After leaving the room, I went to see some documents that Ixion printed. There are no printers or typewriters, so I had to (well, he had to) make one.
The documents said the same thing: that I am innocent and that I am now the sub-Supreme Commander since Liam is the real one.
Is it weird that I say that after everything that happened a while ago?
Of course not!
Who the hell would listen to a teenager with no important lineage like me!?
Obviously, no one, and even if it weren't me, I'd do the same.
A guy who doesn't even know his own mother wants to order me to die?
Am I mentally challenged?
Obviously not.
That's why Liam is my scapegoat.
Even if they die, they'd blame him and not me. He's the future king, so deal with it.
I gave the documents to the drones, and they went to distribute them—or rather, throw them all over the capital.
There's also the communication problem.
For a while now, there's been no way to communicate with the nobles in the countryside; there's some kind of interference.
So I created (Ixion) a megaphone and speakers to communicate the situation.
Then, the King spoke, and only then did those bastards start mobilizing.
The main situation until we set sail to fight is to evacuate the civilians and non-combatants.
Ixion notified me that my family was coming here. I told him to send them a message to evacuate without me. I don't expect anything from them anyway, so they'll be safer evacuating.
After several minutes of watching people running, a knight called me to go to the indicated place.
Everyone I needed was gathered, with some exceptions.
The place was a secret door hidden in a banquet hall. Some magical torches lit up, and stairs appeared.
We went down to see that damned ship.
◇
Several minutes of walking through what was a conquered dungeon. We were approaching a light; upon crossing it, we found an ancient underground hangar.
The place was filled with artisans and thaumaturgies.
A strange old man came running toward the King.
"Your Majesty! Is it true that today is the day it will work?"
"...I can't answer you, Ralph. Viscount Bradford seems to know about it without even being told."
He looked at me; the King looked at me when he said that.
Is he annoyed?
The strange old man approached me and then asked questions about what Ixion was and if he could touch him.
Ixion, of course, got angry and electrocuted the poor guy.
We walked and observed the place; it was definitely an ancient hangar with stone pillars. According to Ixion, the construction was human-made.
I turned my head back to look at the structure, unintentionally seeing the people who came.
On the left was Erselica, a bit depressed, and behind her, Liam and the others.
On the right were Airi and Alisa; their expressions were of astonishment since it was the first time they saw this.
I don't understand why so many came?
According to her, we only need Airi and Liam to turn it on, right?
I don't complain about Alisa being here, but why did the others come?
"...And, do you know how it works to know of its existence?"
The King spoke to me; I didn't know how to respond since Ixion was the one who found it days before all this madness started.
"...I just found it by chance; I don't know how it works."
I told him that so he wouldn't think I'm even weirder.
Beside him was the Queen, who was avoiding not only looking at me but also at the King; her face pointed anywhere but in our direction.
Is she angry?
I hope not; it would devastate me to know that the only beautiful mature woman I know hates me.
Finally, we reached the end of the hangar.
I won't lie; it's impressive.
The object in front of us was an aircraft not so similar to Brynhild. It was 200 or 300 meters long. Its appearance was beautiful; it was white, and the hull was gray.
It was almost similar to Brynhild but without embedded weapons, except for a large cannon in the center.
It was anchored to the ground and had several marks from having been attacked.
Ixion informed me.
"It seems to be from a generation after mine. It received damage to the engine, so it came for repairs, but they never finished."
I kept observing it.
But it was Ixion who ruined the atmosphere.
"Even if it's serious damage, my little one would never have been left in such conditions. Also, it seems no one knew how to repair it and left it like that. Even the humans who tried to repair it did a terrible job; I could do it in less than an hour and still create more."
He's annoyed; Ixion is very annoyed since, according to Erselica, this ship supposedly defeated Brynhild in the game.
I understand a little since I also wouldn't believe that super technology would lose against this.
I was taking a look until I noticed something. There was writing on the side of the ship, engraved with something like gold. I didn't understand what it said.
The King noticed my curiosity and, while walking with the Queen inside the ship, said.
"We don't know what it says there; the message and its meaning are also unknown. But all we know is that this ship is proof that the Saint existed and that this is her legacy for the day she returns and we need her again..."
The King suddenly fell silent; I can imagine the reason.
I directed my face to look at a certain girl and a certain boy. Both had expressions of not wanting to be here.
Ixion spoke once more.
"Master, I finished analyzing this junk."
"Don't call it that! Well, what did you find out?"
Ixion used cold words to make everyone feel worse.
"Its physical and defensive capabilities are a joke; there are no more weapons than that cannon or a defense system; at most, it's good for a stroll."
(Hey, shut up; you're making the situation very dark for everyone. Heartless scrap metal!)
I was about to tell him that right now until he said something that wasn't an insult.
"...That said, there is something strange about this ship."
"Strange?"
Ixion directed his eye from my face to the ship, then projected an image in the air.
It was a hole in the deck near the bow; it looked like a ring. He proceeded to explain what it was.
"There's something strange about its mechanism; I don't know what it is, and I can't identify it either. Everything is designed with simple components; the only weird thing is an area connected to that hole that I can't identify."
If this braggart said that, it means it's truly something unimaginable.
The King and Queen called me to come up too. Upon boarding, I found something weird that Ixion didn't tell me.
They were in front of an entrance leading inside; the door was steel, but on one side was something too similar to my previous life.
I had no experience with it, but I remember it from many TV shows where I saw it: it was a fingerprint identification panel, the type where you have to place your hands for it to grant access.
I was surprised to see this, and more so in a world that is supposed to be a game.
I looked at Their Majesties, but both looked strange.
"...Are you ready?"
"...I hope it works this time."
I don't understand what was wrong with them, but both placed their hands on the identifier.
Then, a strange sound rang out.
"Error detected! Incompatibility between man and woman! Man: 2 points. Woman: 29 points."
A strange electronic voice sounded; it was very mechanical, more so than Ixion; in fact, it was like a recorded message repeated after a bad action.
The identifier was dark, and then a red light turned on.
I was stunned by that, but my surprise didn't end there. A new voice sounded, and it was of Their Majesties—not the ones present with me, but from the identifier.
"...It's boring being King; I want Liam to take the throne so I can go fishing."
"Aren't you ashamed that a boy the same age as your son says improper things to your wife! To top it off, I felt really happy to know that even at this age, I still seem attractive to men. Also, why did you let Balzac almost get away with it? Are you useless without Mayer or what?"
Words that were the living voices of Their Majesties played from the panel.
The Queen was next to the King; like a little girl, she quickly hit his forearm.
"Ouch, what's wrong with you!"
"What do you mean by going fishing?! You want to retire without having done anything useful! You didn't even manage to leave another heir with the concubines I selected for you! I felt like a real idiot thinking I was the problem, but you were having fun without even delivering the final blow!"
"This is not the place to shout that, you know! And I'm the one who should be shouting at you. What's this about feeling happy that you're considered sensual at an old age? You've lost the age where you were pretty before; now you're a wrinkled prune; that's why they hang you!"
"You're the worst husband in the world! If I had known your brother was going to die, I would have married him and been a single Queen; that way, I wouldn't have an incompetent husband and King!"
"I feel the same! There are many young girls who want to be the King's mistress; the problem is I don't want more children. You see what happened to Liam because you didn't hit him when it was your obligation to raise him!"
"My fault, you say?! I was too busy dealing with your lovers who came demanding the crown or riches for those children who didn't even have your hair to be yours! To top it off, I had to have them investigate the time they came to corroborate that information! It's thanks to me that a useless person like you hasn't led this kingdom to bankruptcy!"
"You're an old witch who's happy a teenager considers her sensual!"
"And you're a useless person whose idiot genes your son inherited! A-and no one has said anything about me liking being looked at like that... it's just a feeling of repulsion at that audacity!"
"Your red face and smile from cheek to cheek when he said he loved your fat hips say otherwise!"
"I-insolent!"
The Queen hit him with her arms, and the King used his cloak to cover himself.
I had heard things I never expected to hear in my life.
Unintentionally, I looked at the other people, and everyone averted their faces and covered their ears.
Alisa and Airi did too, except for the four nuisances.
I walked to the smallest pest, took her hand, and we headed to a distant part so no one could hear us.
As I walked, Ixion informed me that everyone's eyes focused on our clasped hands. It's not that I want to do it, but if I don't, it would seem more like I'm doing something perverse.
After moving away, I pointed at the ship.
"Well, tell me, what's the catch? All of this is very weird."
She, with her arms slightly raised, touched her fingers, forming a circle.
Her voice was very tiny; I asked her again to repeat it louder. After telling her to use more force, she shouted.
"The machine only responds to true feelings between a man and a woman! If the relationship between them is incompatible, a message will appear saying their true feelings toward the person they don't want to see!"
She immediately covered her mouth; I took a glance at Their Majesties, and they were still arguing.
Ixion asked her now.
"I understand. It seems to have a kind of very frivolous lie detector. And what happens if their feelings are true?"
I also looked at her when he said that.
"Let me explain its function more clearly. In the game, a situation was installed to demonstrate that the love between the protagonist and the heroine was true."
I felt nauseous hearing that.
"It was the meter there."
"Meter?" I asked, very curious.
"Yes. In the game, a number of points was shown, and that number was from 1 to 100. If you got a lower score than destined, a red light and a negative voice would appear, saying true comments from their heart."
"I think I understand this a bit more. And if you got the destined score, what happened?"
"Well... if the love between both gave 100, a different voice and a blue tone would appear, followed by their honest feelings."
"That seems very generic, that attempt to prove your love."
"That's because there were complaints from the developers to the programmers about whether there was love or an attempt to make it. And, as you can see... they decided to put this to prove it."
"...What trash programmers they were. Tell me, how much of that love do we need? There must be some reason why love prevents it from being turned on and also being able to defeat Brynhild."
"That never happened and never will; please stop lying."
I used my hand to gently toss him to the other side since he was very annoying.
Erselica fell silent and murmured in a low voice again; I told her to speak louder because I couldn't hear anything.
Her mouth was in the shape of a W from opening and closing it until I forced her to explode.
"A 100! If those two don't get a score of 100, that piece of junk won't turn on! It doesn't matter if you get 50, 75, or 99! If it's not a perfect 100-point score of true love, it will never turn on!"
"Master."
I hit my head with my palm when I heard that; truly, this was trash. Then Ixion called me.
I looked at him, and he just pointed with his eye for me to look back.
Upon doing so, I was startled.
Both Alisa, Airi, the other three, along with Their Majesties, were watching and listening to us; the strange old man too, which made it more terrifying.
"So..."
"It works with love..."
Alisa and Airi said that while looking at the ship.
Their Majesties had faces that questioned how she knew that but started arguing instead.
"You see, I told you all those messages were due to something very important we were missing!"
"And what does that matter? You never showed love or affection toward me, not even when you had Liam inside!"
"You were supposed to be my first love since I had never experienced it before! The disappointment of any girl who expects her future husband to be a magnificent man was destroyed in seconds when you burped in front of me! My pregnancy state was very delicate, and my mood too; don't compare it to you, who was happily entering our room with various girls!"
"It's my duty as King to engender more than one heir in case the defective product from your womb was!"
"Don't call our son that!"
"Shut up, you old people!"
Liam suddenly revived and hit his parents as if in a violent movie. He grabbed Erselica's hand and led her toward the direction of the ship. We all heard what his heart said without the family-destroying machine.
"I know I've shown you the worst of me and that I don't deserve your forgiveness! I still have a pain in my heart regarding Klein, but I want you to know!"
He stopped to turn around and, while holding her hands, took a breath and then shouted at the top of his lungs.
"Erselica-san—no, Erselica, I love you! I've never felt this way with anyone; my chest wanted to tell you, but I was terrified you'd reject me or there was someone else! But I don't care about anything anymore! I'll say it as many times as necessary, and I'll prove it to you!"
Immediately after shouting it, they walked quickly to the machine to place their hands. I also approached to see since I needed true feelings for it to function, so these two might achieve it.
Their hands were placed; Liam was brimming with energy, while Erselica didn't want to look at Liam due to the embarrassment in her gaze.
Then, the moment of truth finally arrived.
"Impossible error! Man: 99 points. Woman: -200 points."
My mouth opened like a pufferfish upon hearing that disaster.
The torment of the message began.
"Erselica, I want to be with you forever! I'd throw away my title and crown just for you; be mine."
"Truly, the prince is the worst. What's the use of him being attractive or the future King when he's an idiot? I wish he were affectionate or kind like my brother; I don't want him to be the same, at least that he always spoils me."
(What the hell do you mean by being affectionate with you?! I never treated you like that, and I won't! You disgust me; get away from me!)
After thinking how unpleasant that was, Chlust jumped and removed Liam, who seemed demotivated about wanting to live anymore.
He also took her hands and confessed his true feelings.
"Erselica, I know I'm not smart, but I still disappointed you by not being there for you!! I love you, and I'll do anything to prove I'm worthy of your trust and love! Listen to my heart and its truth!"
He placed his hand; Erselica didn't remove hers, but I saw her looking at it since she placed it with Liam.
"Critical error! Man: 99 points! Woman: 12 points!"
Now Chlust was a victim of Erselica's heart.
"I love Erselica; I'd give my life for her, even if it means going against the prince or my father!"
"Chlust is an idiot! Every time I see him, I imagine a big, burly red ape. What's the use of having muscles when his brain is tiny? My brother isn't muscular, but he is smart... something, but more than Chlust and Liam combined, he is."
(Stooop! They'll think badly of me if you keep mentioning me, even though no one else knows it!)
(Frey, don't go up, I beg you!)
I grabbed the last of the main characters so he wouldn't fall into the destructive flame that was the heart of this little assassin.
I immediately ran to Ixion to ask him to stop this massacre while I heard Frey entering his tomb with his mouth.
"Like His Highness, I will also call you by your name, Erselica. Regardless of the outcome, I want you to know my true heart; only you own it."
His hand was placed; I shook Ixion to stop him, but he kept looking at the ship until the death signal sounded.
"Fatal error! Man: 100 points. Woman: 39 points."
"Erselica, I love you so much that I could kneel before my father to have him remove my title as heir and his legacy of being the next strategist defender of the kingdom."
"Ixion, stop this massacre, please!"
I shouted at him, but he did nothing; Erselica's female voice sounded, and I covered my ears so as not to hear it.
"Frey... thank you; you're weird, but I appreciate your feelings."
I removed my hands to hear a miracle; I thought the green one would be the most criticized.
But he was the healthiest of all; I looked at Frey, who clenched his fist in tears to claim victory.
Ixion finally spoke to me after being silent for a long time.
"Master, I did a scan based on how those three confessed their useless feelings; they turned out to be good guinea pigs for being useless."
I really want to hit him.
"When the hand is placed, a scan is performed through the fingerprint, thus managing to analyze a pattern of their DNA, showing a very accurate approximate response of what that person would say."
I stared at him since I didn't understand anything he was saying.
He looked at me too; he seemed annoyed that I didn't understand.
"To summarize, what is said is what the person who placed their hand might say; it can't read the heart; it's impossible and absurd."
"Thanks."
I kept looking at the ship while Ixion continued speaking.
"The only weird thing besides the mysterious thing connected there is that the panel has space not for two but for three people to read their hands. I don't understand why they did it, but it seems to be more than just something ridiculous like reading love."
(If he says it was created for something more, what could it be? The reason for making it like this makes no absolute sense to me.)
My mind was thinking about what to do with this thing that made no sense.
"Ixion, it seems you'll have to use your technology and make it turn on. I don't know if it can be useful to us, but... hey, you two. What are you doing? Let me go, let me go!"
Out of nowhere, while talking to Ixion, Alisa grabbed my left arm and Airi the other. They pulled my arms forcefully; the destination seemed to be toward the ship.
That means!
"Wait, you two! What's wrong with you?"
"Rudel, it's time, once and for all, for you to show us what we mean to you!"
"That's right, Rudel-san, we just want to know if you see us as your friends or something more!"
"Hah? What are you talking about? Let me go, please!"
We were getting closer to boarding the ship.
"It will only take a moment, Rudel; after that, we'll have a talk about our relationship."
"You've been very lying, and it's time for you to show us your true feelings, Rudel-san."
"It's very interesting; I support it."
Ixion decided to betray me and used his body to push my back.
"Master, it may be just a machine with possible options, but it would undoubtedly be very good for you to understand your own feelings."
"What are you talking about?!"
We were already boarding; the girls used magical power to pull me with more strength. I used my legs to cling to the railing.
"Rudel, we just want to know what we are to you!"
"We are your friends, but even we want to know if we'll always be!"
"What are you talking about again? I don't want to! I don't know what you want to know about me, but whatever comes out of my head should stay there!"
I don't know the reason for being after me, but I won't allow myself to be humiliated by that machine about the possible reason of that heart regarding you.
"Master..."
Ixion stopped pushing me to move in front of my face and speak to me.
"If you don't go willingly now, I'll show those two and the Queen the videos with audio of what you've been doing at night."
"Damn traitor! How do you have that?"
"I have eyes everywhere. Now, go so everyone knows what you really feel, or they'll give you a look of disgust you'll never be able to redeem yourself from."
"Damn enemy of humanity!"
"Thank you."
Upon hearing that, I stopped using force, and the girls dragged me to the panel.
I was face-to-face with what would surely harm me.
Alisa and Airi tightly grabbed my arms after crossing theirs.
I didn't understand why they did that, and the same for why their faces were red.
I saw that the panel had space for three hands, just as Ixion said...
Why is there space for a third hand?
The girls spoke to me.
"...Rudel, are you ready?"
"...Rudel-san, please, tell us your true feelings."
(No one wants to know what I really think.)
My right hand, like the girls', rose, and in unison, we placed our hands on the panel and...
"Congratulations!"
A blue light shone, then changed to red.
"Incalculable error! Could not detect who's the 100 points were, but the women scored blue. The problem here is the man; his dishonesty reaches a level of denial where his mind, heart, and soul don't even know what to choose! Also cannot calibrate or verify who's all the 'I love you's with excess are! Requires re-entering hands for [Liebe] to start or until its captain does it manually."
"...Alisa, I don't understand anything. And you?"
"...The truth is, it's all so confusing and makes no absolute sense to me. Rudel, what do you say about trying again?"
"..."
"...Rudel? What's wrong that you suddenly go silent?"
"Rudel-san? ...Alisa, Rudel-san's eyes are looking upward, and he's not breathing!"
"Rudel!? Ixion, help us!"
"Master? Answer!"
"Master!"
"Rudel, please react!"
"Rudel-san, what's wrong with you!?"
◇
(Where am I?)
For some strange reason, I can't speak or open my eyes; I can only think, and a strange white room also appears in my head.
(What is this place?)
(Did I die of shame because the girls heard my honest and perverse feelings about them?)
(I hope not; I really want to be with them, and something like that would destroy our friendship.)
I still didn't understand anything; it's almost like the feeling when I died. A place where time doesn't know if it exists, and I can only think.
I can "feel" turning my head, unlike that time, but all there is a white place I can't identify as big or small.
(...Huh? And that?)
I could "see" a transparent white shadow approaching. The white shadow stopped and rose to take an almost human silhouette.
Little by little, it seemed to take the human appearance of a woman with a long dress, something like a staff or scepter in her hand, and... short hair that seemed to sway for no reason.
She approached me, but then retreated for no reason; each time she seemed more and more human, but out of nowhere, the room, or place, began to crack due to a strange black slime that ran through the place.
Her body was almost visible; there were parts that weren't and others that were. I concentrated only on the area of her hair, which was light blonde... that hair reminded me a lot of Airi, even her lips; they moved to tell me something with a beautiful tone of voice but with fear.
"Please... protect... the..."
(Huh?)
"...Love... love... will help you..."
(What are you talking about?)
"...Don't allow... the impostor to awaken..."
(Impostor? I don't understand, and who are you?)
The room grew darker, and she became blurry.
"The sky... beware of the impostor who sleeps... that girl... protect her."
(I don't understand anything you're saying!? Is someone in danger?)
"...Aster... go to Aster... before... the darkness takes over the light..."
"Hurry... the one called 'god' is an accomplice of the impostor... the day... when the sky... falls upon the earth... no one will be able to stop it..."
She tried to approach me; her mouth said things that made no sense. The terrifying thing was that the black slime approached more, and "she" cried more.
"Please... this time... trust... in love..."
The shadow seemed to rise and become something strange and inhuman behind her.
"...Save the light... only love can do it..."
"Rudel!!!"
◇
I had just woken up; the hangar covered the sky; my vision adjusted more and more.
Who was she, and more importantly, was that real or just a hallucination?
Aster?
Love?
The light and the darkness?
What the hell is happening here? I don't understand, but what matters to me now is the magnificent and pleasant sensation under my head.
When my eyes cleared completely, I saw the girls looking at me.
Alisa was on my left, and Airi on my right.
Both were crying for some reason until they noticed my open eyes.
"Rudel, you finally woke up!"
"Please, don't scare us like that again!"
Both were crying for me; that made my heart hurt for some reason. Oh, that's right; since I'll discard my title after solving this war, I'll be separated from them because not only could I not return to the academy, but I'll also retire to the countryside.
It would be nice to meet again, but that would bother their possible fiancés a lot when they graduate.
Truly, how annoying it will be not to see them again.
"Master."
Ixion approached me; I still couldn't move for some reason.
"What's up?" I asked, very curious, since he just looked at me from his position.
"Look back."
I couldn't move my body yet; it was almost like having slept wrong and slowly regaining sensation. My head could be moved, so I moved it to see what this strange guy was saying.
Behind me were all those present.
For some reason, everyone was giving me looks of disappointment, the kind I give when looking at them.
The three idiots looked at me as if they were superior to me; Liam spoke to me while covering Erselica's eyes.
"It shouldn't surprise me coming from you, since you're that kind of man after all."
Hey, don't try to mock me, you rejected idiot prince.
Then I looked at Their Majesties; the King put his hand on his head and repeatedly shook his head; meanwhile, the Queen had her face covered with her hands, though there was an opening between them to see me.
Her face was red, and then she uttered strange words.
"...That's normal because, after all, he's a very healthy young man! It's also an involuntary reaction; no one could foresee this; don't feel bad, it's part of growing up... although, I think the word 'growing' is a bit much in your case, don't you think?"
What is she talking about?
I could already feel my hands and soon the rest.
I looked at the girls, who immediately averted their faces from me.
What's going on?
Alisa and Airi spoke in a low voice so only I could hear, and in a very embarrassed manner, like their faces.
"I know we told you we wanted to know your honesty, but you know, Rudel? I don't think that's the kind of honesty I meant?"
"Rudel-san... I-I've heard that when you're under a lot of stress, something like this is normal, but I didn't imagine how much stress you had accumulated... so... please. You should have done it in private before coming!"
I didn't understand what they meant or why they looked away.
I could finally feel my feet; I had regained sensation in my body.
...Sensation.
My body had something weird; no, rather, it was my pants that felt very uncomfortable.
They were very tight, and for some reason, I felt they were about to explode.
(N-no, don't tell me that!?)
Slowly and in panic, I lifted my head to check the discomfort of my pants.
Upon lifting enough to see, I was horrified to see how my little Battler was in attack position, ready to go out to the battlefield.
The worst part is that that wasn't its normal size; I didn't even think it could stand out so much that it looked like a weapon.
How long was it like that, and even more, how long has it lasted like that?
Ixion approached me as if he had guessed what I was thinking.
Immediately, I stood up to cover myself.
"I don't know what to tell you sincerely; you fell unconscious for no reason. They both used their legs as pillows; everyone came up worried about you. Then, your body began to be honest, and all those present watched it rise and want to leave there. I think you've captured the attention of all the women except Erselica; as your servant, I'm happy that women are attracted to at least one part of you."
I didn't hear what he was saying; instead, I turned halfway and then.
"This is the most embarrassing day of my entire life! Uwahhh!"
My face truly became that of a crybaby, and while covering this naughty one with my hands, I ran out crying.
The girls called me, but at this moment, I don't want anyone to see me.
I want to bury myself in a hole and die there!
My tears flowed like waterfalls while I seemed to suffer some school trauma upon seeing a sensual teacher.
◇
"Life is horrible..."
"It would be better if I disappeared..."
"No one will wonder where I am since eating dirt is normal..."
I was sitting in a fetal position with a look of having lost my reason for living.
After all, many, especially the women, saw my little Battler greeting.
This can't be erased; I want to enter a hole and never come out.
"Master."
Ixion approached me to speak; minutes before entering the room assigned to me by the palace to rest, I threw him out so he wouldn't spy on me while I drained energy from my Battler.
It was a very sweaty battle that I didn't even enjoy.
I looked at him with a face of pain that seemed like my normal face.
"After you ran, I made sure to call the robots and my assistant to repair the ship and make it work by other means."
After listening to him and before giving my response, someone knocked on the door; after asking who it was.
"Instructor!?"
I immediately opened it.
My instructor entered with a tea cart.
We sat on the sofa, and he dedicated himself to preparing it without uttering a single word.
When I was about to ask the reason for his visit.
"Rudel-san."
He beat me to it with an unexpected question.
"Are you afraid of going to war?"
I was stunned for a few moments before answering him; he finished preparing the tea and served it to me.
I brought my hand to take it and—
"Instructor, this tea is cold."
He served me cold tea; that's strange for a man who follows the path of order.
Is there something weird here?
He served himself the same tea after taking a seat.
When he drank it, I could hear the sound of him being burned.
Then I looked at it again; I noticed that a bit of steam came out of it.
What's going on?
"Rudel-san."
I looked at him when he called me.
"Since I entered, I noticed you were very scared. I don't think it's the problem that happened with the ministers but because of what will happen soon."
"What do you mean?" I asked, curious.
"It's a fact that you will go to war along with the others. You are afraid of losing someone important, aren't you?"
Hearing that stopped my hand.
I don't have important people other than the girls and my family; I would feel bad if something happened to the idiots.
"Instructor, I think you're mistaken about me. I'm not that kind of person."
"Is that true? Why did you want to be Supreme Commander and pass it to the prince through the letters to the others that His Highness was responsible?"
"So that everyone would obey me, obviously; no one would listen to me if Liam weren't."
"You're mistaken."
"Huh?"
"If you truly cared about the title, you wouldn't have problems telling many to die. But by passing it to the prince, you're sending all the responsibility to him, leaving you exempt from the blame of those who will die."
I didn't know how to respond; I said that if they died, it would be all Liam's fault... but, in truth, I subconsciously avoided all the blame.
Am I really that obvious?
"Rudel-san, I'm not trying to blame you for anything. I just want your will in what you do to save more of those who will die. I have also fought, and my hands are stained; life is like that. Just because you're going to do something you don't like doesn't mean you'll be a monster."
My eyes, fallen into the tea, looked at him.
"Instructor. If I become the greatest of demons, won't the people important to me despise or abhor me?"
He took a sip of tea before answering me, looking into my eyes.
"They will surely hate you, but not your family or friends—your enemies. But that doesn't concern you because, as a knight, your duty is to protect your own. Just think about what would happen if you fail?"
Upon hearing that, immediately, an image of the girls fleeing from soldiers passed through my head; my family was also fleeing.
"I will never allow that to happen!"
I shouted unintentionally, and he looked at me with eyes that said, "Then, you must not doubt."
I calmed down and drank my tea.
"Instructor, no, mentor."
"Yes?"
"This tea, is it chamomile with sour lemon, right? Its flavor is strong but very delicious."
He laughed upon hearing it.
"Indeed, that's right; I thought a strong but sweet flavor would improve it."
"Thank you; if you'll excuse me, I'll go save this country."
I said goodbye to him and went outside; Ixion at my side asked me.
"Master. What will you do now?"
"There was a slight change of plans; you can repair that ship, but I won't use it the same way, nor the allies."
"What do you mean?"
My steps were strong as I walked.
"Only the two of us will go with all your technology. I'll make the Commonwealth, the Kingsfort's, and this world understand. How terrifying the villain Rudel can be!"
I walked to the room where Their Majesties were.
"...Also, this time will be the last time the girls know about me."
(This is goodbye forever. Alisa... Airi... be happy.)