Chapter 64: Oath of Loyalty

If you had arrived a little earlier, everything would have been settled peacefully…! Without noticing my unreasonable glare, Leon Remus Traumerei, the heir to the Traumerei Viscount House, after greeting the Empress, the Empress Dowager Grandmother, and Father and the others, ran over to Elliott and Jean.

“Long time no see, Leon.” “Yo, Leon. Been well?” “Yes. Your Highness the Crown Prince and Lord Jean seem unchanged as well.”

Elliott and Jean speak casually to Leon, who ran up to them. These three (well, us too) are the same age. They occasionally meet at parties in the Royal Capital, so they are somewhat acquainted. However, in ‘Starlight Symphony’, Leon only appears as a bit player because he’s in a different class. The potion used by the protagonist Estelle in the game to paralyze the magic beasts summoned by the Villainess Sakuraile… that was made by this Leon, wasn’t it. That bit player gets promoted to a new capture target in the sequel, ‘Starlight Symphony 2: Re-enactment’. In a sense, he’s the biggest success story. But to think he was wearing glasses even from this time. Leon is positioned as a so-called intellectual character. If it were a Sentai show, Jean would be Red and Leon would be Blue, but he’s not strangely pretentious or cynical. Like Elliott, he’s a serious honor student type. However, when it comes to medicinal herbs or magic potions, he’s a potion otaku and plant otaku to the point of losing himself. Well, his territory is a habitat for medicinal herbs and a mecca for magic potion production, so I feel it can’t be helped. Furthermore, he has a ‘Gift’ called [Drug Creation] too.

“Is that so, to Harmonia…” “Is Leon on his way back to his territory?” “Yes. Valuable medicinal herbs can only be gathered at this time of year, so I’m returning from gathering them.” “You went to gather them yourself? Couldn’t you just ask someone else?” “No good. The effect of the medicine can differ greatly depending on how it’s gathered, you know? If I leave it to others, I can’t create something I’m satisfied with, can I? In the first place, medicinal herb gathering is…”

Ah, a weird switch flipped. Elliott and Jean have looks saying ‘Oops’. They’re sending gazes seeking help towards me, but I don’t know anything.

“Ugh…”

Hearing a voice from behind and turning around, it seems Ritsu, whose curse was lifted, has woken up. Surrounded by her five aides shedding tears of joy, Ritsu is surprised by the curse patterns that vanished from her body.

“Uncle’s curse is… Ji (Gramps), did you obtain a [Curse Breaking] magic potion?” “No, that is not it, Lady Ritsu. The ‘Princess of the Holy Sword’ severed the curse for us.” “What… ! The ‘Princess of the Holy Sword’, the legendary one who defeated that Dark Dragon…!?”

Ritsu looking at me with sparkling eyes. Stop it, those eyes. And what’s with ‘legendary’? Saying it like thousands of years have passed is strange. It happened just a few months ago. Becoming a legend is too fast. In this world, fortunately or unfortunately, there is a profession called ‘Bard’. They belong to a union called the ‘Bard’s Guild’ existing across countries, and possess means to transmit various news and incidents to each branch through the guild’s network. Through this, information, incidents, and rumors from distant lands become songs and reach the ears of citizens. Of course, uncertain rumors, reputational damage, or things that could be defamation become songs where it’s moderately unclear who it’s about, but so-called heroic tales, historic achievements, and celebratory events are made into songs as they are. The ‘Princess of the Holy Sword’s’ dragon slaying falls into that category… I want this world to value privacy more. When I sighed at the spread of unwanted fame, Ritsu in front of me straightened her posture and bowed deeply.

“Lady ‘Princess of the Holy Sword’! Thank you for exorcising my curse this time!”

Following Ritsu, the remaining five also bowed deeply. Everyone is in a dogeza state. That grandiosity makes me somewhat uncomfortable.

“Ah, no, it’s not a big deal…” “No! I will never forget this debt of gratitude in my life! As the daughter of the Nanane Clan head, once I have properly settled matters, I wish to serve you!”

Wait…! Why does it turn out like that!? No, originally she would be saved by Leon and serve him, so is this natural!? Umm, what should I do about this…! While I was flustered and hesitating, Father spoke from the side.

“I don’t really understand, but does that mean you want to serve Sakuraile?” “Ha! If allowed!” “Fumu… If you are truly of that Nanane Clan, it is a welcome story but…” “Father!?”

I raise my voice at Father who is surprisingly enthusiastic for some reason.

“Speaking of the Nanane Clan of Gagaku Country, they are a clan of spies said to have once served the Emperor (Mikado). If they serve Sakuraile, there is nothing more reassuring.” “Those are grateful words, but the current Nanane is distorted. To correct that and return it to its original form is our cherished wish. After that is fulfilled, we wish to serve the ‘Princess of the Holy Sword’ from the bottom of our hearts.”

To Father’s words, the old man behind Ritsu answered. ‘The current Nanane is distorted’ probably refers to Ritsu‘s uncle. A good-for-nothing man who murdered his older brother, the head, usurped the position, and cast a curse on Ritsu. It can also be taken to mean they cannot serve me until they take back the head’s position from that man. Then, it’s not a talk about right now, is it? In the game, Ritsu was thought to have died from the [Curse] by the uncle’s side, so she was ignored after that. Since her life was no longer targeted, she seems to have been training all along as Leon‘s personal attendant after that. It must have been a situation where she couldn’t take revenge even if she wanted to. No, maybe she intended to gain power and avenge everyone someday. The old man was giving the same explanation to Father as I predicted, but Kohaku-san, who was listening to it, tilted his head—koten.

“Nu? That uncle or whatever is the person who cast the [Curse], correct? Then is there not no problem anymore?” “Ha? What does that mean…?”

The old man and the others ask Kohaku-san dubiously. I don’t understand what Kohaku-san is saying either. What does ‘no problem’ mean?

“A [Curse] severed by the [Holy Sword] is reflected back double to the caster. About now, having received the [Curse] that child there suffered all at once, he should be writhing in agony.” “Wha… !? I-Is that true!?”

Eh!? The [Holy Sword] doesn’t just lift the [Curse]!? Reflects it double to the caster… that’s scary! No, well, it’s just desserts but…!

“Th-Then, we must return to the village immediately and expose his misdeeds! Lady Ritsu! This is a miracle bestowed upon us by Heaven! We cannot let this opportunity escape!” “Umu! ‘Princess of the Holy Sword’… Lady Sakuraile! Please forgive the rudeness of leaving this place! Upon fulfilling our revenge, we shall definitely hasten to your side! Now, excuse us!”

After prostrating deeply again, the six vanished from the spot in an instant. Eh!? When I looked around restlessly—kyoro kyoro—they were already running way over there. Amazing. As expected of a spy clan. Truly ninjas.

“To think a connection with the Nanane Clan would be formed.”

Father let out a deep sigh of amazement.

“Umm, is the Nanane Clan that big of a deal?”

I have some knowledge learned in the game, but I don’t know the extent of their existence in this world. Spies… somewhat like ninjas or spies, that’s the extent. Ritsu also used those kinds of skills to harass Estelle, who became close to Leon, in various ways, but she didn’t do anything life-threatening. Because she wasn’t that bad of a girl. Her loyalty to Leon was just extraordinary.

“The Nanane Clan is said to have served the First Emperor who founded Gagaku Country in the past. It is said they defeated enemies with their intelligence and stratagems, becoming the cornerstone of the nation’s founding. However, they did not serve the next Emperor, lurking in the darkness of history, and there are rumors that that clan was always involved whenever there was a major change in Gagaku Country.”

Eh, what’s with that dangerous clan… It’s scary. They aren’t an assassin group, right? If they were an assassin clan instead of ninjas, that’s not funny…

“Hey, what are we doing with these guys rolling around?”

While I was agonizing over the Nanane Clan being a bigger existence than I thought, Jean pointed at the men in black outfits rolling by the roadside and called out. Ah, I forgot. They are fallen like piles of corpses, but none are dead. Because Kohaku-san went easy on them. Though a bone or two might be broken.

“Whatever the reason, they attacked a carriage going along the highway, so they are criminals. Let’s tie them up for now.”

The guard knights efficiently tie up the attackers. Meanwhile, Tanya returned to the town we passed earlier in the kitchen car and brought back the town guards. Leaving the attackers to the guards, we start running in the kitchen cars toward the le Philharmonie territory again. Before getting into the kitchen car, Leon greeted me, but I returned a safe greeting as a formality and handed him a hot dog set as a token of acquaintance. I can’t treat him too coldly. Since we’ve become acquainted, I should raise his favorability a little. Of course, I don’t need more than that. If the disease really spreads as in the game, there is a possibility I’ll have to borrow Leon‘s power. Should I make moves before that? While rocking in the kitchen car charging toward the territory bathed in summer sunlight, I was thinking about the future.