need to appear on multiple battlefields at once in order to confuse enemy forces. The trick of it was, trivially enough, Leonis’s ability to create many body doubles using sorcery. The one flaw of the spell was the personality of the body double was influenced by the skeleton’s own character and idiosyncrasies, but for a temporary, makeshift solution, that was unlikely to cause much trouble.

“Return to the party in my stead,” Leonis instructed. “Be sure not to do anything uncalled-for, however.”

“Yes, my lord,” the skeletal puppet said, lowering its head respectfully.