READ NOVEL ONLINE Episode 9: The Anti-Miltia Alliance
Episode 9: The Anti-Miltia Alliance
“Damn it… I was looking forward to some fresh faces.”
“Sorry.”
After quickly dealing with the Mother Chimera and Miltia’s operatives, I handed them over to Karna and returned to Ortya at full speed. Fortunately, there hadn’t been a stampede here. They probably wanted to blame it on Hartelia. But with the operatives captured, their plan completely fell apart.
Even without a stampede, a significant number of monsters did appear. While they were handling that, a report came in that something was rapidly approaching from the depths of the forest. Of course, it was me. This felt oddly familiar…
This time, I felt guilty about passing through underground, so I obediently headed to Hale-san. There he was, holding a huge halberd, looking super excited, with the border count’s army lined up behind him. It was a bit intimidating.
And then, my previous actions got exposed… Hale-san was laughing hysterically, though.
“Sorry for the trouble last time…”
“That’s enough about that. Go show your face to Seira quickly.”
“Yes. Thank you.”
—
“I’m home!”
[[[Young miss, we’re back!]]]]
“Welcome back, big brother!”
“Oh my, welcome back, Mine-kun.”
“My lady, I’m back . Is everything okay here?”
“Yes! You know, Dahlia-san taught me a lot!”
“Thank you for looking after Seira.”
“It’s fine. Seira-chan is like a granddaughter to me. Right, Seira-chan?”
“Right!”
“Thank you.”
Good, I’m glad Seira is safe. She’s been practicing [Fireworks] with Lady Liela as part of her magic training, promising to show each other their creations. Apparently, Dahlia-san was giving them design advice.
“Seira-chan, show me when you finish, okay?”
“Yes!”
[[[Can’t wait!]]]
—
About a month after returning to the capital, letters arrived from Gaia of Hertia and the Arlight family.
First, Gaia’s letter. It detailed the recent situation in Arania. The stampede had ended without incident after that. They’d finished distributing rewards to reinforcements and adventurers from other territories, and the Hertia group had already returned. Some of the standout adventurers were scouted as knights or soldiers. There were even some marriage arrangements among the nobles. These battles seem to be opportunities for encounters and promotions.
Arlight owes Hertia a big favor now, so they’re trying to annul Karna and Cain’s engagement. If that works out, I might introduce her to Nevil. I think they’d get along. They both love fighting. While it’s hard to say if they’d become romantically involved, they could at least be sparring partners.
So, please stop challenging me to fights, okay?
“Oh no, I’ve been found out…”
On the other hand, there’s a problem. My background has spread. Including the circumstances of my banishment and my time at the Herta Adventurer’s Guild. Thankfully, my flashy use of magic hasn’t been revealed. Apparently, someone overheard the Arlight people talking and spread the word.
As a result, Cain’s reputation has taken a hit. Well, with a guy who was so full of himself getting knocked out by a supposedly useless exile, people are bound to think, “Is this guy really reliable?” Arlight’s leniency to him was probably because they expected even greater achievements from him.
He did perform reasonably well in the defense battle, defeating the Chimera and all, so he can probably recover if he keeps working hard. He’s still a student, after all. But, please, no revenge, okay?
“Seira, a letter from Relina has arrived.”
“Really!?”
“Yes, here it is.”
“Yay!!”
“Let’s write a reply later, okay?”
“Yes!”
Seira is so cute, getting all excited over a letter from Relina. She only occasionally exchanges letters with the Belgard Marquisate’ couple, so this must be the first time she’s received one from a friend her age. She’ll likely start exchanging letters with Lady Liela too. Lady Liela returned to Ortya about half a month ago. Behind the scenes, there was apparently an intense tug-of-war between the border count and Alt-kun. The border count happily told me all about it.
The border count is staying in the capital a bit longer because there seems to be some progress related to Miltia. So, his wife, Lady Liela, and Thor-kun went ahead to Ortya, postponing their [Fireworks] display for another time. That’s a bit disappointing.
Anyway, aside from Relina’s letter, I received three more from Arlight. One from Relina, one from Rain-kun, and one from their steward, Fred Andil. Relina and Rain-kun’s letters were thank-you notes. Apparently, Rain-kun is the same age as Relina. They’re both children of concubines and share a close bond. Another younger sister—Serina, a child of the main wife—is currently in the capital preparing for the royal academy entrance exam.
Both Relina and Rain-kun have developed an interest in magic, so I’ll secretly teach them some practice methods. The ‘Sword Saint’ looks down on magicians, so we need to be discreet.
Andil’s letter was also a thank-you note, written in formal language with neutral content. That’s fine by me. I’d be annoyed if someone suddenly came off as a superior, but it would be more unsettling if someone tried to cozy up to me.
—
So, with matters related to Arania settled for now, I’m back to my janitorial duties.
“Ah, Mine-san, do you have a moment?”
“Lumina-san, what’s the matter?”
“I have something to discuss. Can you spare some time later?”
“Sure. How about after school in front of the training ground?”
“That works. Thank you.”
Lumina approached me after magic class. I wonder what this is about? And why are some of the male students glaring at me? Well, Lumina is exceptionally beautiful and talented, so it’s no surprise she has many admirers. But I’m not one of them, okay? So, Walz, stop smirking at me like that.
“Hey, hey, you’re pretty popular, aren’t you?”
“No, it’s not like that.”
“…You could at least blush a little. You’re no fun.”
“You’re still energetic after all that chanting?”
“You idiot, that’s why. My heart needs some refreshment.”
“There are other couples around, you know.”
“You don’t get it. Watching strangers’ love affairs is boring.”
Indeed.
—
So, after school, I met up with Lumina.
“The Sylphietta I mentioned before has quit the church. She might be coming here soon.”
“Sylphietta, the one who likes ‘Miko’?”
“Yes, that’s her. Miltia attacked Mishinela, so she quit the church. She’s from Mishinela.”
Sylphietta, the character who seems to be from the original story, huh? Why is she coming here?
Even if she says she quit the church, I’m still skeptical. Considering the situation with Gladiol, this might be a precautionary measure to disperse personnel and funds in case their invasion fails. I’d feel bad if she were genuinely innocent, but I can’t risk Seira’s safety.
“Mine-san, you’re interested in ‘Miko,’ right? I thought you might want to talk to her directly. She could tell you a lot of detailed information.”
“I see…”
It seems she plans to stay here until things settle down in Mishinela. I’ll need to meet her once she arrives. At the very least, ignoring her isn’t an option. I need to determine if Sylphietta is an enemy before she meets Seira.
—
Two weeks later, I received a summons from the border count regarding some developments with Miltia.
“The various countries have decided to attack Miltia jointly. The main forces will be Hartelia and Alteria, with Almira and Melnier also sending smaller troops. Hartelia’s main forces will be us and the Duke Zelfine’s army.”
“This has become a big deal, hasn’t it?”
“Yes, the stampede in Alleria was the catalyst. Coupled with the issue with Almira’s orcs, it was decided that such threats can’t be left unchecked.”
“…The orcs in Almira…”
“Yes, what you did, Mine. The king cleverly blamed it on Miltia.”
Seriously? That king is actually competent. I’ll have to shoot off a firework with his name on it at the next festival as thanks.
According to the border count, representatives from various countries will meet in the town of Merin, located in southern Mishinela. The king and the border count will attend from Hartelia. They’ll finalize the invasion routes and then proceed with the advance. The king will return home after the meeting is over, though.
“And His Majesty has requested that you accompany him, Mine. What do you say?”
“…If I go, it’ll probably cause trouble, you know?”
“The ‘Sword Saint’?”
“Yes.”
“Listen, Mine. As long as you make the first move, there won’t be any issues.”
“…What?”
“I’m half-joking, but trouble will arise whether you’re there or not. That’s just the kind of person he is. Frankly, with you there, it’ll be easier to control the ‘Sword Saint’s’ actions.”
“Ah… I see.”
“If things go as planned, any counterattack on your part shouldn’t cause major problems. We can argue it was self-defense.”
So, I’m basically bait. It avoids unnecessary trouble for others, and I get a chance to retaliate against that stubble guy. It’s mutually beneficial. Plus, the king and the border count have been considerate towards me, so I should contribute when I can.
During this time, Seira will stay in Ortya. Sylphietta should arrive in the capital soon. I want to avoid them meeting while I’m away. I feel bad about moving Seira around so much, though.
—
“Yay!!”
[[[Yay!!]]]
I ran down the road with Seira on my back. Of course, I covered us with [Magic Cloak] to ensure safety. This was Seira’s condition for returning to Ortya. She heard about my forest run from Hale and wanted to experience it. With the forest being unpredictable, she finally settled for the road.
It’s great to see her enjoying herself. The passing carriage drivers seem a bit startled, but nothing beats Seira’s smile.
After arriving in Ortya, Lady Liela and Thor-kun also begged me to run, and Hale got mad at me.
“That’s my job!!”
He said. But you can’t use [Magic Cloak], can you…