Chapter 84: Afternoon Tea Part

"No, why!?"

The morning after joining up with Aldebaran and the others, we gathered as instructed by Aldebaran in an open plain on the outskirts of the capital. The reason, of course, was to prepare for the final battle with the Demon Lord, starting with morning training.

However, the only experience we had fighting side-by-side with Aldebaran's party was during the Yowin incident. We didn't really know what each person was capable of.

So, naturally, the plan was to start with mock battles to get to know each other's strengths and weaknesses… but—

"What the hell are you doing!?!"

Aldebaran's furious roar echoed across the plains in the morning.

The mock battle started under simple rules: if the commander (Karl, Aldebaran) was taken down, the team lost. There would be no instant-death attacks, and ‘muscle-musical’ moves (which were forbidden as forbidden techniques) were off the table.

If that move hit, we could seal Aldebaran, which would give us a huge advantage... but the chant took too long. I doubt it was ever used. Aldebaran would’ve roasted the caster the moment they started chanting.

And so, the flow of the first mock battle went as follows:

"How about a fair and square fight?"

"...Hmph."

First, the blonde guy (temporary name) stepped up as though testing his gauntlets. He stared at Rey and provocatively twirled his fingers.

In response, Rey also stepped forward.

"Then, let’s have a fair duel."

"..."

This one-on-one battle was a common sight in noble swordsmanship.

Nobles tend to prioritize elegant duels over practical sword fighting where you face multiple enemies on the battlefield. I wasn’t sure how Rey would handle fighting on the opponent’s turf.

"Ha!"

"That's enough."

As expected, the blonde guy was strong. After several exchanges, Rey was cleanly struck on the forehead.

The blonde guy, Inon, called himself a magic swordsman, and true to that, he used tricky techniques like fiery slashes and lightning-fast movements.

The sword he used was not something an average adventurer could wield. Rey clearly couldn’t respond to it in time, having faced it for the first time.

With Rey, our frontliner, down, we were quickly cornered.

The middle-aged spear user who had flirted with us earlier took down Lev-chan, and Ilya used earth magic to immobilize Maika and the others.

Most of our team was wiped out, and Karl was left vulnerable.

Karl tried to resist with his sword, but it was only a matter of time before he was taken down—

"...Huh?"

"We did it!!!"

At that moment, I charged straight at Aldebaran.

Following Maika’s instructions, I bent down and approached, taking her down with a surprise attack and securing the victory.

"...When did you—"

"I'm sorry, Aldebaran-san."

The opposing party didn’t expect me to charge at them, and I caught them completely off guard.

"...Damn, I was caught off guard."

"That was amazing bravery. I never thought you’d step up like that."

They had been so confident, but they just smiled awkwardly and shrugged.

Heh, looks like my super play saved the day.

And then came the second round.

"...There!"

"Ugh!"

This time, amidst the chaos of battle, Rey took down the blonde guy, Inon. With a precise strike, Rey drove a dagger into Inon’s neck, rendering him unable to act.

Rey had noticed that Inon had been secretly chanting during his technique and seized the opportunity. Strong.

"Flame Dust Aldact!!"

"Yowww!!!"

Meanwhile, I got a little too confident and charged again, but I was overwhelmed by Aldebaran's magical rain. I couldn’t keep up in hand-to-hand combat and was taken down. This time, the enemy had prepared for me.

Afterward, Karl and the others, with Rey at the front, began closing in on Aldebaran’s party. But in the end, Karl was caught in Aldebaran's fire magic and lost.

It was a loss due to the difference in magical firepower. If I hadn’t died needlessly, things might have gone better.

Now, after both sides had gotten a good feel for each other's moves, the final battle began.

Rey advised me not to stand out too much and to fight side by side. So, with Lev-chan covering me, I decided to focus on supporting Rey while landing my strongest move, the Muscle Bomber.

Karl and Aldebaran’s long-standing rivalry was about to come to a head. The two heroes were ready to clash.

...And so, the final battle began.

"Here I go!!"

"...So, you’re my opponent, huh? Big-chested girl!"

I can't beat the blonde guy. So, I stepped forward to face the creepy middle-aged warrior with a spear.

With a majestic stance, the man with the long beard skillfully spun his spear, cutting through the air.

Behind him, his younger sister Ilya was waiting. She was probably preparing to use earth magic for support, so I needed to watch my feet and make sure I didn’t get caught.

"..."

"Phew."

Meanwhile, Rey had once again stepped forward to face the blonde swordsman, staring him down.

It seemed like they were both waiting for the other to make the first move. I trusted Rey to handle that.

"I shall show you my ultimate technique!!"

"Brave words! I love a woman with such confidence!"

With a roar, I prepared my fist.

At this point, our score was one win, one loss. The outcome of this mock battle would determine the resolution of our rivalry—

"...Wait, what!? Why!?"

Just as things were heating up, Aldebaran shouted loudly and charged in.

Why was she angry now, just when things were going well?

"...Aldebaran?"

"Why does that Ilyene charge head-on every time!? At first, I thought it was a trick, but now she’s been fighting like a warrior the whole time!! What a waste!!!"

...Now that she mentioned it, that was true.

"Ugh, what power..."

"There's an opening, eat this! Penetrating Palm Muscle Bomber!!!"

"Damn! My arm!"

"See!? This isn’t magic! We’re fighting with brute force again!!"

Now that she pointed it out, it made total sense.

Lately, I’d been training so much in hand-to-hand combat that I’d forgotten my role as a mage.

Wait, wasn’t my true role a muscle user? So I guess this is fine.

"We’ve been preparing to push back the Spirit Cannon, you know!!"

"With your sister there, you can’t use such dangerous magic."

"Why do you always play the voice of reason at times like this!?"

Even so, I didn’t want to use magic too much in this mock battle.

The thing is, if Aldebaran and I went all-out, it would cause a lot of damage. So, as an unspoken agreement, she’s only been using beginner to intermediate-level spells.

At this point, it seemed more useful to just focus on hand-to-hand combat.

Anyway, who cares about how to fight as a mage? I’ve forgotten that part.

"Come to think of it, Ilyene’s been taking the lead as a warrior."

"Yeah, I haven’t really seen her use much magic. Maybe just during the Yowin incident."

"She’s been using this style all along!?"

...Had she?

"Hmm. I suspected it, but to think Ilyene is..."

"Yeah, Leader, big sister’s kind of an idiot."

"I’ve been thinking for a while now, watching Ilya, 'Maybe Ilyene's also...'"

"Wait, what do you mean, Leader? Depending on your explanation, I’ll unleash a Hundred Rabbit Fists!"

Ilya jumped in, unnecessarily confronting Aldebaran.

"However, the fact that she’s able to hold her own against Razika shows she’s excellent as a warrior. Even as a noble, if you train regularly, you can strengthen your body and fight efficiently... But wait, Ilyene, are you using body strengthening?"

"...Oh, I forgot."

"That power... is it just natural!?"

Ah, that’s right, I thought I was forgetting something.

Hold on, I’ll start chanting.

"...Chant complete. Behold, the full power☆Ilyene-sama!!"

"Geez!! The oppressive presence…"

"Hey, Inon!! Is that really how a mage should fight?!"

"I’ve never seen anyone who’s so power-focused before."

Ha ha ha! It’s been a while since I unleashed my full power.

I feel invigorated! So invigorated!!

"No one who’s seen my full power form has ever returned alive... Heh, be prepared."

"That’s a pretty ominous thing to say!"

With that, I charged straight at the middle-aged spear user, laughing loudly.

---

"... Summary!!"

"Waah!"

After the mock battle, we had a debriefing session.

We discussed things like who did what and what would be better strategically.

"Irine has a bad habit of getting too far ahead and losing sight of the situation. It's fine to be brave, but learn the importance of staying in formation."

"Yes, sir."

In the final battle, I defeated Razika (the old man) and immediately closed in on Aldebaran, but I was ambushed from behind by Ilya and lost.

I was in too much of a rush to end the fight. I never expected my younger sister to have learned intermediate-level offensive magic.

Before we left for the journey, all she could do was metalworking. It looks like she's grown too.

"Irine should be positioned a bit further back. She can still participate as a magic attacker, and she’ll also serve as a warrior providing support for the backline."

"Understood, sir."

In the Aldebaran party, I ended up in the somewhat awkward position of the front row of the backline.

It seems like I’ll be expected to move in a skirmish-like manner.

Thus, our formation was decided.

In the front row, we have Karl, the blonde Inon, and Rei.

A bit behind them are the middle-aged Razika and Lev-chan.

In the mid-back, it's me and Maika.

And at the very back, Aldebaran, Sakura, the healing specialist Kichou, and my younger sister Ilya.

This is the new hero party ── the Karl-Aldebaran combined army.

The front line, which had been weak in the Karl party, is now strengthened, and I believe it's a good formation where I can show my abilities as a mage.

Fighting alongside Maika feels fresh. It's nice that I can easily consult her when I'm in trouble.

"Alright, that's it for morning practice."

Each person received their feedback, and by the time we were done, it was already afternoon.

Poor Sara, the maid who had been dragged here by my sister, had prepared simple sandwiches for us.

Apparently, she’s in charge of housekeeping for the Aldebaran party. Since leaving the mansion, she’s been doing all the miscellaneous tasks for the party. It's definitely beyond her contract.

This is all because Ilya ran away from home. I apologized for my sister's reckless behavior, but Sara just smiled and said, "This is my job."

She’s truly a remarkable woman. I only wish my sister could learn from her.

"Oh, by the way, tonight we’re going to greet the national army."

"... National army?"

While enjoying the maid's cooking from my family’s house after a long time, Aldebaran casually mentioned this.

... It seems Aldebaran also has connections with the country.

"Yes, the demon extermination squad is being formed under Lord Garius's leadership."

"Oh, really?"

"They are soldiers who have risen to protect the country alongside us. It wouldn’t hurt to meet them."

I heard that Lord Garius had already met with the Aldebaran party in Yowin.

After the final battle in Yowin, Garius spoke with Aldebaran and learned the details of the massive bombardment.

Prince Garius had already learned that two heroes existed on the surface, and the demon invasion now seemed all too real.

If he didn’t act now, he would regret it for the rest of his life. He used all his authority and quickly began to strengthen the military.

"Immediately summon the army. Hurry and deploy the elites to the capital."

"... Understood."

This was a rather dangerous move.

Normally, if the king's brother suddenly began to expand the military, it would be suspected of a coup. It could easily lead to civil war.

In fact, many of the ministers had suggested summoning Garius in haste.

However, the king had an unwavering trust in Garius.

"Whatever he does, consider it as my will. I have no doubt that my brother Garius is a true loyal servant."

The king gave this command and calmly waited for Garius to come and explain.

Thanks to the king’s wise decision, Garius faced no obstacles, and the military preparations went smoothly.

Thus, a considerable force gathered in the capital.

After finishing his work and reporting to the king, Garius was praised with a single remark from the king: "It was a noble cause."

Thus, the "Pedia National Army" was hastily assembled.

However, its level of training was far from impressive. Though the numbers were there, it was nothing more than a group of nobles who had rushed over in a panic, still in the daze of peace.

As a result, they are currently expanding the training grounds, desperately working to improve their skills.

"That said, there are some elites mixed in. The king's personal guard still undergoes intense training and are considered quite the experts."

"Really?"

"They are a strong ally of ours. ...I truly admire Lord Garius for having managed to organize the military in less than a month since we made the request."

The number of demons was large.

No matter how superhuman Karl and Aldebaran are, it’s difficult for just two people to defend an entire city.

Even though we would help, we would still need to rely on numbers.

"The kingdom has done everything it can. Now it’s our turn to respond."

"Right."

"We’ll take the lead in the national army’s charge. Then, the demons we miss will be covered by the army. This should minimize the damage."

The army’s main task is to protect the people. It seems that the extermination of the demons is left to the heroes.

... In fact, even my spirit cannon, which was considered the strongest weapon of mankind, didn't bring about much of a result. It would be tough for nobles weaker than me, even if they form a group, to drive back the demons.

On the other hand, if Aldebaran fires her magic, she can wipe out quite a large area. Our job is to protect Aldebaran while she does so.

"First, a toast to our new comrades. Let’s deepen our bonds as well."

"We've been fighting until now, after all."

"Now that the Goddess of Sefa is gone, it’s only we who can protect humanity. Let’s forget the grudges of the past and share this cup."

The red hero said this and raised a glass toward Karl.

"Show us how you can save the Demon King, you fool."

"I don’t need to be told that by you, shorty."

The two clinked their glasses together and gulped down the tea that had been poured.

---

"Fräulein Irine. May I trouble you by sitting beside you?"

"Oh my, don't hesitate."

Lunch had naturally turned into a casual get-together.

As usual, Maika was challenging people to card games and squeezing money out of some middle-aged man.

Master was deep in conversation with the maid Sarah, exchanging stories about their respective servants.

Sakura was chatting away with the boyish-looking youth who called himself Kichou.

"I've always wanted to have a conversation with you."

"My, what an honor."

"Heh, I've heard quite a bit about you from Ilya. She said you were truly a remarkable person."

"How embarrassing. That child has a habit of exaggerating things just a little too much."

Looking at them like this, the Aldebaran party really does have that otome-game vibe going on. A blond prince, a charming older gentleman, and a cute, boyish type.

It’d be kind of funny if they were all competing for Aldebaran’s affection. At the very least, that shota boy definitely seems to gaze at Aldebaran with a dazed look from time to time.

And then, maybe because we were both nobles, the blonde, narrow-eyed pretty-boy who clearly filled the “otome prince” role—Inon—sat down beside me and struck up a conversation.

I’m the one handling diplomacy for our party, so I guess this is my cue to deepen ties a little.

He said he was the assistant master of the MacCune dojo or something. The MacCune family... I swear I’ve heard that name before.

Any family name I recognize is usually a high-ranking noble house. I know these things.

"Your fighting today was impressive. Have you undergone serious training?"

"To the extent expected of a noble, yes."

...Uh, now where was it I heard that name?

If they’re running a dojo, then it must be a prestigious swordsmanship lineage, right? Same as the Welmund family—a military noble house?

If they call their style by their family name, then one of their ancestors must’ve been a serious expert.

Come on, think—where did I hear that...

"It was quite a surprise, honestly. The Welmund family is best known for its magical prowess, after all."

"Even mages need strong bodies. That’s our foundation."

"I wholeheartedly agree with that."

...Ah!!!

That’s it, I remember now.

"I refuse to ever fall from grace again just because I failed to train my body properly."

"My, my. Could it be that you're still holding a grudge?"

This guy... Wait a second—the MacCune family... They're the ones our house has a grudge against!!

There was a glint in his half-closed eyes—mockery laced behind the polite smile.

I could tell. He didn’t come here to build rapport.

He knows full well about the bad blood between our families and came over to size me up.

—Back when my grandfather was head of the house, several decades ago.

After the war ended, military nobility began to lose their influence. But there remained one last seat of power reserved for warriors: Captain of the Royal Guard.

And the families that fought over that seat were the Welmunds and the MacCunes.

The Welmunds with their magic, and the MacCunes with their swords. Their household heads were evenly matched in strength.

So it was decided that the King himself would witness a duel to determine who was more suited for the position.

"Your grandfather lost in a fair and honorable duel. It would be troublesome if you still held a grudge over that."

"A fair duel, was it? If it were truly fair, then why was magic suddenly banned from the match?"

"That’s something you'd have to ask the official who made the ruling. I wouldn't know."

Originally, it was meant to be a one-on-one duel with both magic and swordsmanship allowed.

But for some reason, the day before the match, the rules were changed—magic was banned.

So a mage had to face a swordsman using only a sword. Of course Welmund couldn’t win that.

My grandfather was driven from the capital and sent off to govern the rural backwater we now call home.

And rumor has it, the MacCune family—ever fond of scheming—bribed the official in charge to push through that rule change.

I remember feeling furious about it, even as a kid. It all felt so unjust.

"I’m proud of my grandfather. He fought honorably, with integrity, and saw the duel through without shame."

"Yes, I’ve heard he was a splendid man. Truly…"

(I could swear I heard an unspoken "because you're easy to manipulate" behind that "splendid.")

I’m good at reading people’s faces. I can usually guess what they really mean. And this guy? He probably does mean that.

This bastard—did he come here to pick a fight? Well, bring it on. I’ve got time.

"Still, you certainly train hard... but I do think you'd be better off devoting yourself solely to magic."

"Oh? And why is that?"

"Fräulein, I simply don’t want to see you get hurt. Even in today's mock battle, there were quite a few close calls. I broke into a cold sweat more than once. (You’ve got no talent for close combat—stay the hell out of it.)"

...

"Fufufu, no need to worry. I have reliable companions by my side. (Shut it, mind your own damn business.)"

"Please do avoid overextending yourself. Mages simply cannot win at close range. (Seriously, I’m telling you to stay the hell back.)"

"Thank you for your concern. I’ll be careful. (It’s none of your damn business.)"

What the hell is with this guy? He’s got an awful mouth on him.

So that’s it, huh. Inon MacCune is afraid the balance of power might shift after this battle with the demon tribe.

The MacCune family's swordsmanship is famous, sure. But their magic? Trash-tier. And in large-scale battles, mages with high firepower are far more useful than noble swordplay.

If I—someone from the Welmund family—end up outperforming them, it wouldn’t look good for their side, would it?

"But more importantly, Lord MacCune, there's something I find concerning."

"Oh? And what might that be?"

"Noble swordsmanship excels in one-on-one duels, where there's no interference. But... could it be that the MacCune style is weak when it comes to chaotic melees?"

I put on a worried expression and looked up at the blond boy.

...Just for a second. His brow twitched.

"Sir Rey is a remarkably skilled swordsman. He had me completely outmaneuvered today."

"Yes, he’s someone we can always depend on."

Indeed. In today’s mock battle, Blondie only managed to beat Rey once.

One-on-one, uninterrupted—he’s strong. That’s noble swordsmanship.

But in reverse, his style has a tendency to get tunnel vision—focused too much on the opponent in front of him.

...When Inon faced Rey in the middle of a chaotic melee, he left an opening and got taken out by Maika’s arrow. That’s as good as a loss, really.

"Rey has incredibly wide peripheral awareness. No matter where you attack from, he’ll react. (Unlike you.)"

"I hope to learn from him. Commoner swords may lack elegance, but their practicality is something to behold. (Still, commoner swordplay is a far cry from the refinement of a noble's.)"

"Oh yes, it’s wonderfully useful. I’ve been studying it myself. (And who was it that lost to that commoner, again?)"

Smile.

We both sipped Sarah’s tea with polite smiles on our faces.

"It’s been delightful. Talking with you is quite stimulating, Lady Irine."

"I feel the same. Perhaps we’re quite compatible."

On the surface, our conversation was pleasant.

But a thick vein had visibly bulged on his forehead. I was pretty sure one was showing on mine, too.

Ilya somehow managed to get along with this guy until now? No way. This smug blond prick has a terrible personality.

...Then again, that girl’s so sunny she might never have noticed.

"Hohohohoho."

"Hahahaahaha."

As the air creaked and froze around us, Inon MacCune and I drained the last of our tea.

Ugh. What a terrible tea party.

---

"Irine... She looks so happy with that blond pretty boy."

"Don’t worry, don’t worry—she was always out of your league anyway."

"Oh? To me, they just seem so hostile it’s hard to even approach them."

Meanwhile, from a distance, Karl’s mind was being utterly destroyed as he watched the two chatting and laughing.

Conversations between nobles required a translator, after all.