15-33. The Golden Knights' Deployment (1)
15-33. The Golden Knights' Deployment (1)
※It's not from Satou's POV this time
"Ou, ye finished too?"
"Yaaas, got me some ee-edamame, gonna share 'em with others later."
"Thank ye. We got some smoked cheese in our home, take 'em with ya."
"Lookin' forward to 'em."
The villagers are having a carefree conversation.
This place is one of the mountains north of Shiga Kingdom that goes to the Fujisan Mountains, in the territory of Earl Muno.
One of the villages governed by Viceroy Brighton of Muno Earldom.
"Imma go to the city to sell some cheese, you selling too?"
"Gonna sell some dried fig. Ther' popular cos they said the viceroy's wife likes it."
"Lina-sama ain't the wife of viceroy-sama they said y'know."
"Was that a'ight? Ain't she gonna marry him once she got old enough?"
"Ya, she's pretty 'fter all, an' they said she's a daughter of some upper noble-sama."
Since Viceroy Brighton is often absent, the daughter of Viscount Emline, Lina Emlin is working as a magistrate in viceroy's place.
At first she was just a figurehead, but now she's shown her quick-wittedness, she can govern as a viceroy with no problem.
It's a pity that this fact is rarely passed on to the viceroy, Viscount Pendragon.
Their carefree life was disturbed by the God's Divine Messages.
Monsters that rarely show themselves began to attack the villages one after another.
However, there is no damage to the villagers and the domestic animals.
"Dog God-sama, thank yee."
"Cat Dog-sama too, thank ya."
The golems protecting the villages took care of the coming monsters, many villages held meat festivals for revering.
The people call and worship the golems as Gods, and the viceroy as Great God.
The Gods are seeking prayers by way of Divine Punishment, but it seems the people in this territory are far detached from that.
◇
"KARI--err, KUNGFU KIIIIIIIICK!"
The kungfu kick of a silver knight sank into the torso of a Hydra that attacked Muno City.
A four headed snake attacks the silver knight who's stopped moving.
Looks like she has successfully sealed her original technique name, [Karina Kick], thanks to the repeated special trainings.
"Impertinent, desuwa!"
The silver knight jumps off the torso and then does a rotating kick with her hands on the ground, mowing down the snake heads.
Another head grew back on the stump of the cut neck.
"Pochi and Tama would be happy if they're here desuwa."
She's sure that they would happily say, "Unlimited meat~?", "All you can eat nanodesu."
『Silver Kungfu! Don't let your guard down! The tail is coming.』
The deadly poisonous tail attacked the Silver Knight like a spear, but a scale-like light appeared in front of the knight right before it hit and stopped the tail.
It was an act that would expose the identity of Silver Knight Kungfu if there were people who saw it, but her special characteristic in the form of her breasts are already too pressing obvious, it just feels too little too late instead.
"Kungfu Spiral Punch!"
Whirlpool of blue light appears on Silver Knight Kungfu's arms, every time her fists gouge the hydra's torso, its tissue is destroyed such that its regeneration can't keep up.
The huge hydra used up all its strength before long, becoming a corpse in front of Muno City's gate.
The army of Muno Earldom is favorably fighting against the other monsters.
While no small feats were attributed to Chevalier Zotol for reorganizing the territorial army and the vice-captain Chevalier Hauto's commands, it's mostly thanks to the magic cannons and improved fire wands supplied by Echigoya Firm and the upgraded equipment and magic swords the soldiers carry.
"Next, it's just cleaning up the remnants right?"
A small dimensional airship that looks like a miniaturized light ship appears from the gap in space in front of the muttering Silver Knight Kungfu.
"Good work. Silver Kungfu-sama. We're going to the next battlefield, so please get on."
A small pilot peeking from the hatch prompted Silver Knight Kungfu.
The pilot is a brownie wearing futuristic-looking flight uniform.
◇
"Good work, Karina-sama."
"T-thank you, desuwa."
In front of the Silver Knight Kungfu--Karina who was resting in the living room of the Solitary Island Palace, her loved one presented her with some sweet yellow orange juice.
"How was Muno City?"
"Y-Yes, I defeated them with no problem."
Satou's line of sight was directed toward the silver ornament she wore.
『The city suffers no big damage. Karina-dono defeated some slightly strong Hydras. We didn't meet any master of dominion class of monsters.』
The one replying was the ornament--[<>] Raka.
Raka's master, Karina is prioritizing the resupply of sugar content.
Her bracelet made a ringing sound when he had her fill.
"Looks like we've arrived at the next battlefield desuwa."
"I'll prepare many things for dinner, please be careful not to get too late okay."
"Yes, I'm looking forward to it!"
While departing triumphantly, the thing in Karina's mind was probably not Satou but the dinner dishes.
It seems love affair still hasn't become her priority yet.
◇
"Monsters! It's a dead-end here so I inform!"
"As expected of Nana ane-san!"
"Wrong so I deny. Refer to me as Golden Knight White so I recommend."
Golden Knight White is holding back the overflowing monsters of Selbira Labyrinth by herself.
By all means, she's not Nana of Team Pendragon.
"Eh, but, that way of talking is Nana nee-san's 'rite?"
The muttering explorer was elbowed by his friend on the side.
"Idiot. Read the mood! --Go for it! Golden Knight White."
"Ain't that right-- yer' awesome! Golden Knight White."
It appears the explorers here have come to a tacit understanding.
And then, the explorers began to attack the stopped monsters like a surging wave.
And, on top of a spire of the western guild--.
"Mia-sama! Large monsters have crossed over the mountain from the Blue Territory."
"Mwu, Golden Knight Green."
"Pardon me, Mia-sama. No, Golden Knight Green-sama."
Boys of various fairykins gave their report while pointing at the southern mountain to the small Golden Knight Green who has confirmed another monster invasion besides the labyrinth's one.
"This is bad. Nagas and Colored Moles are coming from the northern mountain too!"
"Mwu, perplexity."
North and south.
The fairykin boys are looking pale at the prospect of a pincer attack by monsters.
"Nn, decided--"
Since her colleague is fully displaying her defensive capabilities below, Golden Knight Green activates a facility to assist the spirit creation while thinking that being found out poses no problem.
"--Activate, 『Fairy Hill』"
With Golden Knight Green at the center, rainbow colored Spirit Light is released.
It's the same Spirit Light her beloved emits.
"Spirit Enchantment. ■■■■■■...."
Golden Knight Green begins to chant while smiling satisfyingly.
It's the secret art of Spirit Magic--Spirit Creation spell whose use is restricted only for High Elves.
People who have Spirit Seer skill might shed tears if they saw the unfolding scene.
The spire was colored by such beautiful dances of Spirit Light and Spirits.
".... ■ ■ Magic Dragon King Creation <>"
Tiamat that looks as if it's composed of light flies in the sky.
"Annihilate the monsters."
By Golden Knight Green's order, Tiamat who's circling in the sky shoots out two breaths, annihilating the monsters at each ridges of the mountains afar.
From the excessive ridiculous power, cold sweat stream down on the cheeks of the girl under the helmet.
"Overkill?"
Golden Knight Green decides not to use it on the ground and hurriedly deport Tiamat back.
The battles on the ground still continue on, but Golden Knight Green who has judged that there is no turn for her begins to play a tune that rouses fighting spirit after drinking a honey-flavored magic recovery potion.
Encouraged by the heroic music, the explorers and the labyrinth army are determined to fight the monsters.
◇
"It's really peaceful."
"Y-yes-s, Lulu-sama."
"It really is, isn't it."
Golden Knight Black, Lulu Watari is looking at the peaceful town and the revived labyrinth below.
For some reason, the brownies accompanying her are behaving strangely.
"E-Echigoya Firm has confirmed that there's no sign of monster appearing from the labyrinth."
"The monsters there are drying up in the first place, it might be better for us to be vigilant of the monster domains instead of the revived labyrinth."
The brownies who came with her on an airship disclosed the newly acquired information beside Lulu.
"Monsters-san aren't coming are they."
Silence rules the place for a while.
I wonder what's wrong, Lulu cutely tilts her head.
After looking at each others, one of the brownie begins to talk after readying itself.
"No no no, that's cause Lulu-sama shot them all down even before they came into view!"
Since awhile ago, Lulu has been tepidly sniping down every wyverns and serpent dragons who showed themselves from behind the mountain with her Accelerated Gun.
She did it so naturally one might have misunderstood, but frankly speaking, it's pretty much a superhuman feat.
The pace is so high even the 20 gargoyles working to gather the dropped materials can't keep up with it.
Lulu contemplated for a while, but unable to quite comprehend the issue, she repeats the same words from earlier.
"It's really peaceful."
"Yes, you're absolutely right."
It must be can't be helped for the brownies' tones to sound slightly stiff.
◇
"Invitation to a tea party?"
"Yes, there is not much time until the time your highness has promised Meltina-sama and Bontenyu-sama."
When Princess Shistina came to her private room in Shiga Kingdom's Capital from the Solitary Island Palace, a court lady who looked relieved caught her.
Princess Shistina pondered for a bit, and then she remembered that she had accepted an invitation to a tea party from her sister of different mother and the second queen.
Usually Princess Shistina would have declined such an invitation, she was confounded why she accepted this one, but then she remembered that they asked her to appraise a rare magic book as a pretext so she couldn't refuse it.
The court lady asked her if she wished to change, she said I'm fine like this and then walked to the salon where the tea party was held.
Court ladies and maids hurriedly chased after princess Shistina.
"Shistina-sama, Sir Pendragon has not returned yet?"
"Yes, unfortunately, Satou won't come back until after he visited the countries along the course."
Princess Shistina replied with an answer she had prepared at the expected question.
"It's really an unusual magic book isn't it? I wonder if this is ancient language?"
"Yes, that appears to be the case. Perhaps the knowledgeable Sir Pendragon could read it?"
Princess Shistina gave an evasive answer, "Well, I wonder about that? I won't know before showing this to him", even while thinking, "Satou who can even read language from the Age of Gods must be able to read this."
Even if she can't read it, she memorizes the characters on the title and decides to check it later.
"Slaying a demon lord is an achievement ranking next to Ancestor King Yamato-sama."
"Yes, it's a great deed done without God Parion's blessing and talisman like Hero Hayato-sama's followers. "
"Shistina-sama has really make a wonderful gentleman hers."
The girls who sneered at her behind her back when they heard her getting engaged to Sir Pendragon, "She's getting late married to some upstart viscount", completely ignored their own shortcoming and looked at Princess Shistina enviously.
"Was that dress given by Sir Pendragon too?"
"It's so wonderful, it looks like Jade Silk, but it's even more supple and--has more mystical luster to it."
"It's like.... the Fairy Silk in the fairy tale."
Princess Shistina's dress is a rare article made from Fairy Silk that only appears in fairy tales, it's the meticulous work of the forest fairy, elves and the house fairy, brownies.
No matter how great an authority one holds, it's something that cannot be obtained unless one prepares to part with wealth enough to buy a country.
Just when the envious stares of the queen and the princess became unpleasant, a retainer came with a bad news informing the arrival of a crowd of monsters on the mountain.
She was going to use this chance to escape the tea party, but unfortunately, her turn never came.
Her golem army didn't even need to fight the monsters, Liza and Tama who got the information from Echigoya Firm--Golden Knight Orange and Golden Knight Pink destroyed them instead.
The traces of destruction at the actual site didn't look like they were made by people, and with many pools of blood left at it.
Mysteriously, not even one body of the monsters remained.
Princess Shistina who got the information from her reconnaissance Drone Golems thought, now that we got the meat, we're having meat dishes at dinner tonight.
◇
"Sera, are you feeling unwell?"
"Head Miko--No, Lily-sama. It's nothing."
The two are facing each other in the Sanctuary of Tenion Temple in Duchy Capital.
Being inside the tranquil sanctuary is enough to heal your heart.
However, according to the story she heard from her beloved, there's a high chance to establish a conversation with God Tenion here.
She can't talk carelessly here.
"What do Gods expect from people?"
Thus, she spun words with a safe content.
『Gods expect for people's devoted prayers and gratitudes for their happy life--however, they have even forgotten to do such trivial things.』
"Lily-sama--"
Sera was going to call Lily who suddenly spoke, but then she immediately perceived that it was the words of God Tenion through Lily and stopped herself.
『And then, they seek greater prosperity each days, be envious of others, and finally become a slave of their desire.』
Sensing sublime divinity from Lily, Sera's thought is filled with awe changing to revere, she couldn't even blink.
『Why are the taboo taboo. Why do Gods who love people conduct such a merciless act. My dear Miko, gentle girl, ask your own heart, seek the answer.』
Before long the divinity that had filled the sanctuary lapses, and she can finally regain control of her unmovable paralyzed-like body.
"Tenion-sama--"
While hugging the unconscious Lily, Sera held deep gratitude at the God who had personally given her troubled self a pointer.