Demon Sword Master of the Holy Sword Academy - Volume 6 - Chapter 3

CHAPTER 3

TESSERA’S BIRTHDAY PARTY

“Yes, as previously discussed, there are many types of Holy Swords—”

“Phew…”

Leonis stifled a yawn, ignoring the teacher’s lecture. Excalibur Academy allowed a student to put together and select their curriculum freely. However, Riselia had assembled Leonis’s curriculum, and he didn’t find the lectures terribly interesting. After all, it wasn’t like he could use a Holy Sword himself.

Perhaps I’ve been overexerting myself.

Resting his chin on his desk, Leonis rubbed his sleepy eyes. There was that unexpected accident the night prior, and that morning he not only watched over Riselia’s training but also had his blood sucked. As such, he was feeling a bit anemic at the moment.

He never needed to sleep when he was the Undead King, but his now ten-year-old body required quality slumber.

How incorrigible.

As he held back another yawn…

“Leo, are you all right?” Riselia, who occupied the seat next to him, asked worriedly.

“Are you sleepy, kid?” Regina teased. “You could always use my chest as a pillow if you want.”

“N-no, I’m fine!” Leonis shook his head in a hurry. “How would I even do that? Do you mean a lap pillow?” Leonis asked wearily.

“Oh, I’m sure a breast pillow will be much nicer.” Regina smirked.

She pressed her chest against Leonis’s shoulder. It wasn’t clear how serious she was.

“M-Miss Regina?!” Leonis squeaked out, his face red.

“Listen to the lecture, you two,” Riselia whispered at them, honor student to the last.

Leonis fixed his eyes on the teacher again.

“The period in which a Holy Sword manifests changes by the individual, but regardless of gender, it manifests at five years of age at the earliest and twelve on average. There are exceptions, of course…”

Leonis got the feeling that the teacher had just snuck a glance at Riselia. She only manifested her Holy Sword at the age of fifteen, making her a late bloomer.

Holy Swords. The power the planet granted humankind.

These unusual weapons hadn’t existed during Leonis’s time. They had first manifested sixty-four years ago, during the first Void attacks. Holy Swords came in assorted forms that ranged from swords and bows to unusual things that humanity had never seen before. Holy Swords also seemed to mature with their wielders’ souls. Similarly, they could lose their power if their owner experienced something traumatic.

Indeed, Elfiné lost the Eye of the Witch’s original abilities for a long while.

And then there were Demon Swords.

If Holy Swords are the power of the planet, where do Demon Swords get their strength…?

Were the Holy Swords genuinely the might of the world? Leonis, continuing to ignore the lecture, could only wonder.

“Hey, Leo…,” Riselia whispered into his ear.

“…?” Leonis directed his gaze at her.

“Aren’t you almost at the age to manifest a Holy Sword yourself?”

“Huh?” Leonis was taken aback by the question.

“I mean, you’re ten years old, and you keep fighting the Voids head-on. It makes sense the planet would grant you one soon.”

“…I hadn’t considered that.”

Only humans could awaken to the power of Holy Swords. Beastmen and other demi-humans couldn’t. A Dark Lord like Leonis shouldn’t have been eligible. Or at least, that was what he’d assumed.

I do have the body of a human boy right now…

This form was that of Leonis Shealto, the Hero of the Holy Sword. In other words, he could potentially wield that power as well. But if that were the case, what would his Holy Sword look like? Supposedly, they were the materialization of one’s soul. In which case…

A staff? Perhaps a sword? Or maybe a reaper’s scythe?

After toying with that thought, Leonis shook his head silently.

I suppose it is a possibility, but…

His body might be human, but a Dark Lord who opposed humankind couldn’t wield a Holy Sword. And as he came to that conclusion, the bell rang, marking the end of the lecture.

“Leo, we’re going to Phrenia’s for lunch today,” Riselia said as she put her terminal into her bag.

“To the orphanage?”

Riselia helped out at Phrenia’s orphanage, which doubled as an eatery.

“Tessera is celebrating her birthday today.”

“Oh, is it?”

The eight-year-old Tessera was the most responsible girl in the orphanage. She’d grown quite attached to Leonis after witnessing him defend her home during a Stampede.

“That’s no good, kid. You can’t forget a girl’s birthday.” Regina raised a finger to scold him.

“Do you want to come with us, Leo? There’s cake,” Riselia said.

“Well… Yes, why not?”

There was merit to interacting with the orphanage’s children. It was perfect for reaffirming his cover. No one would expect a ten-year-old child playing pretend with his fellow children to actually be the Dark Lord controlling this city from the shadows, after all.

Leonis nodded to himself in sinister approval.

“A clash on the pier with an anti-imperial terrorist organization, eh…?”

Elfiné skimmed over the news as she partook of a late breakfast in her room in the dormitory.

“Seems as if a lot of things like that have been happening recently.”

When the Assault Garden Project came to be, many of the demi-human nations were basically forced to join the Integrated Human Empire. The discontent that caused hadn’t yet faded entirely.

Elfiné took a bite of her buttered toast and sipped her coffee. Being an honors student, she’d already attended most of her lectures. Thus she had no classes for the first half of the day, making her morning quite leisurely.

However, since scanner-type Holy Swords were rare, they were often called upon to help companies tackle various problems that cropped up in the city. And the most recent such matter was the enshrinement ritual festival set to take place in the Sakura Orchid self-governed area in a few days.

I accepted the job willingly, so I can’t complain about the extra work.

A few days ago, Liat, a member of the Executive Committee, had been corrupted by a Demon Sword and lost his abilities as a Holy Swordsman. Elfiné had wound up taking up his share of the Executive Committee’s work.

Elfiné couldn’t let whoever did that to Liat get away unpunished. And her only clues as to who that might be were the existence of the elusive Demon Sword Project, the voice of a goddess that Muselle and other students affected by Demon Swords reported hearing, and an Artificial Elemental called Seraphim.

The Phillet Company had produced Seraphim, and while it was currently unavailable for purchase, it seemed that a Demon Sword would take hold of those led by its voice.

The capital’s Demon Sword Project… Father has to be involved.

Glaring down at her terminal, Elfiné bit her lip as her black locks covered her eyes.

“Finé.  ”

“Aaaah!”

Feeling a pair of arms embrace her from behind, Elfiné shook, nearly spilling coffee all over her terminal.

“C-C-Clauvia?!” she squeaked, whirling around.

Sure enough, her older sister was there.

“H-how did you get in here?!” Elfiné demanded, rattled.

“How? Well, through the door,” her sister replied, casually jabbing her thumb in the direction of the entrance.

Clauvia’s Holy Sword allowed her to conceal her presence from others. If she put her mind to it, even Elfiné’s fully powered Eye of the Witch couldn’t locate her.

“That’s not what I meant,” Elfiné grumbled, massaging her temples nervously. “What are you here for? If you’re hoping to convince me to help you in the capital, I already said no.”

“You’re so cold. I just came to check on my baby sister.”

“…”

Clauvia had to be scheming at more than just that.

There’s no way she’s here for something so innocent.

Clauvia then looked down at Elfiné’s terminal and raised an eyebrow. Apparently, she was interested in the report about the terrorist attack on the pier.

“Very unpleasant news,” she commented.

“Unpleasant?”

An anti-imperial faction attack wasn’t too unusual.

“Pressure from the military kept the press from reporting what actually happened.”

“Censorship? But why—”

Elfiné’s older sister was a leading technological officer in the Phillet Company, with connections in places as high as the palace. Her being privy to confidential intelligence wasn’t odd. And anything she couldn’t learn from her informants, she discovered by hacking the Astral Garden.

“Apparently, a battle against Voids broke out.”

“Voids?” Elfiné’s eyes widened.

If Voids appeared in the city, Excalibur Academy’s central administration bureau should have contacted local intelligence officers, including Elfiné.

Elfiné rested a hand on her chin. “So the military kept it quiet. It didn’t happen in an urban area, so I guess they’re hoping to prevent any unnecessary concern. Still, they should have reported it to Excalibur Academy…”

“Right? That got me curious, too. So I looked into it, and…” Clauvia paused, bringing her lips to Elfiné’s ear. “Some of the freight on the ship that docked that night came from Finzel’s enterprise.”

“…?!”

Finzel Phillet. The Phillet family’s second elder son, and one of their father’s heirs. He was among the people listed as involved in the capital’s Demon Sword Project…

“Don’t tell me the Void attack is related somehow…”

“Honestly, I don’t know the answer to that,” Clauvia replied with a shrug. “But brother dearest has been acting suspicious lately.”

“What makes you say that?”

“Apparently, he contracted a mercenary group of Sakura Orchid survivors to handle his personal security.”

“Sakura Orchid mercenaries…? You mean the Kenki Gathering?”

“Oh, you’ve heard of them?”

“I have. One of my teammates is from the Sakura Orchid.”

The Kenki Gathering was an armed group devoted to hunting down Voids. Its members were seasoned Holy Swordsmen and survivors of the Sakura Orchid Stampede.

“Don’t you think hiring them for his private army seems a bit overblown?” Clauvia asked suggestively.

“…Yes, it does.”

If Clauvia was telling the truth, Elfiné had to wonder what their brother hoped to achieve. Maybe this was the will of that monster from the capital—their father.

“Either way, you should watch out for Finzel. Think of this as a bit of cordial advice from your big sister.  ”

“…”

“I’ll be returning to the emperor’s brother soon. Do consider my work proposal, though,” Clauvia said and, with that comment, left the room.

The city seems quite peaceful, despite what happened yesterday.

The elven hero, Arle Kirlesio, walked along the edge of the road, looking around with a hood pulled low over her face. The laminated buildings around her were taller than her forest’s trees. There was only one place in this city where a girl like her, who grew up in nature’s embrace, could feel at home: the artificial biotope populated by the demi-humans.

And despite that, she had to visit the more urban areas to purchase daily necessities that were hard to procure in the biotope.

I need some new clothes. And one of those magical devices everyone seems to be using might be nice.

Arle was dressed in child’s clothes she’d found in the remnants of the Third Assault Garden. Her physique was slender and small enough for them to fit her perfectly, but she still wanted something slightly more presentable.

She also wanted one of the magical apparatuses people in this age used to gather intelligence. Lena had given Arle a forged citizen’s permit, so she should be able to acquire one with no issue.

Lena had offered to accompany her on her shopping trip, but Arle had refused. She may have been hiding among the Demon Wolf Pack, but that was only to investigate and eventually assassinate the Dark Lord Zol Vadis.

Getting too close to them would just make me waver when it matters most.

Arle’s display during the incident last night had earned her some degree of trust in the group. The day when she would be promoted into the Dark Lord’s inner circle wasn’t far off.

I will defeat the resurrected Dark Lord. That is my mission…

Unconsciously, Arle’s fingers gripped the hilt of the Demon Smiting Sword Crozax, which was hidden under her cloak. Zol Vadis had effortlessly destroyed the Voids on the pier. If Arle were to challenge him directly, she’d almost certainly fail.

I’m not sure if that really is the Zol Vadis I know of, though.

Arle had never met the Zol Vadis of one thousand years ago. Her fellow apprentice and brother figure, Leonis, had felled that Dark Lord. However, he later became the strongest and most terrible of all Dark Lords—the Undead King.

And there’s no guarantee only one Dark Lord has returned.

If more appeared, there might come a time when she had to battle the Undead King.

But then…

“…P-please, stop it!”

“You’re just losers! If Leo was here—ah!”

She could hear the voices of small children crying out from an alleyway.

“Huh? That brat just smeared mud all over my clothes!”

Arle’s ears twitched as they caught the gruff voice of an adult man.

I shouldn’t poke my head into trouble if I can avoid it…

Still, Arle was a hero, and she couldn’t ignore injustice. She made for the side street where the commotion was coming from. There she found three children cowering in fear, cornered by a pair of young men.

“Stop this,” Arle commanded. “Threatening children? Have you no shame?”

“Huh?! Who’re you?!” the ruffians shouted, turning to face the elf girl. “Do you know what these refugee kids did to us?!”

“I see that no matter how far magic technology has advanced, there are still some people who can’t understand basic speech.” Arle quietly began an incantation. “Deig Ray.”

““Gaaaaaaah!””

Arle fired a small jolt of electricity from her fingers, knocking the men out in an instant. She made sure to restrain the spell’s power, so they weren’t dead.

Looking to the children, she said, “Go on, leave. And be careful this time.”

“Y-yes… Thank you!” The oldest girl of the trio bowed her head thankfully.

Upon seeing her face, Arle’s blue eyes widened in realization. She knew this child. When she had nearly passed out from hunger some time ago, this girl had aided her.

And just as Arle recalled who she was, the girl seemingly recognized the elf, too, despite the hood.

“You’re that lady…right?”

“…Aaah, erm…” Arle awkwardly averted her gaze.

It was embarrassing to be reminded of nearly collapsing from starvation.

“U-um…” The girl approached and bashfully pinched the hem of Arle’s mantle. “I’d like to thank you for saving us. You can come to our orphanage if you’d like…”

“I-it’s fine. I don’t require any gratitude.” Arle shook her head. Modesty was a heroic virtue, after all.

However…

“It’s Tessera’s birthday party today!”

“Riselia and her friends are gonna come and make lots of yummy food and cake!”

The other two kids, a lively girl and a bespectacled boy, were insistent.

C-cake…?

That sort of food didn’t exist in the forest where Arle grew up. When Arle first tasted cake in this city, she’d been so overwhelmed with emotion that she’d forgotten Crozax in the bakery.

“Cake…,” Arle muttered wistfully.

Since she was broke most of the time, sweets were an indulgence beyond Arle’s reach.

“Regina’s cake is so tasty. It puts a smile on your face.  ”

“A smile…” Arle repeated the words, absolutely salivating.

She needed to shop for necessities and one of those magical devices, but she was in no rush to do so.

“A-are you too busy to come with us?” the older girl asked, looking up at her with eyes like a fawn’s.

“I—I could come for a little while,” Arle replied, twirling the end of her ponytail with a finger.

That afternoon, Riselia, Regina, and Leonis headed to Phrenia’s orphanage after shopping for ingredients in the city center.

“Phew, this should be enough,” Riselia remarked as she loaded the wooden crate from their military vehicle.

“You did buy quite the stock,” Leonis commented.

“Well, it’s for all the kids. If we’ve got anything leftover, we’ll just take it back to the dorms.”

“I-it is kind of heavy…,” Regina said as she struggled to pick up a bag of ingredients.

“Let me carry it for you, Regina,” Leonis proposed.

“Huh? You sure you can handle it, kid?” Regina eyed him dubiously.

“…I do keep up with my basic training, you know,” Leonis asserted, easily lifting a hefty sack.

“Wow… You really are a boy, aren’t you?” Regina whispered in surprise.

“Are you cheating, Leo?” Riselia asked with a little smile.

“You can tell, huh?”

Leonis had used a gravity spell to lighten the bag’s weight. Riselia had noticed because of her sorcery training.

“Were you testing me to see if I would notice the spell?” she whispered.

“Something like that.”

“Hm, what are you two muttering about?” Regina asked, looking a bit perplexed.

As they neared the orphanage, the children playing outside noticed and hurried over.

“They’re here!”

“Selia!”

“Leo’s here!”

“Ah, Regina!”

“Regina came!”

“Leoooo!”

“Hmm, why am I the only one without a nickname?” Regina grumbled.

“Regina, hurry up with the cake!”

“Yes, yes, of course… Hey, don’t tug on my hair!”

A couple of playful boys started toying with Regina’s pigtails.

“You’re very popular with the children, Regina.”

“Hahhh… If only they were as mature as you, kid,” Regina said with a sigh as the children kept toying with her hair.

“Thank you for taking the time to visit. The kitchen is this way.”

Having heard their voices, the orphanage’s owner, Phrenia, came out to guide Leonis, Riselia, and Regina. However, when Phrenia opened the door to the kitchen…

“…?!”

Leonis spotted a girl sitting at a table. He was so stunned that he very nearly dropped the bag he was carrying.

What?!

The girl who was staring at him stiffly was none other than—

Why is Arle Kirlesio here?!

There was no mistaking her. It was the same hero he’d seen last night.

“Y-you!” Regina pointed fixedly at the girl. “Aren’t you that elf girl we picked up in the Third Assault Garden?!”

“N-no, I think you have the wrong elf…!” Arle responded, pulling the hood over her head in a flustered manner.

It was too late, though. Regina had recognized her.

“Where did you run off to?” Riselia questioned. “We didn’t have time to finish your citizen registration.”

When they’d all returned from the ruined city in a tactical fighter, Arle had disappeared as soon as they’d landed in the Seventh Assault Garden. After that, she’d joined the Demon Wolf Pack, although Leonis was the only one besides the elf who knew that.

“…” Arle held her tongue, hood still pulled over her face.

“Hm, are you…friends already?” Tessera, who was seated next to the hero, asked sheepishly. “Miss Arle just helped us—”

“I think I’ll be leaving,” Arle interjected, getting to her feet. “Thank you.”

“W-wait!” Tessera hurriedly grabbed her by the arm.

“If you have problems of some sort, we won’t force you to join Excalibur Academy,” Riselia explained. “You helped us back in the ruined city, after all.”

“…”

“Besides, since you’re here, you should at least have some cake.”

Tessera nodded. “Y-yes, that’s a good idea!”

“V-very well,” Arle said, reluctantly settling back into her seat.

Pop, pop, pop, pop!

Party crackers sounded.

“Happy ninth birthday, Tessera!”

“Th-thank you! Thank you so much!” Tessera bowed her head gratefully with a smile.

The dining room’s table was full of present boxes. Riselia got Tessera a picture book she liked, and Regina got her stamping patterns for making cookies.

“I got you this…”

Leonis had brought a present, too. He took out a luxurious box containing…

“…!”

A small statue carved out of bone. Leonis had used remains he’d gathered from Necrozoa to piece together a tiny dragon.

“L-Leo…?” Riselia looked at him quizzically.

“Making this was backbreaking work,” Leonis stated proudly, making a joke.

“Thankfully, unlike mine, this one’s spine is intact.”

“It’s so creepy!”

“Eew…”

“It looks like it might come to life at night!”

For some reason, the orphanage’s children (especially the girls) didn’t seem to like it very much.

“Your tastes might be a bit too refined for them, kid…,” Regina said with a troubled expression.

“B-but you did work hard on it!” Riselia reassured him, although her face was just as uneasy as her maid’s.

“It is very well made.” Arle was the only one to offer genuine praise. “It looks like the real thing.”

Wh-why can’t they understand how impressive it is?! Leonis thought, upset by the less-than-warm reaction.

However…

“Th-thank you, Leo! I love it!” Tessera shouted as if to drown out all the others. “I mean, if you look at it close enough, it’s kind of cute… I think!”

C-cute… Is it?

Leonis wasn’t sure about the girl’s appraisal, but she did seem happy to have it.

“Heh-heh, I guess you’re more considerate than you look, kid  ,” Regina teasingly whispered into his ear.

“Oh, I know, we could put it up outside to ward off thieves,” Phrenia suggested.

Nodding in approval, Leonis replied, “Yes, I think that’s a good idea.”

He’d put a second-order Animated Guardian spell on this statuette. The magic would bring the little dragon to life to defend the building in case something happened.

“It’s time, everyone. Enjoy the cake!” Regina called. The children cheered as she stood and got to work.

Arle cheered alongside them before suddenly realizing what she was doing and bashfully stopping herself.

While Regina and Riselia were handling the cooking, Leonis was told to play with the children in the living room.

What…should I be doing exactly?

Leonis glared enviously at Riselia, who stood in the kitchen. Tessera was the oldest girl in the orphanage, with the siblings Millet and Linze tied for second. Thus, it often fell to Tessera to look after the little ones.

I hardly have any memories of playing with children…

As he sat in a corner of the room, Leonis probed through his distant memories. Much like these kids, Leonis was an orphan. At the time, the Rognas Kingdom had been ravaged by war with a Dark Lord, leaving many without their parents. There were no places for displaced kids, so many had to survive as street urchins.

A man who had rescued a certain six-year-old boy from that terrible fate went on to become one of the Six Heroes. And Leonis followed suit, single-mindedly polishing his skills with the blade under that man’s tutelage.

What a twist of fate it was that the same child later became a Dark Lord and enemy of the world.

Evidently, destiny hadn’t given up on toying with Leonis’s bond to his old teacher. He snuck a glance at the elf girl sitting wearily on the opposite side of the room. Arle Kirlesio had studied under the same master as Leonis, making her his sister apprentice.

She’d hardly known any contact with humans. The forest elves were a reclusive, fastidious people. Barring the most extreme circumstances, they’d never have willingly left their forest to interact with others.

This is quite the development, but it’s a good chance nonetheless. Let’s investigate her.

Leonis got to his feet and approached Arle.

She regarded him suspiciously. “Wh-what do you want…?”

“U-um, could you play with me?”

“H-huh?!” Her long ears twitched with surprise.

The words almost felt like a pickup line, but Leonis was currently a ten-year-old boy. This wasn’t all that bizarre.

“Er, I’m sorry, I… I’ve never played with human children before.”

“Oh, that’s fine. You don’t have to do anything. I’ll do the playing.”

“…Huh?”

Leonis curled up his lips into a smirk and chanted.

“Third-order mind spell—Varis Ro Zelma.”

The moment he’d finished chanting, the light faded from Arle’s eyes. Although she had attempted to resist the magic, the elf was powerless before Leonis’s sorcery.

Leonis casually took a seat next to Arle, pretending to be chatting with her so as not to arouse any suspicion from Tessera and the others.

Now, what should I ask her…?

“Were you sent to this era by the Elder Tree?” he inquired.

“…Yes. The Elder Tree…gave me a mission…”

“Hm. Yes, I assumed as much…”

The Elder Tree was part of the Holy Tree that grew in the heart of the world, and was a subordinate deity to the God of the Forest. The Archsage, Arakael Degradios, had fused with the Holy Tree, but the Elder Tree seemed to have survived.

“And your mission is to slay the Dark Lords that would revive in this era, right?”

Arle nodded, her face blank. “…Yes. I am to use Crozax to fell them.”

“How did you plan on seeking out the Dark Lords?”

“That is simple. Wherever the Dark Lords go, ruin and chaos are sure to follow…”

“…Not necessarily,” Leonis said, wearing a displeased expression.

However, it was a fair enough method to locate Veira, the Dragon Lord; Gazoth, the Lord of Beasts; and Dizolf, the Lord of Rage. Cautious Dark Lords who tried to conceal their presence, like Leonis, were the minority.

Evidently, Arle didn’t know much more than Leonis did. He was a bit disappointed but continued his questioning.

“Do you have any information regarding the goddess—about Roselia Ishtaris’s reincarnation?”

The change was sudden.

“…Lia… Rose…lia… Goddess… Void…st…”

What?!

Arle’s eyes widened, and she started repeating words deliriously.

“God…dess…yet…come…two…”

Is this some kind of defensive reaction against my magic? But that shouldn’t…

Leonis concentrated mana into his eyes and peered directly into Arle’s mind. At that moment, an electric shock ran through his head.

Impossible! Something rebuked me…?!

It was a mind break curse. The soul of an average sorcerer would have been severed instantly. Leonis could sense someone else watching behind Arle Kirlesio.

There’s something observing me?

Leonis immediately undid the mind thrall and chanted a curse detection spell on himself to ensure he hadn’t been ensorcelled. Thankfully, the attack had lasted for only a moment and wouldn’t cause any long-term effects.

Who did that?

The first possible suspect was the Elder Tree that had sent Arle to this era. It might have been observing her actions through her eyes. However…

No. That wasn’t the Elder Tree’s presence. It was something else. Leonis was sure of that. This was a failure. I shouldn’t have made a move on her recklessly.

Even if whoever was on the other side didn’t identify Leonis specifically, his actions made it clear that someone had tried to dominate Arle’s mind.

She reacted to Roselia’s name… Or was it the word goddess?

“Mm… Nng, huh…?” The light returned to Arle’s eyes. “What happened…?”

“It looks like you dozed off a bit. Are you tired?” Leonis inquired innocently.

“Eh? Hm, yes, a lot happened last night…,” Arle replied, her mind clearly still a bit muddled.

The elf didn’t seem to be aware that someone was observing her.

I should let her continue as she pleases until I figure out who this watcher is, Leonis concluded.

“Everyone, the food’s ready!” Riselia called out from the kitchen.

“Wow!  ” Tessera’s eyes sparkled as she beheld the table, which was now packed with dishes.

A chicken roast garnished with sweet berry sauce and freshly baked buns. Bacon and soup cooked with vegetables picked from Riselia’s private garden. Pilaf with meatballs, stir-fried beans, pasta with cheese, meat gratin, baked clams taken from the aquaculture plant, peeled sweet corn. And last but not least, Regina’s special demi-glace hamburg steaks, a favorite of Leonis’s.

“I think we might have made too much, so you all better eat up!” Regina said with a wink as the kids pounced on the food, competing to see who could scarf down more.

“Y-you’re forgetting your table manners…,” Tessera protested meekly.

“You should eat, Tessera!” the others told her, too focused on consuming.

“Don’t be shy. Help yourself, Leo,” Riselia told him.

“Pardon, but I’m no child,” Leonis replied in a dignified manner, despite already having a hamburg steak on his plate.

“Be sure to eat your veggies, too. See? Just like her,” Riselia chided, motioning to Arle. The girl was silently chewing on some bread and greens at the edge of the table.

“She’s an elf…,” Leonis retorted with exasperation.

“It’s like a festival in here,” Phrenia remarked with a smile. Then she bowed to Riselia. “I can’t express how grateful I am.”

“Oh, not at all,” Riselia said. “You help me out so much all the time.”

Millet looked up, her cheeks dirty with sauce. “Hey, Leo! There’s a Sakura Orchid Festival coming up!”

“Hm? Yes, so I’ve heard.” It was just this morning that Riselia had told him about the upcoming event. “Will you be attending?”

“Yeah! And Tessera was wondering if you could come with—”

“M-Millet!” Tessera suddenly went very red and nearly choked.

“Why not go, kid?” Regina suggested, a small smile on her lips. “The rest of the platoon will be attending to watch Sakuya’s dance.”

“Yes, I suppose I should, then.” Leonis accepted. He was interested in this Sakura Orchid ritual. He’d never visited the Sakura Orchid’s sector himself, and most importantly, he wanted to know more about this ancient god they revered. “I think I’d like to go.”

Tessera let out a small cheer at Leonis’s confirmation. “Then let’s all meet up tomorrow and go there.”

“Understood.”

Yet just as Leonis nodded, he received a telepathic message from Shary.

“—M-my lord, my lord! There’s an emergency!”

“What’s wrong, Shary?”

“There’s an unidentified intruder in the Dark Lord’s Castle!”

“…What?”