Rokujouma no Shinryakusha!? - Volume 4 - Chapter 4

A Change of Cast and Traces of a Plot

Tuesday, October 20th

With less than two weeks left before the cultural festival, the drama club began rehearsing using the stage in the gym. The sets had already been installed. While they had been made by amateurs and certainly weren’t professional quality, they looked strangely realistic under the colorful light.

“Yes, this will do.”

“I’m glad we finished in time for the rehearsals.”

Theia and the stage director smiled in satisfaction as they looked at the stage.

“We worked hard after all, first-year brat.”

“We sure did... But it’s not done yet.”

Behind Theia and the stage director were the drama club members that had made the stage props and everyone else who had helped them. They were all looking up at the sets on the stage, including Koutarou and several people from other clubs. That was when Theia turned around and called out to Koutarou and the others.

“Allow me to praise you all. You have done well.”

Theia had helped them work when she had spare time, so she knew what they had been through to pull this off.

“Normally I would like to make a few complaints, but I’ll overlook it this time.”

Tulip seems to be quite obsessed with the Blue Knight, so she’s willing to look the other way for this, huh?

Ruth had told Koutarou about Theia’s love for the Blue Knight, including that it was largely due to her mother’s influence. He’d seen for himself how hard she had worked to make the play a reality, so he respected those feelings.

As Koutarou and the others were taking a break, Ruth appeared.

“Thank you for your hard work, Satomi-sama. Thank all of you.”

“Ruth-san.”

She came in carrying plenty of damp towels on a tray. It was her way of thanking Koutarou and the others who had worked on the set.

“Everyone, please use these to wipe off your sweat.”

“Oh, Ruth-chan, how thoughtful of you!”

“Thanks! I’m covered in sweat.”

“This kind of care really puts my mind at ease. The girls in my club could learn a thing or two...”

The men working on the set surrounded Ruth and grabbed towels.

“Hey, wait, why are you taking two?”

“What does it matter? I’m taking one home to treasure!”

“Hey, that’s playing dirty! I want another one too!”

However, since everyone began taking two or three towels, the supply quickly diminished.

“Wait, everyone! You can’t do that! One per person, please!”

Ruth attempted to regain control, but the damage was already done.

“Aww, there’s none left for me!”

Being last in line, by the time Koutarou arrived, the tray was already empty.

“Ah... Man, this brings me back to life...”

“Give it up, first-year brat. We’ll thoroughly enjoy Ruth-chan’s love for you.”

“Tch, looks like I was too slow!”

“Hey, Satomi. I’ll give you my towel once I’m done with it.”

“Who would want something like that?!”

As Koutarou shouted at the set props team, Ruth looked quite apologetic as she held on to the empty tray.

“I’m really sorry, Satomi-sama... Oh, I know!”

She stopped in the middle of her apology and her expression brightened up. As she rummaged through her pocket with her right hand, she waved Koutarou over with her left.

“Satomi-sama, please come here for a moment.”

“What is it, Ruth-san?”

As Koutarou closed in, Ruth beckoned him even closer.

“Lean in a little more.”

“Okay...”

Although he didn’t understand what Ruth wanted, Koutarou did as she asked and leaned in closer to her.

“Just stand still for a moment, Satomi-sama.”

With a smile, Ruth pulled out her handkerchief and used it to wipe the sweat off Koutarou’s face. Her handkerchief was soft and smelled faintly of flowers. Each time she dabbed it to Koutarou’s face, it absorbed sweat and left behind a trace of the pleasant scent.

“Ruth-san, there’s no need to go this far. I only need to rinse off my face, you know.”

“No, Satomi-sama. This is my thanks for all of your help.”

Ruth shook her head, still smiling and patting his face with her handkerchief.

Before Koutarou could say something else, she whispered in a quiet voice only Koutarou could hear, “You’ve been very considerate yourself, Satomi-sama.”

Ruth glanced at Theia as she whispered. Even now, Theia was cheerfully looking at the stage.

It seems like I can’t hide anything about Tulip from Ruth-san...

When Koutarou looked at Theia and smiled wryly, Ruth’s expression grew even brighter.

“Waaaaah! Hey you first-year brat! Wh-Wh-What kind of envious thing are you doing?!”

“Damn you! I’ll give you my wet towel, so trade places with me!”

But the very next moment, the set team surrounded them and Ruth’s brilliant smile ended up only lasting for a few seconds.

The Blue Knight—Layous Fatra Veltlion—wore, as the name implied, a set of blue armor. But as the costume armor hadn’t been completed yet, Kenji was temporarily wearing a white surcoat that had been used in another play. The person in charge of the wardrobe seemed to be struggling with the armor and had suggested that they just dye the surcoat blue instead.

Kenji, who had been blessed with both charisma and height, looked like a professional actor once he took off his glasses and tied his hair back behind his head. When he was wearing it, it didn’t really seem to make a difference what color the surcoat was.

“Curse them! To think they would poison an entire river to capture a single lady... This is the act of a true coward! I cannot forgive them! Their blood will stain my sword!”

But there was a foreseeable problem. Despite his looks, Kenji was still a high school student and had only been in the drama club for half a year. It showed in his awkward acting.

“Hmm, well, it’s so-so.”

However, the drama club president watching from below the stage didn’t see it as that big of a problem.

“Ken-chan seems to be taking his practice seriously. And I can tell he’s read the manuscript thoroughly... He looks the part too, so if he keeps practicing like this, I’m sure he’ll get the hang of it.”

As the stage director, the club president believed that Kenji’s acting would be good enough by opening night, and that pleased her.

“What do you think, Theiamillis-san?”

“Hmm...”

Theia, however, looked vexed.

“Is there something bothering you?”

“He’s a good looking man and his acting is good enough. If he keeps at it like this he’ll probably do well. But I feel like something’s missing.”

Theia’s shoulders drooped. There was nothing obviously wrong with Kenji or his acting, but somewhere deep inside she felt like something wasn’t right.

“I can’t really tell what though...”

“Me neither. Since we don’t understand the reason behind it, it might just be within the margin of error.”

Theia looked back at the stage.

I wonder what this sense of incongruity is...? It’s like seeing a tiger and being told it’s a lion.

As Theia was thinking with her head tilted in confusion, Koutarou wearing work clothes appeared from backstage during the break between scenes.

“You’re fabulous, White Knight-sama!”

“You’re making me sick, Kou. Stop it.”

“Don’t worry. Me too.”

“Then don’t do it...”

“I’m regretting it too. More importantly, Mackenzie, don’t stand in the wrong place. You were way off the marked spot just now.”

“Seriously?”

“Yeah. I’ll remark it in a color that stands out more just in case.”

“Please do.”

As Koutarou and Kenji exchanged words, Koutarou replaced the tape that marked the actors’ starting positions for the scene. Up until now, they had been using black and white tape, but Koutarou was switching it for something more colorful.

“Ah...”

The moment Theia saw Kenji and Koutarou together, she was reminded of Koutarou the other day.

“Please forgive my rudeness, Princess Theiamillis.”

A gentle smile. Powerful words. Recalling the incident erased the image of Kenji as the Blue Knight in her head and replaced it with Koutarou.

“What’s wrong, Theiamillis-san?”

“Oh, it’s nothing...”

I’m just imagining things. The pleb is far too terrible of an actor. He’s not fit for the precious role of the Blue Knight.

Theia shook her head in an attempt to drive the idea out of her brain, but she couldn’t take her eyes off of Koutarou standing there on the stage.

“All right. Next up is finally the appearance of the Silver Princess. Satomi-kun, could you call Sakuraba-san in?”

“Okay, just wait a second.”

Ah...

As Koutarou jumped backstage again, Theia realized how she was staring at Koutarou and felt embarrassed. Blood rushed to her head, turning her whole face red. She could scarcely believe herself.

Wh-What is happening to me...?

Theia was completely confused. She was supposed to be admiring the Blue Knight, not Koutarou who was working as a stagehand. For Theia, this was the long-awaited debut of her beloved Blue Knight on stage, but she kept staring at Koutarou instead for some reason. It was an understandably confusing situation for her.

“Sakuraba-senpai is coming up!” Koutarou called as he returned to the stage with Harumi.

“P-Please go easy on me,” said Harumi who was standing next to Koutarou and wearing a pure white dress.

With her delicate features, the dress suited her rather well. The silver tiara on her head was a lovely contrast to her beautiful black hair and more than made up for her normal lack of sparkle. And since she was brought up as an upper-class woman, there was a certain grace and elegance to the way she carried herself.

“Ooohh...”

As she stepped up on the stage, the other actors and crew all held their breath. Right now, she was the spitting image of the Silver Princess. A few people had objected to Harumi playing the lead role at first, but when they saw her now, there was no one left to dispute that she was perfect for the part.

“S-Satomi-kun...”

However, feeling uneasy with so many gazes locked on her, Harumi hid behind Koutarou’s large body. In order to calm her down, he tried to talk to her like everything was normal.

“It’s all right, Sakuraba-senpai.”

“But... My nerves get the better of me when I’m being watched like this...”

“Everyone is looking at you because you’re beautiful, Senpai. Please have a little more confidence in yourself.”

“Easier said than done...”

Harumi looked down at her right hand. Her hand, neatly fitted in a pure white glove, was trembling. Koutarou grabbed her gloved hand and called out to Theia and the director in front of the stage.

“President-san, Tulip, what scene should we start with?”

“Hmm, I want to see her abilities. So maybe the scene where she sees the Blue Knight off. What do you think, Theiamillis-san?”

“...I-I’m fine with that too.”

Theia sounded distracted. She couldn’t take her eyes off of the hand Koutarou was holding.

“I understand. This way, Sakuraba-senpai.”

“O-Okay.”

With her hand in his, Koutarou guided Harumi to her starting position for the scene in question. At this point, she had stopped trembling.

Satomi-kun’s hand is so... warm...

Now she was holding his hand in return.

“This is your position. The scene is the one you’re best at. The one where you see the Blue Knight off before he heads into battle. You’ll do great if you just do it like we’ve been practicing.”

Koutarou let go of Harumi’s hand once he got her into position. And once he did, Harumi immediately began feeling helpless again.

“Good luck, Senpai!”

Koutarou who had been helping her practice, however, wasn’t concerned at all. All she had to do was act the way she had with him. Even if she had some problems, there was still plenty of time left to practice. He had no reason to worry about Harumi.

After casually leaving Harumi behind, he called out to Kenji who was nearby.

“I’m counting on you, Mackenzie. On that stage, you’re all Sakuraba-senpai has to rely on.”

“I know. I’ll make sure to take good care of her.”

“You sure are diligent when it comes to girls.”

“I’ll send you flying, you bastard.”

“I guess I’ll just have to retreat before that happens!”

After talking to Kenji, Koutarou turned to leave.

“W-Wait! Are you leaving, Satomi-kun?”

“Well, yeah. I’m just working the sets, so you can’t act with me in the way.”

“Th-That’s true but...”

Despite Harumi pitifully calling out for Koutarou, he simply jumped off the stage.

You can do it, Sakuraba-senpai. Knock ’em dead.

Koutarou had absolute confidence in Harumi’s acting. Which was why, even if she was unsure of herself, he wasn’t worried at all.

“Now then, let’s begin!”

With Koutarou off the stage, the club president signaled for the rehearsal to start. Koutarou made his way to Theia and the club president and looked up at the stage together with them. Just as he turned around, Kenji began with his opening line for the scene.

“...Princess Alaia, it seems this is as far as I can go with you.”

The words flowed sonorously from his lips, and compared to Koutarou, his voice was louder and easier on the ears. It was a voice well suited for plays. He finished his line without any hesitation or stumbling over a single word. Not only was his line recited well, but he made it look good too. Standing with an upright posture, he exuded the aura of a knight.

 That’s Mackenzie for you. He’s good at everything... And next up is Sakuraba-senpai. She takes one step forward and calls out the Blue Knight’s name...

Koutarou had practiced these scenes with Harumi many times, so he knew what happened next without looking at the script. Harumi would look surprised and take a step towards him. She was going to try and stop the Blue Knight from saying his farewell.

The high heels that Harumi was wearing clacked on the stage. She had taken a step forward like the stage directions called for.

That’s it. Now she calls, “Layous-sama!”

Koutarou recalled Harumi’s voice. She had practiced the line countless times, so it should be a breeze.

“Um...”

But Harumi hesitated. The line Koutarou was waiting to hear never left her lips.

“Um, I...”

Unable to say her line, Harumi stared blankly at Kenji.

“I’m sorry, everybody...”

Harumi bowed deeply with a pained expression on her face. She was clearly disappointed.

“I’m sorry for holding you back...”

In the end, Harumi was unable to act while on stage. She could struggle through reading her lines, but it was hard to call that acting.

“But it’s strange... You did so well in the courtyard.”

The drama club president tilted her head in a perplexed fashion. She had watched Koutarou and Harumi practice and had a decent understanding of Harumi’s acting ability. It was almost like she forgot everything once she got on the stage. The club president found it quite odd.

“Admit it, Mackenzie. You did something to her.”

“Of course not! Why would I? I finally got to talk to her!”

Koutarou was also confused. After practicing with her, he knew better than anyone else just how well Harumi could act. That’s why he was convinced the reason must be something else.

“This is a problem. Getting someone else to play the Silver Princess now would be hard.”

“I’m sorry, Theiamillis-san.”

Harumi felt even worse after what Theia said. She just wanted to shrink down and disappear. Fortunately, Koutarou stepped in between Theia and Harumi.

“That won’t be necessary, Tulip! I know Senpai can do it!”

“Satomi-kun...”

Harumi felt cornered and was on the verge tears, but Koutarou stepping in helped her regain her composure.

“But the obvious truth is that she can’t. It might be cruel, but we need a backup plan.”

“It’ll be fine! Senpai only needs to get used to being on a stage! She’s only ever practiced in the courtyard or in the club room.”

“Then what do you want us to do?”

“She’s not used to it, so we just have to practice! We’ll keep at it until she can do it.”

Koutarou approached Kenji as he explained his plan to Theia.

“Strip, Mackenzie!”

Koutarou started grabbing on Kenji’s clothes.

“Wh-What?”

“Just shut up and take off your outfit! I’ll practice with Senpai on the stage, so you guys go practice somewhere else!”

Excited, Koutarou began forcibly taking off Kenji’s costume.

“I get it, I get it! So get your hands off me! Don’t try to strip me down here!”

“Theiamillis-san, what do you think?”

“Just let them do as they please. She’s no use to us at the moment.”

Koutarou shot Theia a piercing glare.

“Don’t look down on her, Tulip. You don’t know how amazing Sakuraba-senpai is!”

Koutarou’s sharp glance and fearless smile temporarily kept Theia from saying anything back.

“...Princess Alaia, it seems this is as far as I can go with you.”

“Layous-sama!”

“Your Highness, please run away with your little sister. I’ll take on as many enemies as I can. Please use that opportunity to get as far away as possible.”

“No, I can’t leave you behind, Layous-sama! You’re the only reason we were able to make it this far!”

When Koutarou and Harumi began practicing, no one there could take their eyes off them. Mostly, they were focused on Harumi. In fact, Koutarou—who was delivering his lines in monotone fashion—was holding her back. And yet despite his shortcomings, everyone who happened to be there was mesmerized by the two of them.

Harumi’s expressive voice effectively conveyed the Silver Princess’s desperate emotions, and even Koutarou stumbling over his lines made the Blue Knight sound earnest. The entire audience was wrapped up in the unique dynamic of their performance.

“It was all thanks to the citizens of this country that you got this far. If it wasn’t for them, we never would have made it here.”

“That’s not true, Layous-sama!”

“And they all did it because of their love for you, Your Highness. So please, for the citizens and for yourself, please run away, Princess Alaia.”

“Please wait, Layous-sama!”

Only a few people in the room were calmly watching the two of them perform. Two of those people were the club president and Sanae, who had both seen them practice before. The third was Kiriha, who understood the subtleties of such feelings.

“That’s right, this is Sakuraba-san’s acting.”

The club president nodded repeatedly in approval. Relieved by the spectacle unfolding right before her eyes reaffirmed for her that she had made the right choice.

“Watching them makes Koutarou look terrible.”

“Don’t say that. Koutarou is the only one who can get Sakuraba Harumi to act like this.”

Out of the excited crowd, only Sanae and Kiriha were able to keep their cool. Sanae had had a front row seat to all of Koutarou and Harumi’s practice leading up to this, and Kiriha could imagine what Harumi must be going through. To the two of them, the scene in front of them wasn’t all that surprising.

“Well, well, this is quite a sight...”

Kenji, who had changed into a jersey after getting his outfit stolen by Koutarou, nodded his head. He was starting to understand why Harumi had been chosen and why Koutarou had been so stubborn about insisting on it.

“When I look at it like this, it really...”

Kou aside, Sakuraba-san’s acting abilities certainly aren’t on a high school level. She’s...

After the initial surprise, part of Kenji was genuinely amazed.

“Sakuraba-senpai and Satomi-san are amazing... I’m happy my role is a horse’s rear... I couldn’t act like that...”

Yurika, who was wearing brown tights and a horse’s hind legs, looked up at the stage and let out a sigh of relief. After briefly pursuing the role of the Silver Princess, she couldn’t help being glad that it was Harumi up on the stage now. Even if she’d gotten the role, Yurika never would have been able to play the part this well.

“Your Highness, this is...”

“Impossible... This is almost like the real...”

But the most surprised of everyone there were the two from Forthorthe, Theia and Ruth. Theia in particular was extremely taken aback. She looked up at the two of them, completely awestruck.

Other than the color of her hair, Harumi’s Silver Princess was exactly the way Theia had pictured her—delicate but determined. It was almost as if the princess Theia imagined had come to life and was standing on stage before them.

But what surprised her even more was Koutarou. He was a terrible actor with flat delivery. He was a poor substitute for Kenji who was on stage just a moment ago. However, when he spoke his lines, something deep inside of Theia began screaming... telling her the Blue Knight was right in front of her.

With Harumi back in top form, the club president called for the rehearsal to continue. But it didn’t last long.

“Stop! Stop! What’s wrong, Sakuraba-san?”

“I-I’m sorry, acting really is impossible for me...”

“This is a problem. You were doing so well just a moment ago...”

Harumi was, again, the reason for stopping. She had put on a splendid performance with Koutarou as the Blue Knight, but once they changed out Koutarou for someone else, her acting became awkward and sloppy again. And it wasn’t just Kenji either. It happened with anyone else they tried.

“President-san, someone else really should take the role of the Silver Princess. There’s still time if we act now.”

Feeling responsible for her failures, Harumi suggested stepping down from her role. But the club president shook her head.

“Sakuraba-san, I couldn’t even think of replacing you after seeing what you can do. And it’s not just me. Everyone else feels the same way.”

“But if we continue like this, I’ll just hold everyone else back...”

“Therein lies the problem. But when you practice with Koutarou, you’re always able to act so well...”

Neither the club president nor the other drama club members had any intention of giving up on Harumi as the Silver Princess. Instead, they were determined to solve the problem with her acting. But even so, they had been scratching their heads for a while now.

“...Everyone, I have a suggestion.”

It was Kiriha who finally raised her hand. When she was interacting with people other than Koutarou and the other invaders, she hid her true self, and helping out now would make a good impression.

“Kurano-san, if you have an idea, please tell us. Frankly, I can’t come up with anything.”

“Very well.” Kiriha nodded and began explaining. “Sakuraba-senpai can only act properly with Koutarou-kun, so why not go all out and give Koutarou-kun the role of the Blue Knight?”

“Make Koutarou the Blue Knight?”

The club president’s eyes opened wide at Kiriha’s suggestion, but Kiriha nodded and continued.

“Yes. It’s a matter of efficiency. Would it be faster to get Sakuraba-senpai used to Kenji-kun, or to teach Koutarou-kun how to act? Personally, I think it would be faster for Koutarou-kun to learn how to act.”

“I see. You do have a point... Ken-chan, Theiamillis-san, what do you think?”

“I’m fine with it, honestly. I don’t want to give up my role, but if it’s between me and Sakuraba-senpai, I would pick Sakuraba-senpai without hesitation.”

Kenji ultimately had no objections. Watching Harumi have such a hard time, he couldn’t help feeling like he was bullying her. Rather than let that continue, it would be a lot easier for him to let Koutarou do the hard work.

“And Theiamillis-san?”

“I...” Theia thought about it, but only for a moment. “I guess there’s no choice. Although I don’t like it, our only option is to let Koutarou play the Blue Knight in this situation.”

Theia said things like “there’s no choice” and “I don’t like it,” but that was just her being stubborn. She had been thinking of letting Koutarou play the Blue Knight for a while now. While she had difficulties agreeing outright, she had no real reason to disagree.

“All right. Then it’s decided. We’ll let Satomi-kun play the role of the Blue Knight!”

“W-Wait a minute! I-I’m going to be the Blue Knight?!”

Koutarou didn’t know how to respond. He was sure that Kenji or Theia would object, but surprisingly enough they had both agreed. The unexpected development completely confounded him.

“That’s right. Since Sakuraba-san doesn’t want to do it with anyone but you, we’ll just have to use you.”

“A-Are you serious?! You know I’m terrible at acting, right?!”

“Oh, so you were aware of your terrible acting, Koutarou? That’ll make this easier.”

“T-Tulip?”

“There’s no reason to worry.”

Theia’s eyes sparkled. Before anyone realized it, she was exuding a fiery determination.

“I know the Blue Knight better than anyone else. I’ll turn you into a splendid Blue Knight before the cultural festival!”

As it turned out, the drama club’s goal overlapped with Theia’s wishes. It gave her an excuse to act on her heart’s true desires.

At that moment, somebody was secretly watching Theia.

“Oh? To think they’re doing a play about the Blue Knight in a place like this... Theiamillis-san, this might be too eccentric even for you.”

It was a cold, judgmental stare. Whoever it was was amazed that Theia would put on a play on what could be called Forthorthe’s soul on a backwater planet like this, much less be working together with its inferior life forms.

“That said, this situation is convenient for me. Maybe I should be thanking you instead, Theiamillis-san...”

The shadowy figure began laughing. It was a woman’s shrill, high-pitched laugh. In fact, it came from a girl just about Theia’s age.

“With this, my victory is all but decided... Until then, just enjoy your little play.”

The girl laughed once more before taking her eyes off Theia and turning around.

“It’s not going to have a happy ending...”

She then walked away, her horribly cruel and desolate laughter echoing behind her.

Once it was decided that Koutarou would be playing the Blue Knight, the first thing Theia did was take him to the bridge of her battleship, the Blue Knight.

“Tulip, what’s the point of bringing me to your battleship?”

“Everything starts with appearance. We have the outfit that you’ll be wearing.”

“Outfit?”

“This way, Satomi-sama.”

Following after Ruth in the lead, Koutarou walked shoulder to shoulder with Theia. Even cutting across the large bridge meant walking quite a ways.

“I know you said outfit, but this is the flight deck of a battleship, right? Are there even any outfits here?”

“You might think it unexpected, but we have exactly what you need. I’ll tell you the details once you’ve seen it. It will be difficult to explain otherwise.”

“Okay...”

Koutarou and Theia continued following after Ruth. She guided Koutarou to the back of the bridge, towards the corner with the commander’s seat and steering equipment. The only equipment truly needed to control the Blue Knight was concentrated in this part of the room. The other controls only concerned the Blue Knight’s function as a flagship.

“Go ahead, Ruth.”

“Yes, Your Highness.”

As Ruth approached the operator’s seat, she touched the panel and activated something.

“What’s about to happen?”

“Well, just wait and see.”

And just as Theia said that, a large hole opened up in the floor next to Koutarou.

“...What?”

And from the hole appeared a large person about two meters tall.

“A person?”

“It’s not a person. This is just armor.”

“Armor...?”

What Koutarou had thought was a man was actually a metallic blue set of armor. It was supported by several arms, almost like a suit on a hanger.

“I want you to put this on.”

“This? Well, it does have the right vibe...”

Compared to the design of the Blue Knight’s interior, the armor was old-fashioned. It was similar to the armor knights wore in the Middle Ages.

“Actually, this is a replica of the original Blue Knight’s armor. My mother designed it based on some ancient documents, so it should be pretty close to the real deal.”

“So this is the Blue Knight’s armor?”

Koutarou inspected the beautiful blue armor. It had such luster that when he brought his face close, he could see his reflection in it. Its curvature also resembled the weapons that Theia used. Although it had been designed for the practical purpose of defending the body, its beauty was like that of a work of art. Koutarou felt it had a similar splendor to beholding a masterpiece katana.

“But why is this thing here? It feels horribly out of place.”

The medieval looking armor certainly did not fit in with the futuristic bridge of the space battleship. It was like putting an antique in a modern building.

“It’s my hobby.”

“Hobby?!”

Theia’s curt words caused Koutarou’s eyes to shoot open wide.

“So, what? You’re just keeping it here for fun?”

“Heh, that’s not what I mean. Explain it to him, Ruth.”

“Yes.”

Ruth moved up to the side of the armor and then turned to look at Koutarou.

“Actually, this armor is one of the devices used for operating the ship,” she explained.

“Do you mean it’s something like a steering wheel?”

“That’s right. The Blue Knight is in the shape of a person and it is able to move its limbs freely. That’s what this suit of armor is for.”

“I see... So how exactly do you use it?”

Interested, Koutarou began studying the armor from various angles. Seeing that, Ruth revealed a small smile.

“All you need to do is put it on and move. The armor will sense those movements, and the Blue Knight will replicate them.”

“Oh, that’s convenient.”

This was generally known a master/slave controller, where a device exerts unidirectional control over another. Every movement of the armor directly influenced the Blue Knight. Because of that, anyone could control the Blue Knight with hardly any training.

“Back when you were on board for that part-time job, we were planning on having you use this to fight since you’re good at punching and kicking. Although, in the end, it wasn’t necessary.”

“So that’s what it was...”

Koutarou had been brought aboard the Blue Knight for a part-time job a while back when Theia and Ruth had detected another battleship near Earth. Already short-handed, instead of having Ruth or Theia wear the armor, using Koutarou who was worth his salt in a fight would be more efficient.

“But this time, we’re only going to be using it as a costume.”

Ruth touched the base of the arm holding up the armor, which then lowered it to the ground in front of Koutarou. It looked like two people were facing one another.

“But Tulip, I don’t think I’ll be able to wear this heavy looking armor”

Koutarou knocked on the breastplate. It felt like a solid, heavy metal. As he knocked on the armor, the heavy sound reverberated inside. Koutarou figured it must have weighed several dozen kilograms.

“It’s okay. That is a powered suit of armor and it will follow your movements.”

“I see. Then it should be fine.”

Since the armor was a part of a battleship, it had additional functions that allowed it to double as a working spacesuit. It would be useless if it was too heavy to move in, so the entire suit was powered and controlled according to the wearer’s will so as not to get in their way.

“This way please, Satomi-sama. We’ll adjust the armor to fit you.”

“That sounds like a pain,” Koutarou said to Theia as he walked over to Ruth.

“It’s not like it was custom-made for a specific person.”

Theia smiled wryly and shrugged. Since the armor was used as an operating device, it could be adjusted so that anyone could wear it, but it would need to be readjusted each time the user changed.

“Satomi-sama, please just stand up straight like that. This device will measure your physique and adjust the armor accordingly.”

“Got it.”

Koutarou straightened his posture as Ruth had asked. She then pointed something that looked like a small camera at him. It was the measuring device she had mentioned. The device let out a bleep in Ruth’s hands and the measurements were complete in an instant.

“Oh?”

But when Ruth peeked at the small monitor, she nearly gasped in surprise. She then lightly tapped the device.

“What’s wrong, Ruth?”

“Well... The armor won’t start its adjustments. It’s stuck on the default setting and won’t move.”

Ruth was troubled. She’d successfully taken the measurements, but the armor wasn’t automatically adjusting its size.

“Were there any errors?”

“No, there were none reported.”

Ruth suspected that the device was malfunctioning. She lightly tapped it again and rebooted it, but she still couldn’t find any errors.

“Your Highness, I’ll do it over one more time. Satomi-sama, please let me try again.”

“I don’t mind.”

Ruth pointed the measuring device at Koutarou, and he once again stood up straight.

“Here we go.”

The measuring device bleeped once more, but the results were the same.

“That’s strange... It’s functioning normally, but— Wait, could this be...?”

“What is it, Ruth?”

“It seems it isn’t malfunctioning after all.”

Ruth left the monitor where she was standing and approached the armor. She then moved a crest with a dragon and a knight on it and pushed the button that was hidden underneath. The armor began venting compressed air and opened up. In order to put the armor on, this was how the user would get into it. Unlike the outside, the inside was outfitted with all kinds of machinery.

“Satomi-sama, please enter here.”

The inside of the armor had just enough space to fit a person, but it was padded so that the operator wouldn’t get uncomfortable.

“I only need to wear it, right?”

“Yes. Once you’ve entered, it will automatically close.”

“Gotcha.”

Koutarou obeyed Ruth and slid into the open space in the armor. When he did, he found that he fit inside perfectly. It wasn’t too large or too small. The size was just right.

Shortly after, the motor started up and the armor sealed itself, returning to its original form. And in a matter of seconds, Koutarou was now wearing the blue armor.

“I see... So that’s really what it was...”

Ruth looked on in amazement as Koutarou donned the armor without any problems. She then nodded as if satisfied.

“Is this by some random chance too, I wonder...?”

“What’s wrong, Ruth? What do you mean?”

Confused, Theia began asking questions. Only then did Ruth, who had been staring at Koutarou, return to her senses.

“Well, Your Highness, I thought it was an error, but it seems that Satomi-sama has the exact same physique as the legendary Blue Knight.”

“What?!”

This time, it was Theia’s turn to be amazed.

“That was why the measuring device didn’t automatically adjust the size.”

The suit was a replication of the Blue Knight’s original armor. Because of that, the default size was modeled after the Blue Knight himself. By chance, Koutarou just so happened to have the exact same physique, meaning no adjustments were necessary.

“I see, so the pleb is... That’s quite the coincidence...”

Theia looked up at Koutarou at a loss for words. The man who had ended up getting the role of the Blue Knight also had the same physique he did, despite being from a different planet. It was an almost unbelievable coincidence.

“Your Highness, it just might be...”

“Yeah... N-No, what are you saying?! There’s no way that’s possible! This Neanderthal from some backwater planet couldn’t possibly be the second coming of the Blue Knight! It’s merely a coincidence!”

Ever since their childhood, the Blue Knight had been the hero that Theia and Ruth had admired. Someone just having the same physique was enough for them to get excited.

“Whoa! You were right! I feel so light! But it feels strange knowing that I’m wearing armor and not feeling any weight.”

However, Koutarou was too busy admiring the armor to listen to Theia and Ruth’s fantasies.

Once Koutarou put on the armor, the only thing waiting for him were days of Spartan education.

“You fool! That’s wrong! The Blue Knight is nothing like that! Don’t slouch! Stand up straight! Raise your head! Lower your chin! Why is it so hard for you to walk straight forward?!”

“Y-Yelling’s not going to change anything, you know...”

Koutarou awkwardly walked across the large room as Theia continued to hound him. They were in a room on the Blue Knight that Theia and Ruth used to live in. The interior had been designed in an antique style, and it was hard to believe that such a luxurious room was part of a battleship. Moreover, the room was so large that it could fit room 106 in it several times over. It was certainly a display of royal wealth, making it crystal clear that Theia really was a princess.

“We’re less than two weeks away from the cultural festival! We have no more time to spare! I’ll have you learn how to behave in a fashion worthy of a knight of Forthorthe by the end of the day!”

“That’s unreasonable!”

“I am utterly aware! But I must turn you into a knight that won’t bring shame upon me!”

However, as regal as the setting was, Koutarou didn’t have the chance to admire it. He was far too busy being shouted at by Theia and training to behave in a way befitting her standards of nobility.

“Why do we even need to go this far?! Shouldn’t we just practice what we need to for the play?!”

“You fool! Acting comes from the heart! If you don’t know the ways of nobility, how could you ever act the part?! I’ll make you noble, both in mind and body! You’ll become my Blue Knight!”

“Y-Your eyes aren’t laughing, Tulip!”

“Not Tulip! Call me Princess Theiamillis! Don’t get distracted by conversation! And don’t shake the book balancing on top of your head! Walk straight forward without shaking it!”

“Somebody save me!”

“No one is coming to save you! You only have two choices! Become the Blue Knight or die trying!”

“Ahhh! The Blue Knight craze is crushing me!”

Theia had her reasons for what she was doing. Mostly, it was because she was dealing with Koutarou now. She hadn’t demanded this much from Kenji. If anyone else were playing the Blue Knight, she would have been settling for high school talent.

But with Koutarou as the Blue Knight, things were different. Since she was planning on making Koutarou her vassal, she wanted him to truly behave in a manner worthy of the Blue Knight.

“Craze, huh? You could call it that. The maidens of Forthorthe have obsessed over the Blue Knight for over two thousand years! You need to live up to their expectations!”

“Waaaaah! This is a premeditated crime!”

Koutarou desperately continued his training as Theia continued scolding him. For better or worse, their raw emotions clashed. It was an especially big deal for Theia, who had lived her life mostly restraining herself. It was very rare for her to reveal her true feelings to someone else.

“Heehee, Her Highness and Satomi-sama seem to be having so much fun...”

Knowing Theia’s situation, Ruth watched over the two of them with a smile. She was unbearably happy that Theia was able to show so much emotion. And she was also grateful to Koutarou, who made it possible.

Her Highness said that Satomi-sama wasn’t the second coming of the Blue Knight, but... I see it differently. Satomi-sama may not be the second coming of the Blue Knight, but he is without a doubt Her Highness’s Blue Knight...

To Ruth, the important part was that Theia was smiling. So even if the real Blue Knight were to appear, she wouldn’t have hesitated to choose Koutarou. For Theia and Ruth, Koutarou was gradually coming to mean more to them than the Blue Knight.

While Theia was training Koutarou to become a knight on board the Blue Knight, room 106 was quite peaceful.

“Yurika, Sanae, what do you want to eat for dinner?”

“If you’re cooking, Kiriha-san, I want to eat pork miso soup and fried tofu!”

“Yurika, isn’t that something an old man would pick?”

It was just Yurika, Sanae, and Kiriha with her two haniwas in the apartment now. Without Koutarou, Theia, and Ruth, the place was a lot quieter.

“An old man...? But Kiriha-san’s Japanese food is delicious!”

“I can agree to that. Which means I’m fine with having what Yurika wants”

“Understood.”

With tonight’s menu decided, Kiriha returned to the kitchen. Watching her go, Yurika remembered something and clapped her hands together.

“That’s right, I need to feed Hercules-chan!”

“If we don’t hurry, Koutarou and the others will be back soon.”

Yurika and Sanae walked over to the wardrobe. Both of them were taking care of the beetle that Yurika was keeping. Normally Koutarou would have joined in as well, but he hadn’t had the time to help lately.

“It’s time for dinner, Hercules-chan!”

As Yurika opened the wardrobe, they were met with the sight of the plastic habitat case. The sudden light startled the Hercules beetle and it slowly moved to hide in the shadow.

“What are we going to give it today, Yurika?”

“It was vegetables yesterday, so today we’ll give it its normal food.”

“Roger.”

Yurika picked up the case and Sanae retrieved the canister of beetle food. They convened at the tea table.

“I’m sorry for always keeping you in such a dark place, Hercules-chan,” Yurika apologized as she removed the green lid to the habitat. “But it’s to protect you, so just hang on a while longer.”

“Yurika, here you go”

Sanae opened the canister and presented it to Yurika. The canister was full of fodder with a very distinct odor. At first Yurika had wrinkled her nose whenever she smelled it, but now she was perfectly fine with it.

“Thank you. Here you go, Hercules-chan. It’s dinnertime.”

As Yurika poured the fodder into the case, Hercules came out from hiding in the shadows. It was well aware that Yurika had put food into the case.

“It’s almost hard to imagine that it’s related to the kanabun2.”

“What, really?!”

“Yeah, Koutarou said so.”

“To think the king of bugs has such a plain relative...”

“It’s like realizing that a popular idol’s father is just some plain old man.”

Yurika and Sanae stared into the case. As the two of them looked on, Hercules picked up a large piece of food and began eating. With its large appetite, it chewed away at the fodder.

“It’s eating, it’s eating!”

“Eat up and grow even bigger!”

Yurika and Sanae smiled as they watched Hercules eat, but all of a sudden a shadow was cast over the plastic box.

“That’s a pretty big horn.”

“Huh?!”

“Whoa!”

The shadow belonged to Ruth. Before they knew it, she had returned to room 106 and was staring into the breeding case from the other side of the tea table.

“R-Ruth-san?!”

“Ruth, wh-when did you...?!”

Yurika and Sanae froze when they realized what had happened.

Th-This is it!

I-It’s all over...

Ruth harbored a great hostility towards beetles. And now that she had discovered Hercules, Yurika and Sanae prepared themselves for the worst. The image of Ruth tearing Hercules to pieces popped into their heads. They could only imagine the terrible fate that awaited Hercules.

“So what do you call this bug?”

However, contrary to their fears, Hercules wasn’t being torn apart. Ruth was only looking into the case with a curious expression.

“Whaaat?!”

“R-Ruth, y-you don’t know what this is?!”

“No, it’s my first time seeing one...”

To their surprise, Ruth didn’t actually know what beetles looked like. Despite knowing the name, she had never encountered the creature before.

“Is there something wrong?”

“N-No! Nothing at all!”

“It’s nothing!”

Yurika and Sanae quickly shook their heads in response to Ruth’s question.

Score!

Thank god!

But while they were shaking their heads, they were secretly cheering on the inside.

“So what kind of insect is this?”

“Oh, that’s a—”

After sighing in relief, Yurika was about to blurt out the truth. Sanae stopped her by smacking the back of her head.

“A... what?”

“A... um, a sort of kanabun! It’s a rare species known as the king of bugs, and its name is Hercules-chan!”

Sanae may not have technically been lying, but she intentionally left out the most important part.

“Kanabun? Hercules? It certainly has a bold appearance fitting of a king.”

But Ruth had no idea. She just looked inside of the transparent case with admiration in her eyes. Once Ruth’s attention was no longer on them, Sanae whispered to Yurika.

“Come on, Yurika! Give me a break, will you? Hercules-chan’s life is at stake here!”

“I’m sorryyy! It wasn’t on purpose, I sweeear!”

Yurika repeatedly apologized to Sanae in a hushed voice.

“Wow, it’s eating! I guess when a bug gets this big, even its food gets bigger!”

Fortunately, Ruth wasn’t paying attention to their conversation. Instead, she was studying Hercules with great interest.

“H-Hurry up and go somewhere else, Ruth...”

“Auuuuugh...”

Even though Ruth didn’t know that she was looking at a beetle, Sanae and Yurika still felt like they were walking on eggshells.

There was now less than one week left until the cultural festival. At this point, the drama club couldn’t simply wait for Koutarou’s acting to improve, so they’d moved into doing full-blown dress rehearsals.

“J-Just one more week... Just one more week and I’ll be free from this life...”

“Are you okay, Satomi-kun?”

Having been put through the ringer by Theia’s Spartan-style education all this time, Koutarou looked completely gaunt. But as Harumi looked worried, he quickly pulled himself together again.

Not good! I can’t make Sakuraba-senpai worry about me.

Koutarou pumped himself up and smiled at Harumi.

“I’m fine, Sakuraba-senpai.”

“I’m glad...”

Harumi was a little relieved to see him smile. She continued to gaze at him, but it was more out of admiration than worry.

Satomi-kun must have practiced very hard...

Koutarou was gaunt, but the way he moved was completely different from a week ago. His posture was straight, his walk was graceful, and his gestures were refined and beautiful. His very appearance when wearing his blue armor exuded the essence of the Blue Knight without any acting required.

This feels strange somehow...

Wearing the Silver Princess’s outfit and standing in front of Koutarou dressed as the Blue Knight, a mysterious emotion gripped Harumi. For some reason, she felt nostalgic. She felt like something about the two of them standing together like this was the way it was meant to be.

I guess even I have some rather romantic fantasies I haven’t realized...

At least, that’s how Harumi interpreted her feelings as she gazed at Koutarou. Just looking at him made her feel happy. But her eyes weren’t the only ones locked on Koutarou.

“Damn you, pleb! You got it wrong again!”

Theia, who had been teaching Koutarou the ways of a proper knight, was also staring him down. Unlike Harumi, she was dissatisfied with the way Koutarou was carrying himself. He had been making mistakes for a while now, and it was starting to irritate Theia.

“Once we get back, we’ll get straight to training! Honestly, how many times do I have to tell you for you to understand?!”

Theia was currently in her costume as the Golden Princess, the Silver Princess’s little sister. Her voluminous dress ruffled as she clenched the script in her hands. It looked like it could be torn apart at any moment.

“I see. So that’s how you taught Koutarou manners in such a short amount of time.”

Standing next to Theia, Kiriha let out an amused laugh. She was currently wearing ecclesiastical robes. Normally she was in charge of the wardrobe, but because she could do anything well, she had been given a role as of today. She would be playing the priestess who served as the Silver Princess’s advisor. Dressed the way she was, her laughter felt warmer than usual.

“Her Highness is very obstinate when it comes to anything involving the Blue Knight, after all.”

Ruth let out a laugh not unlike Kiriha’s. She was wearing armor similar to Koutarou’s. It was a ceremonial suit of armor that had been passed down through the Pardomshiha family for generations. Ruth was playing the role of the female knight in charge of protecting the Silver Princess and was using her family heirloom to look the part.

“She’s more like a stalker. She sticks to Koutarou even when he goes to the toilet or gets in the bath.”

Sanae smiled wryly as she shrugged. Today, she was wearing a fairy outfit. She had made it herself for a liberal arts exhibition several years ago. The quality was unremarkable, but as she flew around in it, she looked like a real fairy. Sanae was going to hang around Koutarou and help him out whenever he forgot his lines.

“Watch your tongue. Not even I understand how men behave on the toilet!”

“So you did follow him into the bathroom?”

Shizuka was cheerfully smiling in her maid outfit. Her costume had been designed based on a Forthorthian style and it was a good fit for her regular calm, settled attitude. She was going to be playing the role of the Silver Princess’s maid.

“Of course! That pleb doesn’t even know how to bathe properly!”

“So that’s why Satomi-san’s been looking so happy when he’s heading to the toilet lately...”

Yurika looked at Koutarou with pity in her eyes. However, Yurika in her brown tights and costume as the horse’s rear was the most pitiful of them all. She had gotten other roles to play, but she hadn’t gotten out of being the horse’s backside.

“All right, everyone! Get in position! We’ll start the rehearsal from the top!” the stage director suddenly called from the stage.

The preparations for the set had been completed.

“It’s time.”

“Wait for meee!”

Sanae quickly floated over to Koutarou, and Yurika followed shortly after. The first scene was about the Silver Princess being chased by villains and then being saved by the Blue Knight who happened to pass by. The only residents of room 106 who had any part in this scene were Koutarou as the Blue Knight and the Yurika as the horse’s rear.

“Well, I start from over there, Satomi-kun. I’ll see you later.”

Harumi and Koutarou’s starting points were different, so she said goodbye to him for the time being and headed for the left side of the stage.

“Okay, Senpai. Good luck!”

“You too!”

As Harumi walked off with a vibrant smile on her face, a small fairy and a horse’s rear appeared.

“Hey, Koutarou.”

“I’m counting on you two today.”

“Yeah.”

“Neigh!”

After joining up with Koutarou, Sanae and Yurika showed off how motivated they were too. Yurika, who had the role of Bandit A later on, looked especially pumped up.

“So what do I do first, Koutarou?”

“Hmm... Well, start off by noting what mistakes I make, acting and line-wise. You’ll only really need to coach me on my lines once we get closer to the cultural festival.”

“I got it. So I just need to remember the parts you got wrong, right?”

Although Koutarou had gotten better, he still had Sanae assist him if he got something wrong. She had a better memory than he did and couldn’t be seen by normal people, so she was perfect for the job. On top of that, she also had various special tasks like secretly making his mantle flap in scenes with strong wind.

“Yurika can’t see in front of her, so keep an eye out on where you’re going.”

“It’s okay. I’ve practiced plenty!”

Koutarou and the two girls climbed up to the stage where they would wait on standby until their parts came up.

“...Huh?”

Koutarou couldn’t help noticing an unfamiliar face passing him on the stairs to the stage.

Who is that girl?

Koutarou instinctively turned around to look at her. She had light blue hair and was wearing a black and white dress. On her face were antique-style glasses. He had never seen her before.

“What’s wrong, Satomi-san?”

“Oh, I was just wondering who that girl is. I’ve never seen her before.”

“Really?”

Yurika hadn’t seen anything with her costume in the way.

“She was wearing a very elegant costume. Maybe she’s playing a noble or something.”

“Yeah, maybe.”

Theia’s play called for a large number of extras. Many of the roles had been filled with members of other clubs, so it wasn’t like Koutarou knew all of their faces. What Sanae said made sense, but when Koutarou looked back at the girl in question, she wasn’t anywhere to be seen. She had disappeared somewhere while Koutarou was talking to Yurika and Sanae.

She’s gone? Oh well...

Something about her bothered Koutarou, but he simply assumed she was an extra and figured he’d see her again later. For now, Koutarou had something important to do.

“All right, let’s do this!”

His only concern right now was to properly act out his part as the Blue Knight.

“Wh-Who are you?!”

“Please rest easy, Princess Alaia. I may be a wandering knight far from my homeland, but my loyalty for the royal families remains unchanged.”

Harumi and Koutarou rehearsed their roles on the stage. Their acting was splendid, and Harumi in particular was dazzling.

You really are amazing, Sakuraba-senpai... It’s like you’re on a completely different level. You’re like the real thing...

Koutarou had the best appreciation for just how amazing she really was. They had been practicing together since the first day they went over their lines, so he was well aware of how serious and invested Harumi was. Facing her on stage, that became all the more apparent.

All Koutarou had to do was follow her lead, and doing that naturally allowed him to assume his role as the Blue Knight. Since Harumi’s compelling acting was pulling him in, even if he stumbled on his lines, he could act without faltering.

“But becoming our ally when we’ve lost our titles would make you an enemy of all Forthorthe!”

“It might be just as you say, Princess Alaia.”

“Then—”

“But that doesn’t mean I have to betray my pride, my loyalty, and most importantly, the hearts of the citizens of Forthorthe. They are not my enemy. Besides, who considers you an enemy is not all that important. What really matters is who stands by you.”

On her part, Harumi found Koutarou to be a reliable bastion on an otherwise scary stage.

As long as I’m with Satomi-kun, I can do this... Besides, my heart is throbbing... With this feeling, I’m sure I can do it!

Since Harumi was normally shy, just standing on stage was enough to make her feel anxious. But with Koutarou at her side, she was able to put that behind her and concentrate on acting.

I know Satomi-kun will protect me...

That sense of security gave Harumi the strength to act to the best of her ability, and that didn’t change in the scenes Koutarou wasn’t with her, either. Her belief that he would come to her rescue gave her all the strength she needed.

“Your Highness... Satomi-sama and Sakuraba-sama are wonderful, aren’t they?”

“...”

Koutarou and Harumi’s acting was enough to satisfy even Theia and Ruth who had seen this kind of play countless times on Forthorthe.

“The training you gave Satomi-sama is certainly showing, Your Highness.”

“N-No, this is... not at that kind of...”

In terms of acting, they certainly weren’t pros. The delivery of their lines was lacking and their movements were clumsy. But to Theia, they looked like the real Blue Knight and Silver Princess. Their acting evoked something that made her feel that way.

“Then please tell me one thing.”

“Anything you ask.”

“That royal crest engraved on your breastplate... Your appearance, your mannerisms, and your honor indicate you are without a doubt a true knight of Forthorthe, but... I have no recollection of that crest on your armor and sword. Just where have you come from?”

“...From an endless time and an immeasurable distance.”

“But...”

Theia had only one complaint, and it was something she had only picked up on precisely because the play was proceeding so smoothly.

Why am I here? Why am I only watching? Why...

“Why am I not the princess the Blue Knight is protecting...?”

A small complaint leaked out from Theia’s lips. They were words born of her admiration of the Blue Knight since childhood. One day, she wanted to become a princess worthy of the Blue Knight. One day, she wanted to meet a wonderful knight just like him. And she wanted the two of them to work together to protect her mother, Elfaria.

Those were the feelings that had made Theia who she was. And what supported her and those feelings all along was her powerful admiration for the Blue Knight. Yet that very admiration was being swayed as she watched Koutarou on stage. She was overcome with her own feelings once she admitted that the man on that stage was her Blue Knight.

There was someone else just as shaken up as Theia was.

“I-Impossible! Those words... They’re the same...?”

It was Kiriha. Her normally calm, confident, and gentle smile had been replaced with an expression of great surprise. The cause was the line Koutarou had just recited. She had heard those words before.

“But why is the Blue Knight saying those words...?”

Kiriha quickly flipped through the script she had gotten today. She hadn’t misheard him. It was definitely one of the Blue Knight’s lines.

“That’s... Why on earth...?”

Stupefied, she thrust her right hand into her pocket and pulled out a card. It was a memento of her first love from ten years ago. As she looked at the card, she recalled her past.

“Onii-chan, where did you come from?”

“Hmm, that would be hard to explain but... let’s just say from an endless time and an immeasurable distance.”

“Ahahaha! You’re trying too hard to be cool, Onii-chan.”

“Actually, I was just thinking the same thing.”

At the time, Kiriha was young. And a long time had passed since then, so she could only vaguely remember what her first love looked like. She must have known his name, but she could only remember calling him Onii-chan.

But she remembered his words with certainty. When she asked him where he was from, he answered, “From an endless time and an immeasurable distance.” It left such an impression on her that even now she could clearly remember it.

Is there some reason? No, that can’t be... There’s no reason for that line to be spoken on both Forthorthe and on Earth, which means it’s a coincidence, but...

Kiriha was well aware that it was most likely just a coincidence, but it was an emotionally weighty one. It involved one of her most precious memories, so it wasn’t a matter that could simply be brushed off. Coincidence or not.

I should make sure to ask Theia-dono more specifically about it later...

Once Kiriha made up her mind, she began looking around for Theia. With her long, beautiful golden hair and pure white dress, she was easy to find. She was standing next to a tall light and ardently looking up at the stage.

It seems that just like me, Theia-dono has some strong feelings regarding this play...

As Kiriha unconsciously flashed a small smile, the tall light next to Theia began to tip over.

“Oh no!” Seeing the light starting to lean, Kiriha didn’t hesitate to yell out. “Theia-dono! Get away from there! The light is falling!”

The light came crashing down towards Theia.

“Theia-dono! Get away from there! The light is falling!”

“Wh-What?!”

Kiriha’s voiced reached Theia ears, but she was too focused on the stage. She just froze in surprise.

“Your Highness, the light is falling down!”

Theia finally turned towards the light as Ruth shouted to her.

“Wha—?!”

The light picked up speed and came straight for her. Since it was a large fixture intended for illuminating the stage, getting hit by it would mean serious injury.

I won’t make it!

Theia tried to dodge out of the way, but the light was already coming down on her and she had no time to get out of the way.

“Kyaaaaah!”

The only thing she could do was cry out, shut her eyes tightly, and brace herself.

There was a loud sound and a heavy impact. Theia was thrown to the gym floor, and she lost consciousness for a second. She had no idea what had just happened.

“Your Highness! Satomi-sama!”

What brought Theia back to her senses was Ruth’s distressed voice.

Did she say Satomi-sama...?

As Theia puzzled over why Ruth had called out Koutarou’s name, she felt a drop of water hit her face.

What is this...?

Finding it strange, Theia finally opened her eyes, but all she could see was something blue.

“What...?”

Before she could realize what it was, another drop of water fell on her face. When she reactively looked up in the direction the water had come from, she saw a face she never expected to see.

“Are you hurt anywhere, Your Highness?”

What had hit her face wasn’t water, but blood. The moment she felt the warm liquid drip onto her face again, her clouded mind suddenly cleared and she recalled what had happened.

“...B-Blue Knight-sama...?”

H-He protected me...? Blue Knight-sama came to save me...?

Now all she could do was stare up at the person over top of her.

“Good. It seems you are unhurt, Princess Theiamillis.”

It was none other than Koutarou who had blocked the falling light and protected her with his own body.

When Kiriha had shouted, Koutarou just happened to be looking in Theia’s direction. It was thanks to the stage directions in the script, but because of that, he noticed the light falling down on Theia.

Tulip!

In that instant, Koutarou dashed for her on reflex. He had no plan and no chance of success, but his only thought was that he had to save her. Koutarou dashed off the stage and made a jump for Theia.

As soon as he grabbed her, the light came crashing down on them. It hit Koutarou with violent force and a shrill metallic clanging rang out. Fortunately, since he was wearing the Blue Knight’s armor, he was somehow able to withstand the hit. In fact, he was practically unharmed apart from the small cut on his forehead.

“Are you hurt anywhere, Your Highness?”

Because of that, he still had enough wits about him to crack a joke.

Koutarou had been able to protect Theia because of two lucky things. The first was that he’d been looking in the right direction at the right time, and the second was that he was wearing the Blue Knight’s armor.

If he hadn’t seen the falling light, he would’ve had no way of saving her, and if he hadn’t been wearing the Blue Knight’s armor, he wouldn’t have made it to her in time. He’d only made it because the armor amplified his jumping powers, and both he and Theia had escaped serious harm thanks to the armor’s protection.

“...B-Blue Knight-sama...?”

“Good. It seems you are unhurt, Princess Theiamillis.”

Phew, she’s safe...

Once Koutarou had confirmed that Theia—who he was holding on to with both arms—was all right, he let out a sigh of relief. He then moved his right hand and put it on the light on his back.

“There we go.”

Koutarou only had to put a little bit of strength into it in order to easily push the light off of him while in the armor. As the light hit the ground, Koutarou and Theia were finally free from danger.

“Phew...”

Koutarou let out another sigh of relief and stood up while still embracing Theia. She seemed to be in shock even after he stood up with her. She was staring at him, perfectly speechless.

“Tulip, can you stand?”

“Ah...”

“Tulip.”

As soon as Koutarou said that word, Theia twitched and shook off her stupor. She blinked a couple of times before looking around and confirming her situation.

“I-I’m fine. I can stand.”

Theia’s face turned red as she nodded her head. Once she realized Koutarou was embracing her, she was quite embarrassed.

“Then I’m going to let go now, okay?”

“Yeah...”

But once Koutarou set Theia free, she noticed the line of blood along Koutarou’s cheek. From the cut on his forehead, blood was running down his cheek and dripping from his chin to the floor.

Blue Knight-sama is injured...

Seeing Koutarou’s injury, Theia hurriedly searched through her pocket and pulled out a handkerchief. She then stretched herself to reach upward and hold it to his forehead.

“Hmm? Wh-What is this, Tulip?”

Koutarou wasn’t aware of his own injury, so he didn’t understand what Theia was doing. He stepped back and asked for an explanation.

“W-Wait, Blue Knight-sama. Your forehead is wounded!”

“Wounded...?”

It wasn’t until Theia mentioned it that Koutarou noticed the pain from his forehead. When he touched it, he felt something wet. Theia then pushed his hand away and put her handkerchief on his cut once more.

“Calm down, Tulip. It’s not that big of a deal.”

“The fact that Blue Knight-sama was injured for my sake is a big deal!”

Theia was currently confusing Koutarou for the Blue Knight.

“Just calm down. I’m not the real Blue Knight.”

Thinking it was from shock, Koutarou tried to calm Theia down.

“Ah...”

“I’m not the real Blue Knight.”

When Theia heard those words, she stopped moving for a moment. That quickly changed, but her face turned red.

“...S-Sorry. It seems I panicked a little.”

“I understand. But you have a rather cute side to you too.”

Theia had panicked because she thought that she had allowed the Blue Knight to get hurt. It was quite different from how she usually thought of Koutarou.

“...N-Normally I would hit you, but I’ll forgive you today.”

“Thank you, Your Highness.”

The situation being what it was, Theia was more modest than usual. Koutarou couldn’t find it in him to tease her any more than he already had, and obediently said his thanks.

“No, that’s my line.” Theia shook her head. “Well done, Koutarou.”

Even though they were words of gratitude, Theia still managed to say them as if she was talking down to him.

“Y-Yeah...”

But this time, Koutarou didn’t have any complaints about it.

“Satomi-sama, let’s go to the nurse’s office.”

“I-I’m fine. This is nothing.”

“You have a head injury. Just give it up and go.”

“But...”

“If you don’t go, neither will I.”

“Fine, I get it. Jeez...”

Accompanied by Ruth, Koutarou and Theia headed towards the gym’s exit. Although Koutarou hated going places like the hospital or the nurse’s office, he quickly gave up and left the gym with the two girls.

“Thank god Satomi-kun is okay...”

Seeing the three of them off, Harumi let out a sigh of relief. Hearing that Koutarou had been hurt, she had a small panic attack. However, after learning that Koutarou was fine, she was able to regain her composure. And she wasn’t alone. Everyone in the gym was starting to calm down after the incident too. The frozen atmosphere slowly recovered and smiles returned to the people in the gym.

“Yeah, thank god.”

Standing next to Harumi, Kiriha nodded. However, unlike the other people around her, Kiriha’s expression was serious, although Harumi was too focused on Koutarou and the others to notice.

“What’s wrong, Kiriha? You’re making a scary face...”

Instead, it was Sanae who was floating nearby that noticed Kiriha’s expression. Kiriha glanced up at Sanae and then indicated one of the legs on the fallen light.

“Look there, Sanae.”

“What? Is there something wrong with this broken leg?”

Kiriha was pointing at one of the three legs of the light. It had fallen over because the leg was broken.

“Take a good look at that break. It’s far too clean to have just broken off on its own.”

“You’re right. This is almost like— Wait, you mean...?!”

Sanae then realized what Kiriha was implying. Her eyes shot open wide in surprise, and Kiriha nodded at her as if to confirm her suspicions.

“That’s right. It looks like we have a serious problem on our hands.”

Theia-dono mentioned that an unidentified spaceship had appeared, but...

The unidentified spaceship. The light suddenly collapsing on Theia. The suspiciously broken leg. Adding everything up, Kiriha reached the conclusion that a new enemy had appeared.