The Expelled Boy Does All Sorts of Things with the Onee-sans He Saved.

Chapter 076: In the Holy Kingdom – Elena Side ③ (Conclusion / Trial Resolution)

“The inquisitorial council shall now commence.”

The day after Maria’s speech, the long-awaited day of judgment finally arrived.

I was not seated with the delegation from the Grand Duchy, but in the special seat reserved for the First Knight Commander. Although I had declined, the cardinals insisted, so I sat there. My position was on the left side of where the sinners stood. The envoys from the Grand Duchy were seated directly below the inquisitors.

“Then, bring forth the sinner.”

The knights escorted Vols into the hall.

“Your name?”

In response to the Chief Inquisitor’s question,

“Vols.”

He did not reveal his true name until the very end.

“What are the charges?”

One of the inquisitors seated below me read out the charges.

“The charges are treason and subversion of the state. By conspiring with a foreign power, he brought ruin to this nation and tortured and massacred many of its people.”

“Sinner, do you have any objections to these charges?”

To the Chief Inquisitor’s words, Vols replied,

“I deny nothing. I believed I could make the Holy Kingdom strong. I pretended to ally with the Empire while sabotaging them from within. I would conquer the surrounding nations like the Grand Duchy, use their forces to destroy the Empire, and bring prosperity to the Holy Kingdom. What’s wrong with that?”

“What about your attempt to kill former Knight Commander Elena?”

“That was a miscalculation. My skill has little effect on people with high magic resistance. Elena’s resistance was exceptionally strong.”

“So you tried to kill her because of that?”

The inquisitor asked calmly.

“If I didn’t, she would have opposed me. A person of her caliber refusing to obey and inciting a revolution would have ruined everything. It’s a common story, isn’t it? A ruler eliminating political enemies.”

Vols’ words intensified my anger.

“Even if that power was obtained through the vile method of manipulating others?”

“Abilities exist to be used. I simply carried out what I believed was the correct path for this country. And since you couldn’t agree with me and defeated me in our struggle, now you’ll kill me because I’m in the way, right?”

I could no longer hold back and stood up.

“Lady Elena.”

“Inquisitor, may I speak?”

“You may.”

Looking directly at Vols, I said,

“Your words sound as if you are justifying your actions by comparing them to common occurrences in political history.”

“However,” I continued,

“In your story, the only human being who appears is yourself. You see no one but yourself. That is where you are wrong.”

“There have been many people like you throughout history.”

“Yes, there have. And in the end, they all met miserable deaths.”

“………”

Vols fell silent. He may be self-centered, but he is not stupid. He knows enough history to understand that much.

“Then, we shall begin questioning the sinner. Do the representatives of the Grand Duchy have any questions?”

At the Chief Inquisitor’s prompt, Prime Minister Grant asked,

“Why did you target our country?”

“Resources, manpower, and the fact that Elena was still alive. With those conditions, the Grand Duchy was the obvious first target, wasn’t it? All I had to do was instill resentment toward her in Artemisia and it was done.”

“You bastard!! What did you do to Artemisia!!”

I raised my voice, unleashing my anger openly.

“It was war. You do whatever it takes to win.”

Even the inquisitors and everyone else froze at his abnormal calmness. This was the real Vols — completely sane.

“Why go so far? What drives you?”

“You already know, don’t you? Revenge!!”

He raised his voice.

“My mother was forcibly violated by the Emperor! She conceived me and was then discarded!! My own path to live was stolen by the Empire!! This was all for revenge!!”

“And for that, you used the Holy Kingdom—”

“It was an excellent means to an end. The Holy Kingdom’s military strength is comparable to the Empire’s. Using it was the optimal solution.”

He was already beyond saving. I knew his life had been tragic. That tragedy had twisted him into what he became. Even after further questioning, he begged for neither his life nor mercy. He simply remained true to himself. No matter how dirty or how many sacrifices it took, he had wanted to achieve his goal.

“Then, judgment shall be passed. Vols, you are sentenced to death by decapitation on the guillotine.”

Even after the verdict was announced, no one cheered. Vols himself made no complaint. At the very end, he glanced in our direction before being taken away.

“Then, next—”

Following that, verdicts were handed down one after another to the high-ranking officials and former knight commanders who had followed him and killed civilians. Sentences ranged from death, life imprisonment, to twenty years of hard labor.

All that remained were Maria and Artemisia.

“The final two will be judged together.”

I was surprised by the Chief Inquisitor’s words. Before I could react, the two were brought forward.

“Your names?”

“Maria = Nicola = Caroling.”

“Artemisia = Chris = Richard.”

It seemed this joint trial was news to them as well. They looked visibly shaken.

“Your crimes are…”

A knight beside the inquisitor stated,

“Complicity in conspiracy with Vols.”

“Do you have any objections?”

To the inquisitor’s question, both replied,

“There is no mistake.”

“We will accept any punishment.”

“Were you not brainwashed?”

The inquisitor seemed to be looking for grounds to lighten their sentences.

“Even so, in my memory, I clearly remember harming the people and my friend.”

“I feel the same.”

I struggled to hold back my tears. They might receive the death penalty or decades in prison. I had to prepare myself for that possibility. From the spectator seats, some citizens were pleading for their acquittal. That was how deeply the people adored the two of them.

However, what they had done to me was undeniable. What should I do?

“Lady Elena. Do you have anything to say?”

The question was turned to me. I looked at the two. Their eyes were pleading with me: “You don’t have to do anything.”

No. What should I do?

“I…”

I stood up unsteadily.

“I was betrayed and nearly killed.”

Everyone listened in silence as I spoke.

“I drifted to the Grand Duchy, where I was saved.”

“But,” I continued,

“In the end, I betrayed the Holy Kingdom. I fought on the side of the Grand Duchy against the Holy Kingdom.”

The hall stirred. Everyone understood. Yes — I was confessing my sins. Even if everyone thought it was justified, as the leader of the First Knight Order, I had committed the crime of defecting to the enemy nation.

“Just as they have sins, so do I. Shouldn’t I also atone in the same way?”

“Lady Elena!!”

“Inquisitor, what do you think?”

“Hmm…”

The inquisitors looked troubled.

“Isn’t that a separate matter?”

“It may be. But I felt it needed to be stated here.”

“That is unlike you.”

“With that said, regarding Maria and the others — it is true they were brainwashed and could not help it. However, those who lead a nation or an order bear responsibility. That is my belief.”

I sat back down. The Chief Inquisitor thought for a moment, consulted with the other inquisitors, then returned to his seat.

“We shall now deliver the verdict.”

I swallowed hard, anxious about the outcome.

“Maria = Nicola = Caroling and Artemisia = Chris = Richard. While holding the positions of Pope and First Knight Commander, you aided Cardinal Vols’ policies. This is a crime.”

Screams rose from the spectator seats. The Chief Inquisitor continued with “However,”

“It is also true that you were under brainwashing.”

“Furthermore,”

“During her time as commander, Artemisia did not kill a single person. Aside from Lady Elena, the same can be said for Maria. However, both of you committed irreparable sins specifically against Lady Elena.”

All eyes turned toward me.

“What Lady Elena thinks about the matter concerning herself was of utmost importance, yet she chose not to speak of it. Therefore, we interpret it as follows: the matter regarding her is not limited to Maria alone. In other words, what was done to her is a sin of t(・h・i・s・) c(・o・u・n・t・r・y・) itself.”

I had been thinking the same thing. Was it Maria’s fault? Was it Vols’? The root cause was certainly Vols. But he could not have exerted influence over the entire nation alone. Therefore, those who accepted and went along with it also bear some degree of sin. That did not mean everyone had to atone together. It was ultimately a matter of awareness. Whether the people could hold onto that awareness would determine the future of this country.

“Additionally, it is true that Lady Elena fought as a general of the Grand Duchy. Under the laws of the Holy Kingdom, this is clear treason.”

The hall grew noisy again, with some in the spectator seats raising objections. Nevertheless, the Chief Inquisitor continued.

“Taking all of the above into consideration, we deliver the following verdict to Maria = Nicola = Caroling and Artemisia = Chris = Richard.”

The hall fell silent in an instant.

“You are both sentenced to permanent exile from the country.”

“!!”

Maria’s eyes widened. It was clearly unexpected. Permanent exile is a heavy punishment here. It means being forever banished from the people of the Anis Holy Kingdom — in other words, being declared unworthy as a believer for having gone against the teachings of Anis God. For devout followers, this is an extremely painful sentence.

“Furthermore, Elena = Shell = Valois is sentenced to exile and is hereby ordered to supervise these two.”

“That’s—!!”

Tears overflowed from my eyes. I felt relief. There was a part of me that was relieved by this outcome.

“You two shall never again set foot in this land… May you stay well.”

With those words, the Chief Inquisitor declared,

“This concludes the trial.”

Despite it being a verdict of excommunication, the citizens in the spectator seats and even the knights erupted in loud cheers.

Chapter 077: Return / Homecoming

On the night the inquisitorial council ended, I visited the audience chamber inside the cathedral.

It was here that Maria had once appointed me as the Commander of the First Knight Order. I wanted to see this sight one last time.

“Lady Elena.”

A voice called out from behind me.

“Cardinal Valente… or should I call you Your Holiness the Pope now?”

He — Valente = Paulo = Capet — had been chosen as the next Pope in the meeting held after the inquisitorial council.

“It is only temporary. An election will be held in a few months.”

He replied with a gentle smile.

“You are a noble person, Lady Elena. Please do not lose that quality.”

“I will do my best.”

After saying that, I turned to leave the audience chamber.

“Lady Maria is in her room. If you are willing, please go see her.”

He said this while turning around.

“Understood.”

I headed toward Maria’s room.

“Maria, it’s me. May I come in?”

“Yes, please.”

When I opened the door, I saw her sorting through a very limited amount of luggage.

“Tomorrow, I will no longer be one of the Holy Kingdom’s people.”

“That’s right.”

A long silence followed.

“Shall I call Artemisia?”

“Eh!!”

Maria left the room and soon returned with Artemisia.

“Lady Elena.”

“シア (Shia).”

The slightly hesitant Artemisia was instructed by Maria to sit down, and she nervously took a seat.

“When I think about it now, I never imagined things would turn out like this. I thought I would live and die in the Holy Kingdom, devoting myself entirely to it. That was how I thought it would end.”

Maria began to speak.

“Life really is unpredictable.”

“Yes. What kind of people live in the Grand Duchy?”

“There are many outstanding individuals. You two should get to know them well.”

The three of us spent the last night in the Holy Kingdom talking until dawn — about past memories and the future ahead.

～～～～～～～～～～

One night after the inquisitorial council, the executions of Vols and the others were carried out.

It was unusually swift. Even in the Holy Kingdom, death sentences usually took at least three months to execute. According to rumors, when Vols was still a cardinal, once a death sentence was decided, the condemned were immediately taken to the execution ground.

As a result, many cardinals, priests, sisters, and merchants I knew were executed. Was this revenge? Or perhaps—

A large crowd had gathered at the execution ground, raising their voices.

“This is quite an unusual sight,” Prime Minister Grant remarked beside me. In the Grand Duchy, executions are carried out privately in a specialized facility inside the prison by professionals. In contrast, public executions for maintaining public order, like in the Holy Kingdom, are not uncommon.

While we were talking, the crowd stirred. It seemed the prisoners had been brought out. Vols, the former knight commanders, and the cardinals who had aided him — five people in total.

“…………”

No one said a word. A priest approached and recited prayers. Vols was wearing a slave collar, probably to prevent him from speaking.

“The execution shall now begin.”

They used the guillotine, a recently developed execution device that kills a person instantly. The prisoners were led onto the platform.

“Does anyone have any last words?”

The priest asked. Vols looked in our direction, grinned, and said,

“I’ll leave you with a parting gift.”

Then he continued,

“I once spoke with an imperial mage named Kaiser. He’s first-rate as a mage, but he’s also overconfident. I exploited that and he proudly told me: ‘We have the power to summon warriors from another world.’”

“That’s—!!”

I had heard rumors of a spell that could summon large numbers of people from another realm. So the Empire could actually use it?

“Be careful, Holy Kingdom, Grand Duchy. The Empire is full of idiots, but their malice is first-class.”

I couldn’t tell if his final words were meant as a genuine warning or just to amuse himself. But—

“Prime Minister!!”

“Understood. We must return to the country immediately!!”

The Prime Minister and his party left in a hurry. I also decided I had seen enough. The matter was settled. Now, the next step…

I turned my back on the execution ground and walked away. Behind me came the sound of the iron blade falling and the roar of the cheering crowd.

～～～～～～～～～～

“You’re really leaving.”

My family came to visit while I was preparing to depart.

“Yes.”

“I’m not in a position to say this, but… take care of yourself.”

Father and Mother were dressed in monastic robes. They wore pure white religious garments covering their bodies and hoods over their heads. In the Holy Kingdom, those who take holy orders withdraw from the secular world, devote themselves to repentance at churches, and serve every day.

“What about my sisters?”

“They have a duty to preserve the family line. I want them to fulfill that.”

“They are still young. It’s enough that we, their parents, have taken holy orders. They are currently serving as sisters at the church — helping with soup kitchens and cleaning the streets.”

They do not want the Valois bloodline to end. I agree with that. I hope the two of them stay healthy.

“Please take care of your health.”

“Elena. Be happy.”

After exchanging those words, I mounted my horse. In the carriage beside me rode Maria and Artemisia. Since they had been sentenced to exile, they carried only the bare minimum of belongings.

“Will you be alright in a place that will surely become troublesome?”

“There’s no need to worry. The people there are generous.”

I gave the signal to the head of the column.

“Move out!!”

At General Antonio’s command, the column began to move. As the Grand Duchy’s procession left, the citizens watched from the sides of the streets. Even though they had been sentenced to exile, the people sent them off with cheers.

“Take care!!”

“Do your best!!”

Seeing this, I truly understood how deeply Maria and Artemisia were loved. From inside the carriage came the sound of quiet sobbing. They would never return to the Holy Kingdom again. Until we reached the border with the Grand Duchy, they gazed at the scenery of their homeland as if burning it into their memories.

～～～～～～～～～～

The journey back to the Grand Duchy’s capital, Riema, took roughly five days.

Returning to this country that had become my second homeland brought me a deep sense of relief.

“Welcome back, Lady Elena. His Grace the Grand Duke is waiting. He asks that you come straight to the castle.”

“Understood.”

It seemed they wanted to hold a triumphal parade to show the people their victory. As we passed through the castle gates, many people came out to greet us. The entire city was decorated with ornaments from the Holy Kingdom campaign, giving it a festive appearance. We advanced through the cheering streets and entered the castle with Maria and Artemisia.

“Generals, you have done well.”

The Grand Duke and his key officials welcomed us. The lineup seemed slightly different from before.

“So those behind you are the former Pope Maria and the former First Knight Commander Artemisia.”

Following Grand Duchy etiquette, the generals and I took a formal kneeling posture. Maria and Artemisia followed suit.

“You are most welcome. The Grand Duchy greets you warmly.”

Afterward, the Grand Duke invited Maria and Artemisia to a guest room, where he spoke with them together with Mafalda and his wife Angelica. I never thought such a day would come.

Meanwhile, the Grand Duke decided to hold a meeting with the Prime Minister and others based on the information brought by Vols.

“I’d like you, along with Lady Rosaria and Lady Urka, to participate in the upcoming meeting again. Lady Maria may also be asked to join, so I’m counting on you.”

He said this as we were leaving the castle. However, he also told us to rest well for the time being.

We returned home — to the place I now call home. When the carriage stopped in front of the mansion, I saw someone coming out from the direction of the villa.

It was Alphonse-sama — my beloved Master.

“Elena!!”

With a bright smile, he ran toward me. I also ran forward and embraced him.

“Welcome back!!”

He rubbed his cheek against me. Ah… I’m home. I’m back here again.

“Has everything been settled?”

From behind, Rosaria, Urka, and Sophia approached.

“Welcome back.”

“Welcome home.”

Then, Maria and Artemisia, who had just stepped down from the carriage behind me, let out voices of shock.

“Rosaria = Anna = Felville!!”

“Urka = Zaspa = Reen!!”

Of course they would be surprised. I could only smile wryly.

“Elena!! You’re living together with them!?”

“Y-Yeah… Ahaha…”

“Elena, you didn’t explain anything to them?”

“Sorry.”

Rosaria gave me an exasperated look.

“Elena?”

“Ah, I’m sorry. My M a s t e r.”

““Master!?””

The two of them were even more shocked. Yeah, I figured that would happen.

“Umm, allow me to introduce you.”

I stood behind Master and said,

“This is my current Master, Alphonse = Reis = Belladonna-sama.”

“N-Nice to meet you.”

Master introduced himself a little nervously. Maria and Artemisia simply stared at us in blank amazement.

Chapter 078: Discussion, Dinner, and Maria’s Worries

“…………”

In the living room of the villa, two groups sat facing each other across a table.

On one side sat me (Alphonse), Elena, Roze, and Urka. On the opposite side sat Maria-san and Artemisia-san.

On the way back, Elena had explained about Maria and Artemisia to me. When I told Mother, she immediately had new furniture and other items moved into the villa and prepared rooms for them.

I asked Mother if it was really okay to house a former Pope, but she said there was no problem at all. In fact, she seemed to be thinking about how they might be useful in some way.

The preparations to welcome them were complete, but the moment the two saw me for the first time, they were shocked, so this meeting was hurriedly arranged.

By the way, both of them are indeed beautiful women. From my perspective, Maria-san is on the left. She has long golden-blonde hair that reaches down her back and large, round aquamarine eyes that give her a somewhat cute impression. She is about a head shorter than Elena, but her chest is quite large.

Next to her, Artemisia-san has chestnut-colored hair tied back in a single ponytail. Her eyes are sharp, a striking azalea color. She is slightly shorter than Elena, with a more modest chest and a slender figure.

“Elena. You didn’t tell me! Your new master is a 10-year-old child!!”

“I’m sorry for not explaining enough.”

“For now, could you tell us the full story?”

Elena then recounted everything to Maria-san and Artemisia-san: the terrible things Vols had done to her, how she met Roze and the others, how she met me, and everything that happened afterward.

As she spoke, the two began to cry, and by the end they were sobbing loudly.

“I-I see… so that’s what happened.”

“How… how awful…”

Elena’s experiences before meeting me were truly harsh. Even I ended up shedding tears.

“Master saved me from the depths of despair. That is why I decided to serve him for the rest of my life.”

When Elena finished speaking, she looked at me and smiled shyly. I smiled back at her.

“……”

Maria and Artemisia watched us with slightly surprised expressions. Then they suddenly cleared their throats.

“We understand the relationship between the two of you now. So, what about your relationship with those two over there?”

From Maria and Artemisia’s perspective, Roze was once an Imperial general, so they might not have good feelings toward her.

“Well… my story is pretty much the same as Elena’s. The only difference is that I was exiled by sane bastards who weren’t brainwashed.”

“I was abandoned by my father-in-law as well.”

Maria seemed to understand Rouge language, but Artemisia did not, so Elena acted as interpreter. Their stories were also quite tragic.

“When the three of us met in the underground room of that slave shop, even though we were enemies, I sympathized with them because we shared similar circumstances.”

“I felt the same.”

“Now we’re this close.”

Yes — even though there was a lot in the past, the three of them are now all precious to me.

Roze gently stroked my head and said,

“That’s why we’re not fighting or anything like that anymore.”

“Elena… you were saved by so many people.”

Maria smiled gently.

“Maria, Artemisia. Starting today, you two will also live here. It might be difficult at first, but please ask if there’s anything you don’t understand. Artemisia, you should start by studying the Rouge language.”

“Yes, Lady Elena.”

Artemisia replied, looking somewhat happy. She was probably glad to be able to stay with Elena. Then Artemisia glanced at Sophia.

“By the way, the woman behind us is…”

“She is my maid, Sophia.”

“My name is Sophia.”

Sophia is quite proficient in foreign languages too. She greeted them in Ancient Sanova language.

Lately, Urka, Roze, and Elena have all been trying to learn each other’s languages. I hope they master them.

“No, I thought she was quite skilled.”

“I am honored by your praise.”

Sophia’s voice sounded a little brighter, as if she was pleased.

Suddenly, there was a knock at the door.

“Everyone, Madam and the others have prepared dinner and are waiting.”

Today, Mother had suggested and prepared a welcoming banquet for the two of them.

“Let’s go!! Both of you.”

I called out to them and left the room first.

“So that boy is…”

“Yes. He was the one who deployed the magic that erased the self-destruct magic formation and everything else at that time.”

“I never got the chance to thank him.”

“There will still be opportunities.”

～～～～～～～～～～

At dinner: Mother and Father sat across from me, with Elena, the former Pope Maria-san, and the former First Knight Commander Artemisia-san. Urka and Roze sat at the sides of the table. Sophia stood behind me attending.

“Lady Maria, Lady Artemisia. Welcome to the Belladonna family.”

Mother began the conversation.

“Thank you very much. I never imagined that Elena would be under the care of the Belladonna family, one of the world’s leading merchant houses.”

“She also has a very g o o d relationship with my son.”

“Yes, we saw that earlier.”

Hmm. It sounded like they were talking past each other a little, but maybe not.

“By the way, Elena.”

Mother’s gaze turned to Elena.

“You returned in triumph from the Holy Kingdom, and yet you brought the former Pope with you.”

“…I am truly sorry.”

Elena bowed her head.

“I was quite surprised. Even if she is former, she is still the highest authority of a nation. It took a lot of effort to smooth things over with various parties.”

“I apologize.”

Maria and Artemisia were flustered, unsure how to respond.

“Fufu. You two, it’s alright.”

Father stepped in here.

“Louisa is just teasing you.”

“I-Is that so?”

“Yes, Lady Maria. Please don’t worry about it.”

“Don’t say unnecessary things!!”

Mother said that and pinched Father’s cheek. The exchange was so funny that everyone burst into laughter.

In this way, we enjoyed a pleasant dinner together.

～～～～～～～～～～

Maria Side

After leaving the Holy Kingdom, I have come to live in the house of Elena’s current master — Alphonse-sama.

During that dinner, I asked if I could be lent one underground room. Even though I have been excommunicated, my faith in Anis God has not disappeared. However, I cannot practice it openly. So I wanted to do it quietly.

I explained my intention, and Lady Louisa kindly agreed without hesitation. With this, I can perform my morning and evening prayers.

But now that I have been exiled and gained freedom, I am lost about what I should do from here on.

Elena will surely be able to continue serving as a general in this country. The same goes for Artemisia. However, I am not particularly skilled in martial arts like them, and my aptitude for magic is not very high except for recovery magic.

While thinking about this, I couldn’t sleep after dinner, so I was sitting on the sofa in the villa’s living room, drinking tea. Then—

“Huh? Maria-san.”

“Alphonse-sama. Why are you still up?”

“I was studying and it got late.”

He is the one who will inherit this house in the future, so he must be studying hard for that.

A little later, the maid Sophia-san also came.

“Sophia, you’re not sleeping?”

“My duty is to attend Master until he goes to sleep.”

She said something exemplary for a servant and quickly prepared tea for two.

“So, why are you still up, Maria-san?”

“I was just thinking about some things.”

I ended up telling the 10-year-old boy about the worries I had been carrying. I only wanted someone to listen, but Alphonse-sama said,

“Hmm. Then, why don’t you try working?”

“Eh?”

He suddenly made such a proposal.

Chapter 079: Life in the Grand Duchy Begins

“Nice to meet you. My name is Maria.”

This is the Adventurers’ Guild’s healing facility.

It is mainly used to treat and hospitalize injured adventurers. I had also worked here temporarily while working as an adventurer. Thanks to that connection, I spoke with Beatrix-san about letting Maria-san work here as a healer, and she readily agreed.

“U-Um, please take care of me.”

Since she was formerly the highest authority of another country, the staff at the healing facility were quite hesitant.

“Even if she used to be an important person from another country, that’s no longer the case. Treat her as a new employee.”

Bianca-san, the head of the healing facility, instructed the healers and doctors.

“Well then, let’s have you start working right away.”

“Yes!!”

Bianca-san led Maria-san away.

“Al, come help again whenever you have time.”

“Yes, understood.”

She called out while turning around. That’s true. I should come help next time. It looks like they have enough hands today.

“Al————!!”

As I was about to head home, Beatrix-san jumped over and hugged me tightly.

“Beatrix-san!!”

“Wow, I can’t believe you’re actually living with the former Pope!”

“I didn’t expect this to happen either at first.”

I’ve gotten quite used to being hugged by her now. By the way, Artemisia-san, who came along, is standing there in utter shock. Sophia walks straight over with purpose.

“Beatrix-sama. Please restrain yourself already.”

She tries to pull me back, but Beatrix-san skillfully dodges her.

“Hahahaha!”

Beatrix-san laughs, but I really wish she would let go soon.

“Um, this is…”

Artemisia-san asks Elena beside her.

“We were surprised at first too, but we’ve gotten used to it.”

“…I see.”

By the way, today a total of seven of us came to the guild: the four of us (me, Roze, Urka, Elena), plus Maria-san and Artemisia-san.

I suggested it last night and we came without an appointment, but Beatrix-san happily welcomed us. I thought it would be just me and Maria-san, but everyone else came along saying “It’s dangerous.”

“By the way, Al. Are things finally calming down?”

“Yes, it seems so.”

“Then, why don’t you come visit my house next time?”

“Eh!? That’s—”

“Come on—”

“No way.”

Roze immediately stepped in to stop her. In that moment, Urka successfully rescued me.

“What’s the problem? You guys are always together anyway, right?”

“With you, there’s no telling what might happen…”

“What do you think I’d do?”

“…Well. A lot of things.”

Roze, please stop blushing right after saying something like that.

“More importantly, Beatrix-san. What is the current situation with the Empire after all that?”

Elena asked. Since the guild had cooperated with the Empire’s guild this time, she seemed suspicious that something might be moving within the Empire.

“For now, it’s quiet. But on the flip side, it’s too quiet. There’s definitely something going on.”

As soon as she switched to her work face, she gave us a report.

“According to Elena’s report, Vols said at the very end that the Empire is trying to summon people from another world.”

“Regarding that…”

“Nothing yet. But if that happens, the guild would want to protect them as quickly as possible. It’s far too dangerous for them in the current Empire.”

Beatrix-san spoke with a serious expression.

“Would they be used as tools of war?”

“That’s a strong possibility. According to the literature, people from other worlds always seem to possess skills.”

“Among our people, someone with a rare skill appears once every few million, or once every few billion for truly exceptional ones.”

“People from other worlds somehow get those rare skills right from the start.”

“Troublesome enemies.”

“They apparently also have large magic power reserves. An average mage might not be able to compete.”

This is quite a serious issue. I thought that otherworlders are pretty unfair.

“How did they obtain them?”

“Al, here’s the thing. They don’t have those abilities in their own world, but the moment they come here, they suddenly gain such talents.”

To gain high magic power without any effort… I…

“Al, don’t worry about it. There’s no way your magic would lose to someone who just had power stuck onto them, right?”