Prologue

  At the Galarc Castle, just before the main entrance...

  “Please allow me to accompany you on the mission to rescue Lady Liselotte.”

  Aria Governess, Liselotte’s head attendant, bowed her head before Rio with deep regret. There was no need to question her motive: Liselotte was her master.

  She had an extraordinary amount of loyalty to her—she treasured Liselotte beyond mere loyalty. Seeing how she was dressed in adventurer-like clothes, she must have prepared for this journey in advance. She may have even approached King Francois for permission to leave by herself if Rio hadn’t acted as he did.

  It was easy to see the loyalty behind the determination in Aria’s expression. If Rio were to refuse her here, she would simply act independently from him. That would result in her following Rio anyway, as he was capable of tracking Erica from afar.

  Ability-wise, there was no concern of Aria becoming a hindrance. She was a reassuring force to have if the situation called for more people. Furthermore, the situation had caused Rio to begin pursuing Saint Erica without hearing the details of what happened. Since he lacked information, having Aria come along would be most beneficial.

  The only reason Rio had to refuse her was Aishia. Until now, he had kept her existence as a spirit as secret as possible from any third parties. Since he was using her to track Erica right now, he’d have to reveal her to Aria. However, he didn’t mind. After closing his eyes and thinking for a moment, he prioritized the feelings he could sense coming from Aria and nodded.

  “I understand... However, I will require that you follow my orders while we pursue her. Is that all right?”

  “Of course. Thank you very much,” Aria said immediately with a low bow.

  Haruto, the target sped up dramatically after leaving the gate. She’s heading out of the noble district to avoid attention, said Aishia’s telepathic message.

  Got it. Continue trailing her in spirit form.

  Understood.

  Their conversation wrapped up quickly.

  “Let’s go. It seems the saint has sped up,” Rio said to Aria, looking in the direction of the front gate several hundred meters away.

  “...Right.” Aria nodded with a slightly surprised look; it was impossible to see outside the grounds from their current position. Rio had claimed to have a method of tracking the saint without being noticed, so she was probably wondering how he knew that.

  “I’ll explain the details later. Please enhance yourself with your enchanted sword,” Rio ordered, enhancing his own body at the same time.

  “Right.” Aria held back her questions for the moment and grabbed the hilt of her sword, focusing on the task at hand.

  “Follow me.”

  Rio ran towards the front gate. With Aria at his heels, the two left the Galarc Castle grounds.

  Chapter 1: The Pursuit Begins

  Ten minutes later, Rio and Aria were outside of the capital, about three kilometers northwest of the city. They waited beside a boulder located past the grain-producing fields outside of the city walls, but before the forest that spread beyond it.

  “She’s met up with someone in the forest—a man in his twenties. He seems to be her bodyguard,” Rio said to Aria, staring into the forest.

  “I see...” Aria stared off in the same direction as Rio, her reply tinged with faint confusion.

  I can’t see anything with the naked eye, so how did he...?

  Their current position made it impossible for them to see Erica—their view was blocked by trees, and they had no way of knowing where in the forest she was located. There was no way of seeing anything past ten meters away, and they hadn’t even spotted Erica once during their pursuit.

  Despite that, Rio continuously provided information as though he could see Erica inside the forest. Aria didn’t doubt his tracking abilities, but her confusion was understandable.

  However, it was possible that Liselotte was located within this forest. Depending on the situation, they may even end up launching an ambush attack. With that possibility in mind, Aria refocused herself.

  “There are two trained griffins beside them. Unfortunately, Liselotte isn’t here.”

  “Is that so...”

  It seemed that Erica wasn’t keeping Liselotte near herself.

  “If they’re going to travel by griffins from here, Liselotte was probably transported somewhere else...”

  Erica had made a beeline for this forest. It was unlikely for Liselotte to be anywhere nearby.

  Then, sure enough, Rio’s bad feeling was right on the mark.

  “It seems like they’re getting on the griffins and taking off.”

  “Following them on foot will be difficult...”

  It would be possible to run along if they enhanced their bodies with their enchanted swords, but their speed would fall in areas with varying elevation, and they would have to run while expending magic essence for extended periods of time.

  Pursuing in an open area would create the risk of the other party noticing them, so they were greatly disadvantaged by being on the chasing side. Because of this, Aria had a grim look on her face, but...

  “Then we’ll just follow them from the skies,” Rio said casually, as though that wasn’t an issue.

  “I’ve heard that your enchanted sword can grant the ability to fly, but...”

  All Aria knew was that Haruto Amakawa’s enchanted sword had the ability to control wind, which he could use to fly through the air. She had no idea of the specifics—how long he could maintain flight, how freely he could move about, and so on. She didn’t know the details of the ability, and she had never witnessed him fly in person.

  “The saint is exiting the forest.” As soon as Rio spoke, two griffins appeared from deep within the forest. Two figures resembling Erica and her bodyguard were riding them as they rose into the sky.

  “They’re flying northwest.” Aria could also see Erica on the griffin. With a fierce glare, she voiced the direction of their movement out loud.

  “They’ve just left the capital, so they’re probably being wary of pursuers. Her eyesight will be raised dramatically through her Divine Arms, so we’ll follow while keeping our distance. Please inform me immediately if you sense anything strange,” Rio directed with a serious look.

  “Right.”

  “And so, I’d like to begin following them by air, but...”

  When it came time for them to depart, Rio looked at Aria with an air of awkwardness.

  “...What?”

  ◇ ◇ ◇

  Some time later, in the skies above the outskirts of the capital...

  “I’m sorry... I’ve become a complete hindrance,” Aria apologized weakly from Rio’s arms.

  Since she didn’t possess a method of traveling through the air, Rio had to carry her in his arms as he flew. However, Rio and Aria weren’t quite friends. They were more than acquaintances, having sparred together at the training event hosted at the Galarc Castle, but they were nothing more than an instructor and an attendee at that event.

  Celia and Aria had a personal friendship, but Rio just considered Aria to be Liselotte’s attendant, and Aria merely saw Rio as an important friend of her master’s. The two maintained a proper sense of distance from each other.

  “No, I’m sorry as well...”

  The two were pressed together, flying through the sky, making for a rather awkward situation. Neither of them had particularly talkative personalities, which made them feel even more conscious of each other.

  “Why do you apologize, Sir Amakawa?”

  “I believe it’s inappropriate for an unmarried woman to be in such close contact with the opposite sex.”

  “You are aware I am not a noble, right...?” Aria blinked, showing a smile of faint amusement. It was the moment her expression, which had been strained with confusion until now, softened. That was enough to leave an impression on Rio.

  “I don’t think being a noble is relevant...” Rio said with a frown.

  “I’m saying such consideration is unnecessary, as I am not a noblewoman. If anything, it’s much more inappropriate for you, Sir Amakawa. You’re an unmarried nobleman carrying a woman you’re not engaged to.”

  “That’s even less relevant to being a noble.”

  “But there’s no denying that someone of your position should avoid getting involved with bad women. I fear my company will cause those around you to feel apprehension. I was so blinded by the saint, I completely failed to consider that when I asked to accompany you. Please accept my apologies,” Aria said regretfully.

  “I don’t believe you’re a bad woman, so that assumption is incorrect to begin with. It’s very reassuring to have you here, so please don’t apologize,” Rio said gently, showing consideration for Aria’s feelings.

  “Thank you... But why are you willing to go this far?”

  Rio cocked his head in confusion. “What do you mean by ‘this far’?”

  “As soon as the saint left the room, you acted on Lady Liselotte’s behalf before anyone else. You had only just returned to the castle, and were still lacking an understanding of the situation. Yet in spite of that...” Aria hesitated over her words apologetically, but Rio interrupted her bluntly.

  “Liselotte had been kidnapped. That was all I needed to know of the situation. She’s an important friend to me, and to those around me.”

  “...” His words were so confident, Aria

blinked in surprise.

  “If she’s in trouble, there should be something I can do about it. That’s why I just did what I could,” Rio explained.

  “Thank you very much... For acting to aid my master.”

  “It’s nothing to thank me for. You want to save Liselotte because you feel a stronger connection to her than just a regular master-servant relationship too, don’t you?”

  “Yes...”

  “Then your reason for acting is the same as mine. Let’s combine our strengths to rescue Liselotte.”

  “Thank— No. Let’s rescue her.”

  Aria was about to thank him again, but instead nodded resolutely.

  “And so, could you tell me about the saint while we move? I only know that she’s a hero that kidnapped Liselotte right now.”

  “The exact date and time are unknown, but it probably happened around the same time you and the others departed from the castle. The citizens of a minor nation to the northwest of Galarc revolted against the royal family. Leading the revolution was that woman, who created the Holy Democratic Republic of Erica in its place.”

  “She led the revolution over a kingdom, huh... She mentioned the abolition of the monarchy to His Majesty too.”

  Rio took in a light breath. It was clear that the saint was a dangerous person from their violent interaction in the castle, but her danger had risen to the level of overthrowing an entire nation.

  “She claims to be bringing salvation to the people—to the weak. That’s why she wants the monarchy to be abolished and the country handed to its people. I believe she used the same justification when leading the revolution.”

  “Considering the uproar she’s caused, she seems to have quite the initiative. No average person would ever consider leading a revolution to overthrow an existing government...”

  Why would a woman who had been summoned from Earth feel the need to do something as ambitious as leading a revolution in another world? Why did she need to go as far as declaring war on other kingdoms? Rio considered the possibilities.

  A revolution could not be created alone. It began with the ideas of one or more people who acted on their beliefs, gaining power by gathering like-minded comrades, creating a revolution as a result. Leading such a thing required a great amount of mental strength, far above that of the average person.

  If revolutions could be started over mere discontent at royalty and nobility, they would be a common occurrence. It was the tremendous amount of resolution required that made it so difficult to execute one.

  With his memories as Amakawa Haruto, who was born and raised in Japan, Rio could understand the issues of the class system of royalty and nobility. He had been the subject of plenty of prejudice from their children while attending the Royal Academy, but that hadn’t made him feel the need to start a revolution in Beltrum in retaliation.

  The only part of himself he could apply to the saint in an attempt to understand her was his vendetta against Lucius. Not everyone sought revenge just because they resented someone—but Rio did, and pursued his vengeance.

  That was because he couldn’t forgive him. There was something he couldn’t forgive, and that something caused strong enough emotions in him to enact his revenge. Did the saint have strong enough feelings about something to cause a revolution?

  Did something happen after she was summoned, causing her to resent those in power and start a revolution? Or did this world just happen to summon a radical with extreme initiative by coincidence...? Rio tried to imagine what motives the saint would have for causing a revolution.

  There was no doubt she was Japanese. That alone made it unlikely for her to be so dead set on destroying monarchies from the beginning. Amakawa Haruto had never seen a Japanese person set out to overthrow a government—and succeed—in his twenty years of life. She was just too different from his image of the average Japanese person. However, he still lacked information to profile the saint properly.

  “Why was Liselotte kidnapped by the saint in the first place?” he asked, seeking more information about her.

  “Everything started when she visited the estate in Amande. She sought the Ricca Guild’s power and came to recruit its president to her cause. She asked Lady Liselotte to lend her nation her strength.”

  “Of course, Liselotte refused that, right? So the negotiations fell apart, which was when she caused a commotion?”

  “That’s the general gist of it, yes.”

  “May I ask what the two of them discussed at the time, for reference?”

  “They began with the matter of scouting Lady Liselotte and the Ricca Guild, before she criticized the monarchy and declared that the country should be handed back to the people. Then...”

  “Then...?”

  Aria hesitated for a moment, making Rio prompt her to continue.

  “Umm, I actually haven’t informed His Majesty of this part, but the saint saw through Lady Liselotte’s secret. She apparently heard the name of a product upon arriving at Amande and realized the truth. The saint apparently excels at lipreading.”

  “I see...”

  “After she brought up Lady Liselotte’s secret, the two of them started questioning each other in turn. Lady Liselotte mostly asked about the saint’s background, but the saint only asked about trivial matters like her name and age from her past life, where she lived, and so on.”

  “Was there anything that struck you as odd in that conversation?”

  “When the topic shifted to my master’s secret, the saint’s personality suddenly... It softened until she was like another person, like a woman with a bright and warm personality... She said that that was her true self before she became a saint.”

  “Her true self before becoming a saint...” Something about that seemed off to Rio.

  “She said she was creating a world with no weakness, and that in order to do so, she was creating a democracy of the people, for the people, by the people. I don’t know what she meant, but she said it was part of her grand revenge.”

  “Grand revenge...”

  That didn’t sound very peaceful.

  In which case, something must have happened after she came to this world after all. Something so severe, it snatched away her peaceful values as a Japanese person... Since she’s advancing under the banner of abolishing monarchies, I guess it must be a grudge against people in power?

  Rio himself had dirtied his hands with vengeance in spite of his memories as someone from Japan. Of course, those who were transferred here were different from those reborn here, and it was his judgment as Rio that had made the ultimate choice, but he had certainly experienced inner conflict he wouldn’t have felt without the memories of his former self.

  Amakawa Haruto had only been able to enjoy his peaceful values as a Japanese person because Japan was peaceful. After personally experiencing the way human dignity and life were disregarded in this world, those peaceful values were naturally shaken. Rio was aware of that as well.

  What if the saint had experienced something horrible enough for her to seek revenge and create a revolution? That was Rio’s assumption, but...

  It’s pointless to hypothesize further at this point.

  He decided to stop thinking about the saint’s situation. He wanted to get a picture of her before attempting to rescue Liselotte, but making her into an emotionally relatable person based on speculation didn’t seem wise.

  “From what I’ve heard, it seems she views figures of power as her enemies... But since she kidnapped Liselotte after going out of her way to recruit her for the Ricca Guild’s power, it doesn’t sound like she sees Liselotte herself as a target of her resentment. Her willingness to do whatever it takes to achieve her goal is somewhat concerning, though...”

  If she wanted Liselotte’s cooperation, she wouldn’t resort to violent means immediately. That meant she would be safe for the near future, Rio surmised.

  “Yes. However, that woman merely appears to have an incoherent and forceful personality. I believe she’s actually calm and cunning, calculating everything carefully before taking action.”

  “Are you saying she’s acting that way on purpose?”

  “Yes. She may appear to be foolish, but she is no fool by any means. From her speech and conduct, it is clear she has received a proper education. She even said she was a scholar of some sort in her original world herself.”

 

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