Chapter 167

Chapter 167 The Unknown Enemy

The synopsis of the previous chapter.

At the front base, which was the cornerstone of the defense of Sandor, the Flooding happened in which demons attacked in hordes. Having Fia and Karen remained in the Sandor castle, Sirius and others went to the frontline base. Although they were surprised by the unusual movement of the monsters, they began to intercept. As they continued defeating the monsters that appeared constantly, the night time arrived, but… the monsters suddenly began to withdraw at once.

— Sirius —

The monsters that were attacking the frontline base began to retreat around the time when the sky began to turn red. Many soldiers cheered in unison at the sight of demons running away without even looking back.

“Look!The monsters are running away.” (??)

“We win!” (??)

“Unbelievable!” (??)

It wasn’t hard to understand why they were happy because they were driven to the corner at once, but it was too early to lose focus. There was a possibility that those monsters would turn around and attacked again. Even so … I felt uncomfortable about the demon running away. Although the visibility became worse during night if they persevered, all monsters began to retreat at once as if they were throwing a switch.

There were many points to worry about, but even if we held on in this way, our mental fatigue would just accumulate. As I lowered my hand while maintaining a minimum level of vigilance, Emilia, who was standing next to me, offered me a towel.

“Sirius-sama, here you go.” (Emilia)

“Aah, thanks.” (Sirius)

I was only sniping, but I got blood on me for a bit from the monsters that came close. So, the towel was good enough to clean the sweat as well. When I was wiping the dirt with a towel that was slightly wet with water, I noticed that there was a little blood on Emilia’s cheek.

“Emilia, you also have stain on you. Don’t move.” (Sirius)

“Ehehe… thank you very much.” (Emilia)

I wiped Emilia’s stain as she let me do it even though it looked a bit ticklish. Then, I heard the loud voice of the Beast King giving orders.

“Don’t be distracted! Keep alert and let the wounded rest!” (Beast King)

“““Yes!””” (Soldiers)

On the other hand, the soldiers stationed at this base still cheering for victory while shouting Julia’s name. When I thought about whether I should speak louder, a loud voice that didn’t lost to the Beast King again shook the entire front base.

“Well done, everyone! But, the battle is not over yet! We need to find the casualty and find out where the damage was!” (Julia)

The owner of the voice was Julia who stood in the middle of the battlefield and stopped the assault of the monsters. Although it was a voice that we had heard since the beginning, she was also amazing to be able to raise a voice that couldn’t be defeated by thousands alone. Next to her, Reus, who stood like a companion who had been with her for many years.

[Julia is not only yearned by the imperial guards, but also everyone else.] (Reus)

[Hehe, you’ll be like that too from here on. Everyone has seen you play an active role in this.] (Julia)

The soldiers were moved with the voice of Julia. They opened the main gate and accepted the soldiers who had intercepted the ogres with battering ram. As I wiped the sweat while confirming that, the Beast King came to me after giving the orders to the others.

“Phew… we made it somehow. Thanks to you guys, the damage was minimal. Thank you.” (Beast King)

“It’s too early to say thank you. We can’t relax our vigilance just yet.” (Sirius)

“Well, it’s just an impossible situation. The real fight may not come after this.” (Beast King)

The monster only seemed to be running away with its tail, but it’s strange that such a large horde withdrew altogether. It wasn’t even funny to see those who remained to prey and corpses. The Beast King was aware of that, and seems to be thinking about various things as he looked ahead.

Since it wouldn’t end if we only thought by ourselves, we should gather the top brass of the frontline base and Julia in order to hold an operational meeting. I informed that to the Beast King. before I tried to get into the frontline base, I confirmed Reus and Julia were heading to the main gate together with cheers.

[Can they easily recognize me even though I’m an outsider?] (Reus)

[Of course! After all, seeing how you fight makes me fall in love with you again. As I expected, I’m not making mistakes to love you.] (Julia)

[Ooh… even I can’t say that easily.] (Reus)

[I don’t want to hide what I feel about you, Reus. I want you and your lover, Marina, know about my good points soon.] (Julia)

The relationship between the two people seemed to be greatly changed by having fought together. Since the two of them understood by instinct, they would understand each other more by fighting together rather than using words. Hokuto came back as I saw their relationship made a little progress. Then, we returned to the frontline base with the Beast King.

—

After that, Julia’s imperial guards, who left Sandor later than us, also arrive at the frontline base. While the overall building was in progress, I was coming alone in the conference room. There were only important people gathered there. Other than me, Julia and the Beast King, there were a middle-aged man, who was the commander of the frontline base, and three other man, who seemed to be under that commander.

I was talking to Albert and others before coming here. I talked to Emilia to the last. But the meeting hadn’t yet begun, and the base commander had been staring at me with a sullen expression.

“…You finally came. Julia-sama, why do we need to wait for them even though they have nothing to do with Sandor? And why do we even invite them to join the conference?” (Base Commander)

“That’s because we need them.” (Julia)

“That’s absurd! With Julia-sama’s strength and influence, we have nothing to fear the monsters.” (Base Commander)

“I can’t protect everything. Besides, everyone has seen it in the previous battle. A young man who had slashed the monsters at the front line with me, and a wolf who had knocked down the monsters that swarmed the walls. He is the master of the young man, and the wolf.” (Julia)

I was introduced by Julia, so I lightly greet them and apologized for being late. There were people who knew that I was related to Reus and Hokuto who influenced the outcome of the war, but the face of the base commander remained lukewarm.

“The ones who dealt with the troublesome flying monsters was that brother-in-law… No, Sirius-dono and Emilia-dono. We will not have to be with each other in good faith as we rely on their power. That’s why I want to share information.” (Julia)

“But…” (Base Commander)

“I’ve also confirmed from the distance. Perhaps without them, our damage would have been even greater.” (??)

The old man, who seemed to have a lot of fighting experience, was sitting next to the base commander, and he nodded to agree with Julia. Nevertheless, it might be because the base commander couldn’t agree, he made a suggestion to Julia while lightly looking down on me.

“I understand you are people who Julia-sama trusts. But, this is our country. To ask the outsiders’ help like the Beast King, our pride is–…” (Base Commander)

“I understand what you want to say. However, this time the situation is different. We aren’t going to spare the fighting power.” (Julia)

Originally, the monsters should be moving without wearing equipment. Plus, he should understand that there was something strange with the timing of the monster attack and withdrawal just before the night arrived even if he didn’t like it.

“And I think the report has arrived, but do you know that there was a disturbance in the castle?” (Julia)

“Yes. It is something about Zilard-dono rebelled. I don’t really understand, but…” (Base Commander)

“It’s all true. He had asserted that he would destroy our country.” (Julia)

Despite the report on Zilard’s rebellion, Julia supplemented the details that weren’t sufficient. The real name was Lambda, and when she finished talking about the fact how Zilard acted behind the scenes in order to destroy Sandor, the base commander stood up as if he couldn’t believe it.

“It can’t be!? For Zilard-dono to do such a thing…” (Base Commander)

“His name isn’t Zilard, but Lambda. Anyhow, it’s true that the former hero has become an enemy. Moreover, since the Flooding this time is unknown in various ways, we must prepare quickly.” (Julia)

“Quickly… is it?” (Base Commander)

“Do you think you have defeated the invasion of the monsters? Even though they ran away, there were so many monsters left. There’s a chance that the monsters will attack again while we’re here, so I want you to hurry up and report the situation.” (Julia)

Julia was on the front line, so she was still unaware of the situation of the entire base. She asked for an explanation of the damage suffered in the war today and the military strength of the frontline base, but the commander’s reply was lack of details. I understood that it was difficult to get the information, but the reality didn’t change even if we have it, so I wanted to tell them immediately. The old man looked at the commander and he sighed because that guy couldn’t say anything. Then, he explained.

“Julia-sama. It’s a shame to talk about it, but many people are confused by the anomaly of the monsters, and nearly half of the soldiers are injured.” (Old Man)

“O-oi! I didn’t ask you to tell that…” (Base Commander)

“However, according to the soldiers, they said that most of the wounded were healed by the blue-haired woman who appeared suddenly. However … Some of them have completely lost their will to fight, and it is difficult to put them on the battlefield.” (Old Man)

“I know the capability of that woman, but even so, why do they hesitate to fight?” (Julia)

“Yes. It’s not the body, but the mind.” (Old Man)

It seemed that there were those who were scared of the huge number of monsters and the risk of their life. Even though it was a key place to protect the country from the Flooding, I wonder what would happen if the weak-minded people and those who weren’t familiar with the battlefield, are deployed…

“This could be due to Lambda scheme. It is also possible that he selected those who were inexperienced in the front line and tried to weaken their fighting force…” (Sirius)

Before I came here, I asked the Sandor King whether the people who held the top position were trustworthy. The king himself was asleep, so he didn’t much about it. According to his son, Sanger and his close aides, he heard that there were many veterans who had overcome the flood in the past.

However, it was said that the frontline base commander before me and some other people, who didn’t meet their requirements, had recently moved to the front base. It seemed some of them who were scared based on the explanation earlier. There was a proposal to move them to the frontline base…

“Come to think of it, did you take up the base commander position on the recommendation of Zilard-dono?” (Sirius)

“Bastard… what are you trying to say?” (Base Commander)

“Wait, it’s not a situation we’re pursuing that right now. However, as the result tells, I believe that the commander of the frontline base should be someone else.” (Julia)

In truth, he wasn’t worthy of the commander, not only because of his lack of experience on the battlefield, but also because of his arrogant attitude and naive order toward Reese.

However, he wasn’t a total loss. and I judged that he could become a fine commander if he had the experience, but now, we couldn’t afford to wait for his growth, so it seemed that Julia intended to demote him. The ability to make realistic decisions without hesitation was also a necessary ability as a person who stood at the top. As a matter of course, the commander was displeased, but Julia pressed a question earlier before he could open his mouth.

“Let me ask you. Are you able to calmly give command against that horde of monsters? I’ve also received reports that you had a minor injury and you immediately retreated to the base.” (Julia)

“That was…” (Base Commander)

“It’s fine to get injured and withdrew. However, even if the treatment had been completed, you didn’t return to the battlefield. And why were you having dispute with my friend?” (Julia)

“I-is that woman really an acquaintance of Julia-sama?” (Base Commander)

“Yes, Lifell is my close friend. And the blue-haired woman, who treated you, is also important to me.” (Julia)

As Julia was aiming to be Reus’ wife, she wouldn’t be able to overlook because Reese would be her future sister-in-law.

Since the man tried to get in the way of Reese, that didn’t give a good impression. Although there were slight personal feelings involved, I agree with to demote him from the commander position. Anyhow, because of that guy’s sloppy orders, they were many people fell into the mana exhaustion state because of the monsters that held a battering ram. If Reus and Julia weren’t in time, there was a possibility that the front door was destroyed.

“The base commander, Imz. For this emergency situation, I will temporarily demote you from the base commander to unit commanding officer. After this battle is over, I will try to determine if you are the one who deserves the commander again.” (Julia)

“Kuh…kuh…” (Base Commander/Imz)

“If you don’t like it, you can go back to the castle and meet with the King immediately. If you tell him my name, he will listen to you.” (Julia)

Well, even if he did that, that king probably wouldn’t revoke the decision. Rather, he might be demoted even further. He had already become the former base commander, and… there was no more Zilard’s backing. If he returned to the castle, he would be known as a coward who ran away from the monsters. In other words, if you don’t want to lose any more evaluations, you’ll have to survive as a unit commanding officer.

I had a feeling that he might run away in the middle of the battle, but even I was slightly worried, every war potential was necessary. So, we had to use them. As Imz couldn’t say anything anymore, he nodded while desperately holding back the frustration.

“…Understood. Let me show you the right thing to do this time.” (Imz)

“Hmm. Whatever you do, you need to acknowledge your weakness. If you can’t improve, you won’t get stronger. So, the new base commander will be Cayenne here.” (Julia)

The old man, who explained while sighing earlier, bowed reverently. He seemed to be Cayenne. He seemed to be more than sixty years old. His height was lower than me, and the physique was thin. He didn’t look like he was good at fighting on the frontline, so he was probably a good commander. As a proof of that, I felt a similar intimidation to Fort, who was the general at the Sandor castle, and Julia seemed to treat him with respect.

“Let me introduce him to you, Sirius-dono. Cayenne has served as the base commander here for many years, and he is a strong man who has been through the Flooding many times.” (Julia)

“I’m an old bone that has not been picked up yet, but let me respond to you with my best effort. As a young man who has been recognized by Julia-sama, I look forward to the future.” (Cayenne)

He changed completely from the previous resolute attitude. Then, he displayed an easygoing smile at me. Julia was probably having higher authority at the moment, but she planned to swing the sword on the front line, so it seemed best to leave everything to Cayenne for commanding.

“I have also heard about Cayenne-dono as a wise general. If you are commanding, I can leave the right to command of the eastern side which I was in charge of.” (Beast King)

“No, there will be no problem if it’s you, Beast King-sama. Our strength has been reduced since the former hero betrayed us. If you don’t mind, I would like to ask you to lead that side.” (Cayenne)

“I understand. But the soldiers we brought with us are clearly few. Can you support us a little bit more?” (Beast King)

“Of course, I will give you a number of troops. Next, Sirius-dono’s group would be…” (Cayenne)

Finally, he looked at me and talked about our roles. Reus would take action with Julia, and Reese would continue to treat the wounded. On the other hand, he judged Emilia, Hokuto and I could fight anywhere, so he didn’t know where to place us. It seemed that he would listen to our request, so he probably put us under the command of the Beast King.

“Then, we would like to move under the Beast King.” (Sirius)

“That’s reasonable. There are still a lot of people who don’t know about Sirius-dono, so I think it would be best to be with someone familiar like the Beast King. (Cayenne)

“I don’t mind, but is it necessary for you to be under my command? If it’s you, you will be able to move according to the situation without my instructions.” (Beast King)

“However, it’s troubling to move on my own on the battlefield, you know.” (Sirius)

“Hmm. If that big wolf appears before them, they might think that he is an enemy and attack him. If he gets angry and retaliate…” (Cayenne)

They were certainly moved by their unit, so the other commanding officers would agree with that. Hokuto’s appearance was particularly huge, so if people were unfamiliar with him, there was a good chance that he would be considered as an enemy in a battle, but there were no worries about it.

“If it is a Hokuto, he can avoid any attack from behind, and there is no problem as he understands the situation. Even if you attack him by mistake because you think of him as a monster, he will not be angry unless it is intentional.” (Sirius)

“Is it really so?” (Cayenne)

“I also guarantee that. If you don’t do well, Hokuto-dono would be a clever wolf better than any of us. Even Father agrees with Sirius-dono’s judgment. It’s not something everyone’s worried about.” (Julia)

“If Julia-sama’s says so…” (Cayenne)

“In the first place, we don’t have to worry about them. The first think you need to do is to hit those cowards, and put some sense into them.” (Julia)

We were given permission to move freely not only from Julia, but also from Cayenne. To put it simply, we were raiding personnel. We have to work to meet the expectations of those who had allowed us.

—

After that, Cayenne’s proposal was decided about a new formation of units and operations. He gave splendid commands which made him suited to be called the wise general. When it came to adjusting to unexpected situations and replacing the soldiers to make them rest as much as possible, there was no need for anyone to interject the discussion. There was no excuse since Imz’s unit was well placed.

“…It will be no less than that. Next, we will increase the number of guards in preparation for night attack. I will decide who to pick.” (Cayenne)

“Well, at this point, you’re the only one who can decide. Everyone, please move according to the plan.” (Julia)

That was the end of the conference after Cayenne explained the details. The other commanding officers and soldiers were busy strengthening their defenses, but the Beast King and us were told we had nothing to do with Sandor, so it was safe to rest for a while.

So, I got up from the chair to go back to Emilia and the others, but Cayenne stopped me for a little personal talk. The discussion in the conference room where the battalion chief and The Beast King were gone only had Julia, Cayenne and I.

“I heard from Julia-sama. That you had shaved Fort’s head, is that right?” (Cayenne)

“Aah… yes. I’m sorry about that, but it was absolutely necessary to do so…” (Sirius)

“Sirius-sama, you don’t have to worry about it. You had a match with him and you defeated him. Well, I actually want to see that guy who lost his hair.” (Cayenne)

“Hehe, it is an excellent appearance. I also want Cayenne to meet him soon.” (Julia)

I supposed he had a long relationship with Fort as his comrade-in-arms and as his rival since he could lightly spoke about the matter. Cayenne was smiling as if he really looked forward to it, but the matter after this should be the main point. Cayenne, who was coughing to switch feelings, started talking while turning his gaze to me.

“I was really saved when a young person like you came. I have a feeling that this is a situation that cannot be overturned by my resourcefulness, though I have been able to maintain the morale of the soldiers thanks to Julia-sama.” (Cayenne)

“I understand that the situation is difficult, but those words don’t suit you.” (Julia)

“I don’t want to admit, but I also can’t overcome the old age. Let alone not being able to notice the schemes of those traitors, I also couldn’t stop Imz-dono from acting rashly.” (Cayenne)

“You were busy with other tasks, so it can’t be help. It’s upsetting, but his words weren’t wrong.” (Julia)

Since the people below wouldn’t grow if Cayenne stayed at the top position, Zilard suggested that a new position should be offered. That was why Cayenne became the instructor for the base commander. When the position changed, he lose motivation. It seemed he had been quite relaxed since he was thinking of retiring. While there was a wise general like Cayenne, I understood the reason why he had been driven to the corner until this far.

“I know. Now, I have to brace myself to keep young people alive. I bet everything I have…” (Cayenne)

“It’s good to be motivated but don’t die. Not until you see my wedding dress… no, I mean my child.” (Julia)

“…That’s right. At last, the right person for has appeared.” (Cayenne)

It seemed that he was a person in charge of Julia’s education when she was young. I felt that they were like a parent and a child. We had a few small conversations, and after I was convinced that Cayenne wasn’t affected by Lambda, I left the conference room.

—

I separated from Julia. Then, I went to find Emilia and others and came to the dining hall of the frontline base. Since there were a lot of soldiers and the dining hall was spacious with a lot of desks, I thought it would be difficult to find them, but… it was actually easy. Unlike the soldiers whose tensions had been relieved by the assault of the monsters, the surroundings of Emilia… no, Reus were clearly different.

“Welcome back, Sirius-sama.” (Emilia)

“Ooh, Aniki. Is the meeting over already?” (Reus)

“Uhyaa!?” (Marina)

As it turned out, the Marina, who was sitting next to Reus, held the spoon close to the mouth of Reus. Alberto, who was sitting in front of him, looked at him smiling, and Keith, who was next to him, was indifferent to him. When Marina noticed I came, the spoon that she brought close to Reus’ mouth was retracted.

“Aah, what’s wrong? Why don’t you let me eat it?” (Reus)

“Yo-you’re noisy. I wanted to eat it, so it can’t be helped.” (Marina)

“Hahaha. You don’t have to be so embarrassed because Sensei already knows the relationship between the two of you.” (Albert)

“Even if you want to kiss him immediately, it doesn’t matter. Haa… I miss my Mary.” (Keith)

It was good that they could act as usual since if they were nervous, they wouldn’t be able to rest properly. But since they were flirting in a situation where people didn’t know when the monsters would strike again, the line of sight from the surroundings were quite severe. It wasn’t strange if a fight happened with the soldiers who took turns to eat, but no one didn’t get involved probably because they knew that Reus was active in the front line. In the meantime, Emilia brew tea with the tools brought from the carriage. I sat next to her, while listening to the situation.

“I told her to be more proactive in order to make up for the time they have been separated.” (Emilia)

“Uuh… there is no way for me to suddenly do that. But Emilia-san can do that easily, right?” (Marina)

“Everything is easy if it’s because of love. In the first place, this act is a pleasure, and there is no need to be shy. Why don’t you hug his arm?” (Emilia)

Emilia said it as her future sister-in-law, but unfortunately, I thought that it wasn’t very helpful because of her being the sister-in-law was quite peculiar. First, I stroked Emilia’s head to stop her from acting rashly. Then, I felt weird with the dishes arranged on the table.

Although the supplies were sent from Sandor, the amount of food was limited now in anticipation of a prolonged battle. The amount wasn’t enough to make us hungry, but it wasn’t enough for a large meal. However, the foods arranged in front of us were obviously more and more variety than what the soldiers around us were eating.

“There are so many of them. And this meat dish is obviously different from others, but where did you bring it from?” (Sirius)

“We procured meat from the outside monsters, and we borrowed the kitchen to cook it. Sirius-sama, please enjoy your meal as well.” (Emilia)

“Well… we didn’t use the supplies of the base, and since we made it ourselves, there should be no complain, right?” (Marina)

“This meal dish was cooked by Marina? It’s delicious. Aniki, you should try it.” (Reus)

They used some of the seasoning found in our carriages, but in a nutshell, it was just a dish of grilling meat. However, it was unusually fragrant. After getting her permission, I put the meat inside my mouth. The taste was better than expected.

“This is…… It’s delicious. The taste is nicely done, and the cooking temperature was properly adjusted, isn’t it?” (Sirius)

“My sister studied territory management, but she didn’t miss learning how to be a bride for the sake of Reus. I’m glad. That shows the result of her training.” (Albert)

“U-uh… Nii-sama… You don’t have to tell them that.” (Marina)

“Hehe, you have grown well.” (Albert)

We at Marina’s dishes for a few times when we met first met her, but it was crude and not delicious. It seemed that she didn’t fail to study as a secretary of the Lord, and she had grown to be a worthy person that I could entrust Reus to her. Now, how did Reus respond to the effort of this lover?

“For my sake… is it? In this case, I can’t lose to you.” (Reus)

“What? There is no need to compete, right? To begin with it, I think you are better cook than me, so…” (Marina)

“That’s not it. Since you have become a fine woman, I thought I had to do more. I have to be a man worthy of you, Marina.” (Reus)

“Uuh!? You don’t really have to… I mean, you are already cool enough… ooh no! Don’t look at me with such a face!” (Marina)

“Such a face?” (Reus)

With her cheeks blushed, Marina hid her face in her palms, as if she was embarrassed rather than being more happy because of straight smile of Reus, and she looked down under the table. Reus was tapping her shoulders, worried about such a girl, but it seemed that it was alright to leave them alone. For the time being, I reached out to ask for other dishes, but then, I remembered that they were people who weren’t here yet.

“Speaking of the meals, Reese hasn’t returned yet?” (Sirius)

“Yes. Just now, Senia-san came to report, and it seems that she will go around to treat the wounded some more.” (Emilia)

“If there is Lifell-sama, she won’t do the impossible. You can check on her if she doesn’t come back for a while, right? So, please tell us about the details of the conference.” (Albert)

Albert and Keith probably would hear later from the Beast King, but I told them what we were talking about.

“With the exception of Reus and Reese, we will be a raiding unit. Those two will remain under the command of the Beast King, and they will hear more details later.” (Sirius)

“Aah. I have a feeling that the things we have to do will not change because it’s Father.” (Keith)

“I will fight with all my strength. And… I think it is correct to nominate Sensei to be a raiding unit. I think that the person, Cayenne, sees the ability of Sensei only.” (Albert)

“Yeah.” (Reus)

We might have been trusted by Julia, but as we were outsiders, Cayenne probably couldn’t place us anywhere. As adventurers, we had no obligation to protect Sandall by risking our lives. He also considered the possibility of us would suddenly disappear depending on the circumstances. For this reason, he didn’t place us in any strategic places. It wasn’t that he didn’t trust us. As the base commander, that seemed to be a judgment based on the worst situation.

“The possibility of night attack is probably low from that way of running away, but they might aim for us… when we sleep. Anyway, be prepared to move at any time.” (Sirius)

“Um, did you talk about the abnormality of the monsters at the conference?” (Albert)

“It looks like you have noticed that, Albert. As you can imagine, it is highly probable that these monsters have been led by beings with wisdom. The communication is transmitted from the top to the bottom.” (Sirius)

The monsters were seen to be moving instinctively in many ways, so it would be relatively naive when compared to human beings, but if the scale was different, the degree of threat would increase dramatically. It was supposed to be informed to the soldiers to fight against people without thinking that they were monsters until now.

In addition to these matters, talks were also held on the point that the escaped monsters did not immediately attack. Was it because there was a limitation in the command of the leading monsters at night to rest them? Even though I considered in various ways, I couldn’t find the answer at the moment.

After all, we had no choice but to defend, and the more time we earned, the more we may find out the identity and purpose of the other… that was the final decision. Now, it was important to be in perfect physical condition. So, I asked Reus for a change of pace.

“Come to think of it, have you tell Marina about Julia?” (Sirius)

“O-ouh! It was very hard to say, but I have explained it properly. That’s why Marina isn’t angry… I think.” (Reus)

“Whatever it is, I don’t know how to respond. I was surprised at first, but when I thought about it calmly, Reus always be the same.” (Marina)

She asked him to marry her since she was pleased when he defeated her in a mock battle and he was angry with how the enemy treated women. As the story unfolded, Reus was tilting his head as if he was considering to disappear soon, but Marina understood that he wasn’t a man who liked to tell a lie. She exuded a sigh with a complex expression.

“Reus isn’t someone who does such a thing no matter who the opponent is, so it’s not like I don’t understand why Julia-sama falls in love with him. But you know… as your lover, I want you to tell her properly even if you don’t like her.” (Marina)

“I know that, but it’s not like I don’t like her. I just don’t know what to do when she asked me to marry her…” (Reus)

Although Reus had refused, Julia hadn’t shown any signs of giving up. Besides, since they liked each other, this matter couldn’t be treated easily. It wasn’t only his lover, Marina. There was also Noel’s daughter, Noir, who he promised in future. Thus, Reus’ love situation had become really complicated. I turned my eyes to the side and saw Emilia who was thinking about his brother. Then, that time had finally come.

“Hmm… this smells good. Reus is also here, so I can sit next to you?” (Julia)

Yes, they met each other. Julia, who left the conference room late, and Marina, who put on three tails to be vigilant. And Reus, who was sandwiched between two women, giving me a look that asked for my help. The battle outside had come to a close, but a new battle was about to begin within the base.

—

Extra/Bonus – Noel-sensei’s Great Expectations.

Yes, yes. Hello, everyone. Here’s your Noel-sensei, coming out here so suddenly. Please don’t do a straight man comedy to why am I here in this place. If you have complaints, I will send you to sweltering muscle training done by Reu-kun.

Well… it’s still too soon, but what will happen between Reu-kun, Marina-chan and Julia-sama? This is what I’m going to expect. For now, I can easily think of three outcomes.

Reus – kneeling on the floor.

Marina and Julia – having catfight.

Then, two knives are stabbed into Reus’ stomach.

…Anyhow, will it happen that way? Or will Reus-kun lie down under the bottom of those two? Perhaps, they will melt if Reu-kun displays his masculinity? I’m looking forward to see them next time… eh? Do you believe that? Yes, of course, everything is a lie. Since it is somehow a situation that is very tense, I only said appropriately because I’m trying to relieve the tension of everyone.

So… uhm, Sirius-sama? I wonder if you can stop extending your hand from aiming my head. This time, I explained that it was a lie, but I guess it’s a little fun! It’s always with the ironclaw… please stop that… aah, I’m glad.

Oh yeah, be more gentle… eh, why Hokuto-san is here? Where are you bringing me to… What? are you going to preach me over there? Um, I don’t understand your words, Hokuto-san. Even if you bark with intimidation, I can only become scared.

Ahahaha… Dee-san, save me!!!

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TLN: The author apologized for delaying the update. He said that he had a mental breakdown as he couldn’t come up on how to connect with the story. That’s why he was unable to write anything. He took a break after finishing the light novel. So, he is going to continue writing little by little. He also says that the next chapter might be shorter than usual.