The Expelled Boy Does All Sorts of Things with the Onee-sans He Saved. - Chapter 44 & 45 & 46 & 47

Chapter 044: The Battle on the Rooftops ①

Urka Side

Running across the rooftops, my body feels light thanks to Master’s body enhancement magic. I can’t bring out the full strength I had on the battlefield, but this enhancement brings me close to it.

I can sense Master following behind me. It made me happy — the fact that he’s fighting together with me. However, nothing must happen to my young Master.

In the past, I carried out assassinations under my foster father’s orders, which is why I initially refused. But now I understand. He said he would come with me, but I must protect him.

I will protect him no matter what!!

The enemy noticed us. They looked surprised, but I didn’t care.

“Enemy spotted!!”

“Intercept them!!”

The black-clad figures gathered. They attacked with short swords, but they were too slow for me.

“Gwah!?”

“What!?”

Using my speed, I drove a kick into one enemy’s stomach and sent him flying, then kicked another enemy who attacked from behind in the jaw, knocking him unconscious.

How many of them are swarming me?

Then I sensed something unpleasant. I immediately leapt away from my position. As expected, an arrow flew in and exploded on impact.

I took a defensive roll to soften the shock. So the arrows are enchanted with explosion magic?

Where did it come from? I traced the presence — it was from the opposite side of the street.

Annoying. But I don’t have enough runway distance to jump to the other side. Plus, the black-clad bastards in front of me are in the way. I need to deal with them first…

Then I saw the one on the opposite side nocking another arrow.

“Tch.”

I moved to minimize damage while dealing with the enemies in front. But the arrow was released.

If it hits multiple times, the building could collapse. That would cause casualties among the people on the street.

As I was thinking, I realized something terrifying — these guys were attacking me even while fully prepared to be caught in the explosions themselves.

(What should I do—)

The moment I thought that, the arrow suddenly exploded in mid-air above the main street.

The black-clad attackers turned around in surprise at the unexpected event.

Now I had my chance. I instantly kicked three of them, knocking them out.

Five left. I can manage.

I thought I could finish this before Master arrived. The moment I took a step forward, I suddenly felt dizzy.

What happened? I looked at my arm and saw a small cut.

Don’t tell me the short sword was poisoned!?

Strength was leaving my body. The black-clad men were smiling beneath their hoods.

“Damn, you sure caused us a lot of trouble. Well, killing the former Warrior Leader of the Philos Union is a huge prize.”

My senses had dulled. If I had realized it was poison sooner, I could have responded differently. Can they create colorless, transparent liquid poison? Which country is behind this?

“Alright, let’s finish this quickly.”

A man’s voice. My consciousness was growing hazy.

“It’s paralysis poison. You won’t be able to move for a while.”

“Shit…”

“See ya.”

The man swung his short sword down, but it never landed.

Suddenly, a magic formation appeared at the feet of all five men.

“What!?”

“My body… won’t move!?”

The cold sensation spreading from my hand — freezing magic. Who…? No, I already knew. It wasn’t a guess — it was certainty.

And then I heard it. The voice of the person I love more than anything.

『Recovery!!』

The paralysis left my body. I somehow managed to stand up.

“Urka!!”

Master rushed over and hugged me tightly. His small body was warm and sweaty — I could tell he had run desperately to reach me.

“You two, it’s not over yet.”

“Yes, the real fight starts now.”

Elena and Sophia’s voices brought me back to my senses. Master nodded and turned to face the black-clad attackers coming from the opposite side.

“Master, these guys…?”

“It’s okay. They won’t be able to move for a while. They’re not dead, though.”

“I see.”

“But before that—”

Master looked at the enemies. That’s right — I need to focus on the enemies in front of me. I readied my stance once more.

～～～～～～～～～～

Al Side

“Urka has engaged in combat.”

While running across the rooftops, Sophia kept reporting the situation.

“I don’t think she’ll have any problems, but…”

“Better safe than sorry.”

Because of my shorter stride and naturally lower physical ability, I was desperately trying to keep up with the two of them.

“Master, please don’t push yourself.”

“I’m fine!!”

I couldn’t show any weakness here.

“Now that I think about it, couldn’t Master use ‘Floating’ to move?”

“…Oh right.”

I cast floating magic on myself and resumed moving. This was much faster. I should have thought of it sooner.

While moving, I watched Urka fight. Arrows were being shot at her from the opposite side of the street, exploding on impact. As expected, they were enchanted with explosion magic.

The enemy nocked another arrow. I could intercept it, but hitting such a fast arrow accurately would be difficult. Still, I prepared my magic.

“Master, brace for impact—”

The moment Sophia spoke, the arrow exploded in mid-air.

What just happened? I stopped my magic and looked back. There was Rosaria, holding her gun.

She shot down the arrow with a bullet from that distance!? Amazing!!

Rosaria continued sniping the enemy archers on the opposite side one after another. I joined in to support her.

Even if hitting the arrows was difficult, as long as I could target their footing, I could use this magic. The distance was just barely reachable.

『Freezing!!』

Magic formations appeared at their feet, instantly freezing the enemies.

“Ice magic!!”

Elena let out a surprised voice.

“Explanation later! Let’s catch up with Urka!!”

I flew through the air toward Urka. That’s when I saw her collapsed on the ground, her body trembling. That’s paralysis poison!!

Five men were surrounding her… I won’t let them!!

『Freezing!』

I activated the magic and froze the enemies, then immediately cast 『Recovery』 to cure Urka’s status ailment.

“Urka!!”

I hugged her with all my momentum. Urka hugged me back.

“You two, it’s not over yet.”

“Yes, the real fight starts now.”

Sophia and the others’ voices snapped me back. Urka also readied her stance again.

I cast status ailment resistance on myself and the girls.

“Sorry. If I had noticed earlier—”

“It was that kind of situation. There wasn’t enough time.”

“If you’re going to reflect, I want a reward.”

“Elena, Urka’s coming.”

The three of them took the front line while I stayed in the rear.

“Hey hey, it’s the Silver Wolf and the two Guardians.”

“The kid in the back must be the Belladonna brat.”

“Don’t kill the one in the back. We can use him for negotiations.”

Among the seven black-clad attackers, the man in the rear seemed to be the commander. If we can capture him—

“We won’t let you.”

“We’ll make sure you can’t even say such things.”

“……Crush them.”

The three of them looked extremely angry even from behind.

“You can’t kill them, okay?”

“We understand.”

With that, Sophia pulled out two swords from under her skirt.

Eh? Sophia is a dual-wielder?

Elena also drew her sword.

Looking around, more enemies were gathering on the opposite side. Just how many are there?

Down below, the Imperial Guard had joined the fight, and the battle was growing fiercer.

“I’ll suppress the people on the opposite side. I’ll leave the enemies in front to you three.”

I asked the girls.

“I’ll take the commander.”

“Understood.”

“Then Sophia and I will each take three.”

The three of them nodded to each other.

“Attack!!”

At the enemy commander’s order, they all charged at once.

The battle was about to grow even more intense.

Chapter 045: The Battle on the Rooftops ②

The three of them began engaging the enemies.

I moved to prevent the enemies on the opposite side from providing support.

『Ice Wall!!』

I created a massive wall of ice from the main street to protect against projectiles like arrows.

Then, using floating magic, I rose into the air and cast spells at the enemies on the opposite side, freezing them one after another.

It was quite taxing. I had to keep recasting the enhancement magic at regular intervals so its effect wouldn’t wear off while simultaneously attacking. But I couldn’t afford to lose here.

Meanwhile, on the rooftop:

“How dare a mere maid—!!”

“Take this!!”

Sophia was completely overwhelming the three opponents. She caught simultaneous attacks from both sides with her dual swords, then delivered a high kick to the enemy in front, knocking him out. She immediately slashed the shoulder of the enemy on her left, blocked an attack from behind without even looking, and spun around to cut the attacker’s abdomen. Finally, she struck the heads of two enemies with the pommels of her swords, knocking them unconscious.

Just what happened during the two years she was away from being my personal maid? She must have undergone intense training.

“Pathetic. Is this all you’ve got?”

“Sophia. Impressive.”

Right beside her, Urka was mercilessly beating down her enemies. She was holding back enough not to kill them, but they probably wouldn’t be getting up for a while. Despite having been hit with a status ailment earlier, her recovery was incredibly fast.

“As expected of the former Warrior Leader. I’m truly impressed.”

“If I had my club, it would be even faster.”

“That would destroy the roof with its weight here.”

Urka was standing on top of the pile of enemies she had defeated. Sophia casually flicked the blood off her swords and took out a potion from her pocket, sprinkling it on the two she had cut.

“So kind.”

“Master ordered us to capture them.”

She then took out ropes and began tying up the three enemies.

“Urka-san, here you go.”

“I’m not good with that.”

“Sigh, understood.”

Sophia then proceeded to tie up the enemies Urka had defeated as well.

“Should we help her?”

Urka’s gaze was directed at Elena, who was fighting the commander.

“She probably wouldn’t like that. It would steal her spotlight.”

“Then should we just watch?”

“No. Look.”

Sophia pointed — four more enemies were approaching.

“We’ll take that side.”

“Got it.”

The two of them readied themselves for battle.

～～～～～～～～～～

Elena Side

I found it strange. These people used poison in battle and showed coordinated teamwork between close and long-range fighters.

No — I knew them. From my past, I recognized this kind of unit. I knew these contradictory people.

There was no doubt he was the enemy commander. Normally, a commander would stay far back and issue orders, but this strength, this style of short sword use, and that footwork were unmistakable.

“It’s been a while, Captain Gaeda.”

The man in black laughed lightly and removed the cloth covering his face.

“Oh? I’m surprised the former Knight Commander still remembers someone like me.”

A rugged face with a large diagonal scar — no mistake. It was Gaeda, Captain of the 13th Knight Order of the Anis Holy Kingdom.

“The assassination unit that exists within the Anis Holy Kingdom. On the surface they are a knight order, but their real duties are espionage, assassination, and sabotage — things that go against the proper conduct of knights.”

“That’s correct. But they are vital to the nation. Without our activities, we wouldn’t be able to obtain information from other countries.”

“…………”

“You can’t argue against that, can you? Even you tolerated our existence.”

As someone who bore the duty of national defense, I had accepted their necessity. No matter how much I disliked their methods, I had acknowledged them.

“Yes, that’s true.”

“My, my. You’ve become quite soft-spoken. The once so rigid Elena has changed, hasn’t she?”

Gaeda glanced at my neck. There was a slave collar there.

“I see. So you became a slave. We thought Cardinal Wolf threw you off a waterfall and you died, but when we learned you were alive in the Grand Duchy, he was furious.”

“Wolf!!”

Just hearing that name filled me with rage. Ever since that man appeared, the country had gone mad.

“You’re angry, as expected. Even I have trouble dealing with his selfishness.”

My grip on my sword tightened. I couldn’t stop my anger.

“Why?”

“Huh?”

“Why is a knight who cared so deeply for the country following a man like that? Has the Anis Holy Kingdom fallen so low?”

“I’m flattered you still call me a knight. But Lady Maria has given her permission.”

“!!”

Maria… what on earth are you doing?

As I darkened, Gaeda continued:

“Come on, you’re worried about the person who tried to kill you? You really are too kind for your own good.”

“What are you—”

“This is a battlefield. My orders include your elimination as well.”

“But—!!”

“You’re no longer a citizen of Anis. You understand that, don’t you?”

I understood. My place was here now. My lord was Al-sama. I understood that perfectly.

“I see. In that case—”

Gaeda pulled out a small gun from his chest and pointed the muzzle at Master.

“Stop!!”

“Hah? Are you joking? Fair and square fighting doesn’t exist on the battlefield.”

He placed his finger on the trigger. I won’t let you!!

『Holy Ray!!』

I activated magic and destroyed Gaeda’s gun.

“Oh scary, scary. Your activation speed is still top-notch.”

He spoke in an exaggerated tone. What was he after?

But I finally understood. That’s right — I was no longer a citizen of Anis. I was no longer a Knight Commander.

My lord was that person over there.

And I had to fight. From now on, even against those I once fought alongside.

I readied my sword once more.

“That’s it. That’s the spirit.”

“What do you mean?”

“Nothing. Just my own line.”

We both took stances and closed the distance.

“Haa!!”

“Oraaa!!”

The battle between the current and former Knight Commander began.

In a fight between short sword and long sword, losing happens the moment the short sword gets inside your range. I maintained distance, parried his attacks, and occasionally counterattacked.

“What’s wrong? Is this all you’ve got?”

His sword was fast and attacked from every angle.

“You’re purely on the defensive!! Is this really okay?”

“Kuh!!”

I ignored his provocations and focused entirely on my sword.

The instant he created a gap while attacking — I struck!!

“Here!!”

The moment he pulled back his short sword, I scooped upward with my long sword and knocked it out of his hand.

“What!!”

I immediately shifted into an upper stance and slashed.

“Haaaa!!”

My blade flashed from his shoulder down to his flank.

“Guh!?”

Blood sprayed as Gaeda dropped to one knee.

I pressed my sword against his throat.

“I’m taking you all as prisoners. Drop your weapons.”

“As expected. There’s no way I can beat you one-on-one.”

When I looked back, Sophia and Urka had already finished dealing with the additional enemies.

“Sophia. Give me the rope.”

“Here.”

I took the rope and moved to restrain Gaeda.

“You’re too naive, Elena.”

The moment I tried to bind him, Gaeda spoke.

“What—?”

A magic formation suddenly appeared on his body.

“Gaeda!!”

“Get back!!”

He shouted.

“This is a self-destruct magic formation. It was placed on me in case something happened to me.”

“Why didn’t you refuse it!? The Holy Kingdom would do something like this—”

“The one who cast it was a mage from the Empire.”

“!! So that means the Empire and the Holy Kingdom have joined forces!?”

“Wolf told me it was ‘Lady Maria’s order.’ That’s why I can’t refuse.”

That man again!!

“Hurry up! This whole area is going to blow!! Killing me is useless!!”

Gaeda screamed.

What should I do? What can I do?

My magic could protect myself, but not everyone around me.

The magic formation began glowing brighter. It was about to activate.

“Elena. We’re running!!”

Sophia grabbed my arm. Was there really no way to prevent the damage!?

Just as I was about to give up—

『Dispel!!』

The glowing magic formation vanished instantly.

I looked up toward the sky where the voice came from. There—

“Master!!”

My lord was floating with the blue sky behind him, smiling gently.

Chapter 046: After the Battle

“Thank you, Master.”

After we finished restraining the enemy commander, Elena thanked me.

“I’m glad you’re safe. Are you hurt anywhere?”

“No problems. By the way, what about the enemies on the opposite side?”

“Over there.”

I pointed in the direction where the Imperial Guard was in the process of restraining the remaining enemies.

“The Imperial Guard made it in time.”

“Looks like we barely made it.”

I felt relieved when they arrived. Rosaria and I alone wouldn’t have been able to stop all of them.

“Now then…”

“Yes, only the ground level is left.”

It looked like the fighting below would be suppressed soon as well. The evacuation of civilians had finally finished too, which was a relief.

“Master! Look!!”

When I looked where Sophia was pointing, some enemies who were still fighting had slipped past the Imperial Guard and Zelgon’s escorts and were approaching the carriages.

“No!!”

I hurriedly tried to activate magic, but—

“Gyaaaaaaaah!!”

Suddenly, the enemies who got close to the carriage burst into flames.

Surprisingly, only their weapons and clothes were burning.

“What was that…?”

Elena was also shocked.

“That was Shuriman’s magic.”

“Really? Urka.”

“Yeah. That’s his flame magic.”

His control was incredibly precise.

While I was impressed, the door of the carriage opened and one person stepped out.

It was a white-haired man wearing red and black robes. He looked around 60 years old.

“Hey hey, come on. You could’ve handled this without me coming out, right?”

A husky voice rang out. The man looked around at the surroundings.

“So that’s Shuriman…”

“That person…”

However, I didn’t feel like this was the first time I had seen him.

Suddenly, Shuriman looked in our direction. For a moment, our eyes met.

He grinned, then went back inside the carriage.

“Master. Let’s leave the cleanup to the Imperial Guard and head back.”

Prompted by Sophia, I stopped my magic and landed on the rooftop.

(…Huh?)

The moment I landed, I felt a sudden intense dizziness. It seemed I had used too much mana.

“Master!?”

“Master!!”

As my consciousness faded, I could hear their voices.

～～～～～～～～～～

“Mmm…”

When I opened my eyes, I was in an unfamiliar room.

It wasn’t the bed at the villa nor my room at the main residence.

“Master!!”

I heard a voice. It was Sophia’s.

“So…phia.”

“Good morning!!”

Sophia smiled brightly.

“I’ll go call everyone right away.”

She left the room.

Where am I? I had never seen this white-themed room before.

“Al-kun!!”

“Mother.”

Mother rushed in and hugged me tightly.

“Don’t make me worry like that…”

“I’m sorry.”

Mother was crying. I caused her so much worry.

“Sniff… I’ll scold you properly later, okay?”

“Yes.”

I had no excuse. I acted on my own after all.

“Al!!”

“Master!!”

“Master!!”

Roze and the others came in too. They all hugged me.

They were crying for my sake. I was so happy that I ended up crying too.

“I’m sorry. Thank you.”

“You were unconscious for two whole days.”

Sophia told me. I see… That was the first time I had used that much mana.

They told me what happened while I was asleep.

The enemies who attacked were all captured and were currently being held in a prison on the outskirts of the capital. Interrogations would begin today.

Reconstruction of the capital was being led by construction companies under the Belladonna family.

There were injured people, but fortunately, there were no deaths.

I was truly relieved that everyone was safe.

Feeling reassured, I asked the question that had been on my mind.

“Um… where are we…?”

“This is a guest room in the castle.”

The ones who entered were the Grand Duke, his wife Lady Angelica, Uncle Klaus, and Charlotte-sama.

“I cannot thank you enough. I will express my gratitude properly next time.”

“Thank you for saving this country.”

The Grand Duke and his wife thanked me.

“No, I just did what I could…”

“Yeah. You did great, Al. But you mustn’t push yourself too hard.”

Uncle Klaus patted my head as he spoke.

“I’m sorry.”

“That’s right. Well, I’ll leave the full lecture to your mother.”

“Klaus!! What are you saying!!”

Mother immediately retorted, and the room filled with laughter.

“By the way, Alphonse. It seems my daughter has something she wants to say to you.”

“Charlotte-sama?”

When the Grand Duke spoke, Charlotte-sama stepped forward shyly, her face bright red.

……What is this atmosphere?

“Um!!”

“Yes!”

“Thank you very much!! You were really cool and gallant!!”

“I’m glad. Thank you.”

“So… um…”

She swallowed nervously. What is she going to say? I have a pretty good guess…

Elena and the others were watching me worriedly.

“Please…”

“Yes…”

“Become my friend!!”

“…………”

So that’s what it was!! The stares from Urka and the others were scary. I wasn’t expecting anything else, okay?

“Is that… not okay?”

“No!! I’d be happy to!!”

“Waa, yay!!”

Charlotte-sama was overjoyed.

The Grand Duke had his hand on his face. He’s definitely trying to set us up, isn’t he?

Hmm. I’m happy, but I also have my relationships with Elena and the other three, plus Kei Onee-chan…

“Now now, more importantly, Alphonse should rest properly today.”

“Indeed. Alphonse, there will be various things tomorrow, so please participate.”

“Understood.”

The Grand Duke told me about tomorrow’s schedule. It seemed there would be a lot going on.

Just then—

“Mind if I come in?”

Someone entered from outside the room. I was surprised.

It was the Crown Prince of Zelgon and Shuriman.

“Thank you. You saved me. I’m grateful.”

“No, even without me, Shuriman-sama was there…”

I became flustered by the Crown Prince’s thanks.

“Nah. Even I would’ve caused quite a bit of damage with all those buildings and people around. If it happened in another country’s capital, it would’ve been a disaster.”

Shuriman grinned as he spoke.

“More importantly…”

Shuriman approached me and placed his hand on my head.

“You’ve gotten a lot stronger than you were seven years ago.”

“Eh!?”

I was shocked. But when I looked at his face, it became clear.

He was the same mage who told me I had talent back then.

“You can do this much at only ten years old. You still have a lot of room to grow.”

“Shuriman. Is that true?”

“Yes, Your Highness. Nelba has given birth to an excellent mage. Your Grace, please take good care of him.”

He roughly patted my head.

I was really happy. To think I would be praised by that person again.

“Amazing…”

The Grand Duke let out a surprised voice.

“That ‘Contractor’… To be acknowledged by one of them… Could he also be…”

“Yeah, there’s a possibility. This kid might be one.”

I didn’t understand what the two of them were talking about.

“Um, what do you mean—”

“Well, I’ll tell you tomorrow. So rest for today.”

With that, Shuriman left the room together with the Crown Prince. The Grand Duke’s group also left shortly after.

“Alphonse-sama, see you tomorrow.”

Charlotte-sama waved at me, so I waved back.

“Well then, I also have various meetings to attend. Al-kun, make sure you rest properly.”

“Al, see you tomorrow.”

Mother and Uncle Klaus also had urgent discussions, so they left the room.

Only me and Roze’s group remained.

“Master.”

Elena and the others hugged me.

“I’m sorry for worrying you all.”

I was wrapped in the warmth of all four of them.

“Now, please lie down.”

Sophia pulled away and helped me lie down.

For the rest of the day, the four of them took great care of me.

Chapter 047: Conference Regarding the Two Nations

The next day, in the conference room of the royal castle, the Grand Duke, the Prime Minister, the Minister of Military Affairs, and other key officials were present. Also attending were the Crown Prince of Zelgon, Shuriman, Elena, Roze, Urka, and myself sitting at the end.

“We shall now begin the strategy meeting. For this session, we have the participation of His Highness Alexandre, Crown Prince of Zelgon, and Lord Shuriman. Additionally, we have the former General of the Kalos Empire, the former First Knight Commander of the Anis Holy Kingdom, and the former Warrior Leader of the Philos Union.”

The meeting began with the Grand Duke’s words. By the way, I was basically an extra. The Grand Duke had told me, “This concerns you as well, so please attend. Just listen.”

The topic was how to deal with the Anis Holy Kingdom and the Kalos Empire going forward.

“According to Lady Elena, the ones you fought were from the Anis Holy Kingdom.”

The conference room buzzed at the Grand Duke’s statement.

“Is that true!? Lady Elena.”

“Yes. They were members of the Anis Holy Kingdom’s 13th Knight Order.”

“What is the 13th Knight Order?”

“It is a hidden dark unit of the Holy Kingdom that very few people in other countries know about.”

“What!?”

“To think the Holy Kingdom had such a unit…”

The ministers were visibly shaken. It seemed this was the first time they had heard of it.

“However, the one you captured was their captain, correct?”

“Yes. Gaeda serves as the captain of that knight order.”

“I see!!”

“Then there’s still hope—”

Everyone was oscillating between relief and panic.

“But we cannot let our guard down.”

Roze spoke up.

“Lady Rosaria, what do you mean?”

“According to the knight captain, an Imperial mage placed a magic formation on him. Also, among the attackers I saw, there were members of the Empire’s assassination units mixed in.”

“Is that true?”

“Yeah. Their fighting style and movements were different from the Holy Kingdom’s dark unit. I recognized the patterns from when I was in the Empire.”

“So the Empire and the Holy Kingdom have joined forces behind the scenes?”

The conference room stirred again at Crown Prince Alexandre’s words.

“This is troubling. The two major powers forming an alliance…”

“Indeed. The Empire and the Holy Kingdom have long been famous for their hostility due to years of war. This is quite shocking.”

The Grand Duke’s words were met with a nod from Alexandre.

“On the other hand, it means they have turned their greatest enemy into an ally, making it easier for them to invade other countries.”

Shuriman’s comment caused even more commotion in the room. The Grand Duke raised his hand to calm everyone.

“Silence. What matters now is not panicking, but devising countermeasures.”

His voice was calm, but I could see sweat on his hands. Even the Grand Duke was not completely composed inside.

“So, what should we do? If they have formed an alliance, there is a high possibility that either the Empire or the Holy Kingdom will attack Nelba.”

“The same applies to Zelgon. That is why I am here — to form an alliance with your country.”

Crown Prince Alexandre stated clearly.

“Indeed. Let us begin there. What do you think?”

The ministers nodded at the Grand Duke’s proposal.

On this day, the two nations formed an alliance across the distance. This historic moment would later be known as the North-South Alliance.

“The Empire will likely target either Zelgon, which borders the Holy Kingdom, or our Nelba.”

“The Holy Kingdom will do the same. However, in their case, they may also attack the Turis Kingdom.”

“Then we should contact the Turis Kingdom immediately.”

“They have probably already noticed. Send envoys urging them to cooperate in the defense!!”

After the alliance was established, the discussion grew heated.

Together with the Crown Prince and Shuriman, they discussed overall strategy.

“We in Zelgon will also strengthen border security. When enemies enter, we will report which country they belong to.”

“For that purpose, I have prepared this crystal for communication. Place it wherever convenient.”

“That is most appreciated.”

“However, it would be better if we could predict their moves as much as possible. Lady Rosaria, Lady Elena, what do you think?”

“Most likely, the Empire will target Zelgon.”

Roze stated decisively.

“Why is that?”

“Three years ago, the current Emperor’s first campaign as Crown Prince was against Zelgon.”

“I see.”

“It ended in a crushing defeat. I believe he holds quite a grudge.”

“The Holy Kingdom seeks fertile land. The possibility of them targeting Nelba is extremely high.”

Everyone nodded at the two women’s analysis.

“Then let us proceed on that premise.”

“However, we should also keep a close eye on the Turis Kingdom.”

“Lady Elena, why do you say that?”

“In terms of military strength, the Turis Kingdom is smaller. There is a possibility they will target them as well.”

“Hmm. There is no end to the possibilities.”

“But considering every possibility is not a bad thing.”

When the Grand Duke responded “Indeed” to Minister of Military Affairs Archbold’s words, the minister continued:

“Alphonse.”

“Yes.”

“There will likely be times when we need your help as well. I’ll be counting on you then.”

“Specifically, how do you intend to use Alphonse-sama?”

Elena asked, using “Alphonse-sama” instead of “Master” due to the formal setting.

“I have heard his magic is of a very high level.”

“You can’t be serious!! Are you planning to send him to war!?”

“He is still a child!!”

Rosaria and Elena immediately raised their voices.

“But Lord Shuriman himself has evaluated his ability highly.”

“Even so, at such a young age—”

“This is not the time for such concerns!!”

The Minister of Military Affairs’ voice rang out.

“Minister, you are getting too heated.”

Prime Minister Grant spoke up.

“His ability is certainly real. However, sending a child to the battlefield is something I cannot approve of.”

“I am also against it.”

The Grand Duke added.

“Guh…”

“Minister of Military Affairs. Is that what you were thinking?”

“We need as many personnel as possible right now. That is all I considered.”

“However, the majority is opposed. Let us put this on hold for now.”

“Your Grace?”

“As I said earlier, we are simply keeping the possibility open.”

National politics are complicated. As the leader, he probably wants to keep every option available.

But me on the battlefield… I can’t imagine it. I’ve only fought bandits…

“Sorry, Alphonse. We may call on you again.”

“Understood.”

I nodded. I felt that was the right decision for now.

“Then we shall take our leave here.”

The Zelgon delegation began to withdraw.

“Indeed. The next part of the discussion will involve internal affairs that you may not wish to hear.”

The Grand Duke looked slightly troubled. It would likely shift to domestic matters from here. The Crown Prince seemed to have sensed that.

“Hey, kid. Come with us. I’ll tell you what we talked about yesterday.”

Shuriman said.

“For his escort… the maid and the Silver Wolf should be sufficient.”

“Lord Shuriman, he is—”

“Talking about the future with a child would be too heavy. It would be better for him to talk with me.”

“That may be true, but…”

“This boy is a mage. Talking with me will help him grow more.”

“…Understood.”

“See you later.”

With that, we left the room together with Shuriman and the others.