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nAn enormous palm approached.

nMarie ducked down, letting go of her cane.

nOnce the giant hand collided with an allied ship, destroying it in the process, the nearby priests and temple knights shouted.

n“Saint, the shield!”

n“Please defeat that monster with your power!”

n“Saint, your cane!’

nIn face of the surrounding people nagging her about “Saint this, Saint that,” Marie screamed.

n“How am I supposed to defeat that?! I don’t know. I never heard about ‘that thing’ appearing! In the first place──I’m not the real saint!”

nAs the people around her were stunned, an airship was being blown away above Marie.

nThe airship was crushed like a toy, thrown away, and then burst into flames.

nShe couldn’t comprehend what was in front of her eyes.

nFeeling sick to her stomach, Marie’s legs wouldn’t budge from the horror.

nShe looked upwards at the monsters and shed tears.

n“What am I even supposed to do here?! Someone, help!”

nThe monster slowly approached, the artillery of the resisting airships having no effect.

nIt destroyed obstacles in its way, slowly heading towards the royal capital.

nOne of the temple knights yelled.

n“R, retreat. Retreat! Fall back immediately!”

nWhen the airship made an immediate turnaround, an allied airship plummeted.

nThe airship exploded upon reaching the ground, causing flames to spread across the land.

nThere had been more than two hundred airships, but when it became time to escape──only ten remained.

nAll the while, Marie sat down and wept while cradling her knees within her arms.

nShe cried the same way she did during that one day in her previous life──

n◇

n“──That’s all there is to it.”

nMilaine finished her report.

nThe king spoke.

n“Quite the nightmarish scenario.”

nVince also seemed worried.

n“It’s no use trying to compete with numbers. Furthermore, there’s the matter of this earthquake.”

nVince sipped his drink and placed his cup on the table.

nThereupon, the cup slowly fell over.

nIt seemed to slightly lurch.

nNumerous earthquakes have been happening ever since the monster, that giant monster, appeared.

nIt seems that there’s a correlation.

n“Viscount Baltfault, I’ll ask you bluntly. Can you win? If you face that monster with your lost item──can you win?”

nWhen Bernard said that, I gulped.

nIf that monster has the same characteristics at the final boss, then it would be impossible.

nLuxon wouldn’t be able to bring it down.

nIt wouldn’t result in a loss. However, we wouldn’t win either.

n──After all, it’s an opponent that will resurrect itself no matter how many times we kill it. In the game, this would be a situation where the player would give up and go back to an important checkpoint to start over. I honestly thought “Oh, this is a dead end,” when I encountered it.

n“──I don’t know.”

nIn the first place, this is all just my speculation. I don’t know the opponent, so I can’t give an answer.

nVince spoke while picking up his cup.

n“I suppose none of us would know. However, we have no choice but to place our hopes on you. If you can’t defeat it with the lost item that you exclusively can operate──we will have to use the royal ship.”

nMilaine narrowed her eyes and glared at Vince.

n“Duke, why are you bringing that up here?”

nThere seems to be some dispute about it right now, but the royal ship, which the protagonist rides with the capture target of her choosing, is a powerful airship that appears in the later half of the game.

nHowever, its performance is lower than Luxon.

nPerhaps it would even lose to Partner.

nDespite that, the royal family’s ship has a special power.

n“If not now, then when will we use it? It pleases nobody that you remain unwilling in this situation.”

n“──!”

nMilaine was about to say something, but the king stopped her.

n“Stop this. Vince, you should know──the royal family’s ship will not operate without the qualified personnel. Even Milaine and I couldn’t operate it.”

nOh right, that kind of setting existed.

nIn the game, the protagonist and the capture target were the ones operating it.

nHowever, there’s a problem here.

nThere are no bonds of love between Livia and the five capture targets.

nAccording to the game’s setting, the royal family’s ship will not operate without love.

nThat being the case, what’s needed in order to overcome this situation is──Marie’s power.

nWe would need to borrow the bonds of love and the power of the saint from Marie.

n“Your Majesty, I have a request. Please let me use the royal ship. Furthermore, we need the power of Marie and those five people.”

nThe king showed signs of discomfort towards me.

n“Do you understand the significance of that? There’s no way that can happen.”

nMilaine shook her head.

n“Unfortunately, that’s impossible. Leon, we can’t lend the royal ship. In addition──the temple announced that Saint Marie will be executed.”

n◇

nI was brought to another room.

nThe king and the others are still in the middle of their meeting. I was ordered to wait until arrangements were made for Partner and Arroganz to return.

nWell, I’m still a knight of the kingdom.

nI suppose I have to follow an order to be on standby. ──There are also some things I’d like to think over.

nAs I was sitting on a chair, pondering to myself while clasping my hands in front of my mouth, Luxon came to me.

nMarie, the one who pretended to be the saint, will be burned at a stake or perhaps crucified. The descendants of the new humans sure are unsightly. Even at this point in time, they’re doing meaningless things.

nDespite the saint items recognizing Marie, she revealed that she was a fake and will be executed.

nIt’s not even funny. They’re just using that pretext to push the blame onto her.

nThe temple and the marquis’ faction wanted someone to take responsibility.

nAt any rate, those people are foolish for ordering you to be on standby. They think that you still harbor loyalty and will work for the kingdom. What an unacceptable attitude they have towards Partner and Arroganz. Shall we start an overthrow?

nI shook my head.

n──How unfortunate.

nJust to be clear, this kingdom has no value to me.

nThe game’s scenario is also heading towards the bad ending and I nearly faced execution.

nWe somehow managed to put up resistance, but it doesn’t change the fact that we’re backed into a corner.

nI was driven out of the discussion.

nI thought about doing as I please. However, I can’t come to a decision.

nMaster, what are you thinking about.

n“Luxon, can you win in this situation?”

nI asked that while wandering around.

nWhat are the conditions for winning?

n“Not letting the land sink. Defeating whatever ‘giant’ arrives at the royal capital.”

nIf that enormous monster, which I’ve come to call the giant, is anything like the final boss that I know of, then it should be approaching the royal capital.

nIn fact, Luxon said that it was moving towards the royal capital.

nThat would be impossible. As you’ve said, even if I don’t fail and manage to defeat the monster, it will revive, and so I can only stall it. Furthermore, I sense two responses belonging to a giant. They are approaching the royal capital from both the sky and the sea, as if to sandwich the floating land.

nPerhaps if a large hole was torn into the land, Luxon would be able to take advantage of that and fight.

nHowever, with such a massive hole, the continent will face grave danger.

nLuxon can only deal with one or the other.

n“So there are two of them? Even worse.”

nIf you want to win, you must be in a position where the entirety of the kingdom’s forces will follow you, Master. The royal ship is necessary, correct? However, looking at the state of the kingdom, if we assume that you’re to be entrusted with the royal ship──or in other words are entrusted with full authority, you will have to be the supreme commander. I believe that will be difficult for you, Master.

nThis really is the worst. In order to have access to the royal ship, I need a suitable position.

nHowever, I don’t have the status, reputation, or achievements for that.

nI don’t have enough leverage to win.

nI recommend fleeing from this continent.

nI know that I’m better off running away. I have no attachment to this kingdom.

nHowever──

nOh, it’s your favorite mentor.

nUpon the sound of a knock, Luxon disappeared.

nUpon responding, my mentor entered the room while pushing a service wagon.

n“Pardon the intrusion, Mister Leon.”

n“──Mentor.”

nMy mentor, who began preparing tea, was as gentlemanly as usual. In the royal palace, there seemed to a sense of serenity despite the nobles and knights fleeing upon hearing that the kingdom’s troops lost.

nI calmed down a little upon drinking the black tea he gave me.

n“Mister Leon, you seem worried.”

n“Ahahaha, is that what it looks like?”

nShould I flee, or should I fight? I hate my indecisiveness.

nI tried to smile and dodge the question, but I couldn’t make a good smile.

n“I heard about the situation from the queen. I was told that you had to leave after somehow angering his Majesty.”

nIt seems that it was a bad idea to talk about borrowing the royal ship.

nSince it’s an airship that’s managed under absolute secrecy, I think that the timing and the way I spoke of it could’ve gone better.

n“The queen was worried. You’re better at winning over a woman than I am, Mister Leon. Please teach me your ways next time.”

nI asked my mentor a question after he finished his joke.

n“Mentor──you’re not going to flee the kingdom?”

n“Despite how it may seem, I am still a knight with a court rank. I plan to do what I can. Though, what I can do is limited.”

nThough joking, it seems that he’s still going to fight.

nThis is it. This is definitely it.

nSome of the people I want to help will remain in the kingdom because of something they don’t want to leave behind.

nWhat would happen if I tried to bring my mentor out of the kingdom against his will?

n“──You’re not running away?”

n“Mister Leon, I will not condemn you for running away. However, I have chosen to stay. That is my decision as a gentleman and a knight.”

nAs a knight? When I gave a look of confusion, my mentor made a smile.

n“Recently, knights have been seen as people partial towards women, but my chivalric code is to protect those who are important. That is not something I will compromise on.”

nNeither a knight who’s a puppet for the kingdom, nor a knight who’s biased towards women like that otome game wanted.

nIt seems that’s my mentor’s chivalric code.

nHe didn’t appear in the game, making him a mob like me, but what a neat person he is.

n“Chivalric code, you say?”

n“Mister Leon, is it okay if I ask about your chivalric code?”

nI drank my tea and then stood up.

n“Despite how I may look, I like your stance. I’m a big fan of a chivalric code that protects the citizens.”

nI hate any chivalric code that sucks up to schoolgirls or lets knights become tools for the kingdom.

n“Thank you for the tea. I’m heading off.”

n“To where?”

n“In order to overcome this situation, I think I’ll need to become something akin to a supreme commander. I’d like to persuade his Majesty.”

nMy mentor’s eyes widened upon hearing that, but his usual expression soon returned.

nI thought he would laugh or get angry, but he made a serious face.

n“In that case, turn to the queen. Mister Leon, even as someone of the royal palace, she is a very accommodating person. She will surely be of assistance.”

n“Even more than his Highness?”

n“Yes, indeed. This is all I can do to help you. If you want to become the supreme commander, convince the queen with your own words.”

nI gave him my thanks and left the room.

n“I’ll do it. Mentor──thank you very much.”

n◇

nLuxon followed me as I walked quickly down the hallway.

nYou’re not going to flee?

n“Not anymore. I’m fighting the principality.”

nDidn’t you want to prevent getting promoted? Being the supreme commander is not a position you would want, Master. This does not fall in line with your policy.

nI don’t want to be promoted, but it’s fine if becoming the supreme commander contradicts that.

nHowever──

n“This may be crass of me to say, but any boy would want to experience this, even if just once.”

nIs that your stance? I do not understand.

nFighting for the sake of the citizens? If I said something like that, it would sound like I was lying.

nHowever, that’s the truth.

nPerhaps it’s because I was an ordinary citizen in my previous life.

nHaving the kingdom’s citizens, who are pretty much unrelated to this whole event, die makes me feel sick. For example, suppose that there’s a happy family living each day steadily. If the land were to sink, many of those kinds of people would die.

nThey would be the biggest victims in a world that became messed up because of Marie.

nAbandoning them would leave a sour taste in my mouth.

nThat’s enough of a reason.

n“I have no interest in watching tens of millions of people die.”

nThere’s no problem with running away. This is not your duty, Master. ──I cannot decipher your decision.

n“Even I don’t understand myself. Even now, I want to run away. However, if I run away now, it will definitely linger in my mind. I will absolutely hate a life where I would ponder about my decision, and if I made the right choice, each time I go to bed.”

nI’m sure that it would come to haunt me. I don’t that kind of life or those kinds of worries.

nIn the first place, I’m a knight. Disregarding matters of court rank, if I were to speak in terms of my previous life, I would be like an emergency responder.

nIf someone with that position fled at the first sight of trouble, I would resent them.

nDo you plan on being promoted? Even if you were to win, you would be dragged into bothersome affairs, Master.

n“I’ll worry about those things once we actually win. Right now, it’s pointless worrying about promotions.”

nI’m still not interested in being promoted. If possible, I’d really just like a peaceful life.

nHowever──

n“Everyone’s being incompetent, so I’ll take matters into my own hands. Help me out here, Luxon.”

n──I suppose I have no other choice, Master.

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